Re: “Portland council puts off decision on Woodfords Corner street light sculpture” (April 4):

I thank Councilors Edward Suslovic and Justin Costa for trying to bring Portland to its senses on a proposal to spend taxpayer money on adding art to an otherwise much-needed renovation: the 2017 Woodfords Corner project.

Yes, I can see folks from all over, scrambling to this “mecca” of art, being enticed to appreciate a “sense of place,” buried 3 miles from throngs of tourists disembarking from visiting cruise ships in Portland Harbor.

And those 22,000 cars with folks breaking their necks to get to work on time, to medical appointments or food shopping, trying to concentrate every fiber of their being on simply getting through that intersection unscathed, risking life and limb to do so, all in the name of art.

Artist Aaron Stephan said his project would help improve an area he now tries to avoid. Would he cease to avoid this improved traffic maze?

Can’t Portland review adding this distraction to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and simply plan a clear, unobstructed traffic flow through this most important pathway, without the benefit of a $25,000 street lamp? Many safety issues exist in Portland and should be put on the front burner in place of this light sculpture, which may well be more appreciated in an artistic environment.

Walter Gilpin

Portland

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