"One day, I tried making that left from 86^th to go south on ICW after the high school got out.  There was a big line of cars and kids aren't always patient.  A car with two girls actually pulled through the driveway of a house on that corner so they wouldn't have to wait behind me and two other cars.  All kinds of dangerous!  I wish I had gotten their license plate."

Ken commutes the corridor every day, often ‘fighting' that high school traffic in the mornings.  "You need to stay pretty alert in there.  Buses are stopping; cars are weaving to move around turning cars ," says Ken.  "As soon as you hit the section of ICW where it opens up to two lanes, cars start speeding past you, often cutting back in right before Merrimount on that downhill part.  It's scary enough when it's dry but lately, when it's raining there is a huge puddle in the right lane that makes a lot of the smaller cars lurch to a quick slowdown or people quickly swing into the left lane that opens up just past the intersection.  I feel like a Formula One car driver."

Ken and Monica like the 3-Lane Reconfiguration because it will allow traffic to move in and out of the neighborhoods east of the corridor more safely and easily, and will prevent the weaving that is so dangerous on the corridor.  "Obviously, crossing only one lane of traffic to the safety of a center turn lane will be much safer and easier, and it will be nice to utilize those buffer zones on the side of the road as you merge or exit ICW" says Monica. 

"I've heard the complaint that you might get stuck behind a car that is driving ‘too slow,' going 25 or 30 mph.  My answer to that is that I rarely see a car doing the speed limit, let alone go slower than that, but if I have to take a deep breath because I get stuck behind an overly cautious driver with the 3-lane configuration, I would prefer that over the constant car accidents that happen every week on ICW."

"I have also heard people complain about the cost of changing ICW because it works fine for them now, continues Monica.  "That, to me, is just selfish. Just because it doesn't affect you doesn't mean it's good. I think they will think twice the next time one of their friends or kids is in an accident or when their kids start to drive."

The family recently relocated to the Parkwood neighborhood to be central to everything and have non-car options to the places they need to go, but the options north of 53^rd are limited.  "I'd love for the younger boys to be able to ride their bikes to the library, to town, to the parks, or to PEAK when it opens.  Right now that's not really an option-the road is just too close to the sidewalk."  Both runners, Ken and Monica travel the ICW corridor regularly on foot.  "That sidewalk is right on the highway.  I feel like I'm playing Frogger! Cars are speeding by, and forget trying to cross," says Ken.  "The ICW reconfiguration will make those runs along the corridor so much nicer and so much safer."  says Ken. 

"In the end, if the 3-Lane configuration adds another 3 seconds, or even 3 minutes, to travel a little over one mile, if that prevents accidents - isn't it worth it?"