We, the undersigned, call upon the Moscow City Council to halt current plans to construct a motor vehicle bridge on 3rd Street.

Several reasons motivate this petition, among them is how the process has failed to consider public feedback and there is little demonstration that benefits to private demands outweigh the costs to public interest. Some of the threats to public interests include,

• Significantly increased risks to students’, parents', and school staff's safety near Lena Whitmore Elementary School, John Russell Elementary School, and Moscow High School
• Weakening responsible management of public finances - because the city anticipates heavier traffic once the bridge is built, more public funds are needed to pay for additional safety measures needed to reduce risks for city residents commuting by foot and bicycle along and near the 3rd Street corridor.
• Inequitable distribution of public funding - the plan involves over-dedication of public funding for one purpose. Adding another east/west motor vehicle connection to Mountain View Road means other important public needs are postponed, or not met at all

These are just a few of the risks to the public that we believe result in Moscow residents accruing greater cost than benefits from this project and its outcomes.

Therefore, the undersigned demand a halt to any further plans to build a bridge on 3rd Street until fair and proper solicitation of public feedback is collected in guiding the Council’s decision to proceed, or not, with this project. We, request a fair, public process that collects city-wide feedback from Moscow city residents regarding the wisdom of such a development strategy.