I thank Mayor Begich for his activism and support for the Lake Otis Parkway and Tudor Road intersection improvements and Coastal Trail extension ("Coastal Trail leg bumped off plan," Dec. 21). According to news media coverage, it appears he stood alone in his advocacy at the recent AMATS board meeting. The Assembly members and state officials on the board with the mayor felt strongly that other projects are more worthy. After living in the Anchorage area for 33 years, I do not believe the Bragaw and Dowling Road extensions will alleviate the Lake Otis and Tudor problem. The traffic generated by development along the new extensions will quickly consume the expected traffic capacity surplus.
I was also sorry to read that at the same meeting the Coastal Trail extension from Kincaid Park to Potter Marsh got bumped out of the AMATS plan altogether. Too bad. At a time when 65 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese, and the number of people with type II diabetes is rising sharply ("Diet Wars," PBS Frontline, Dec. 27), why do so many of us think that outdoor recreation is a discretionary luxury? I wish I had a bike path in my back yard.
---- Pete Panarese
Eagle River