Safety or traffic flow?

While I appreciate that the Washington State Department Of Transportation has started a conversation with the city of Spokane about the safety issues on U.S. 195 (“Spokane’s wake-up call on U.S. 195,” March 1), my question for the WSDOT is what will be done in the meantime with the dangerous on-ramp from 195 to I-90? It’s clear that I-90 traffic flow seems to be their only priority, but what of the safety of drivers using the 195 on-ramp?

The ramp meter seems to have somehow exasperated the issue of thru traffic not using the two left-hand lanes, and now cars pile up in the right-hand lane, refusing to allow space for cars to merge, forcing 195 drivers to either slam on their brakes or slam into the bridge and then wait for the car behind them to rear-end them as that car’s driver cranes their neck to see if they themselves can merge, not seeing the car at a standstill in front of them until it’s too late.

Does someone have to get seriously injured or killed before the WSDOT comes up with a fix? This can’t wait.

Melissa Bolton

Spangle