Sierra Club also supports "expanding public transportation to serve diverse populations" and "encouraging walking and biking."*

These principles are sound, and we agree:  Repair Klingle Road to maintain existing infrastructure.  Improve public transportation and provide diverse citizen access.  Encourage walking and cycling -- expand and enhance hiking and cycling in our U.S. parks and other public lands, particularly Rock Creek Park.

Sierra Club's "Restore the Core" campaign against suburban sprawl encourages efforts so that "commuters can move around as efficiently as possible in a changing city."  Sierra Club notes correctly that DC's "grid-patterned streets provide alternative routes to help avoid congestion."

This is exactly why we need Klingle Road; where there are few thoroughfares across Rock Creek Park, we need to keep our alternatives.  There now is only one road across the Park serving Cleveland Park where there used to be two.  We need this road more than we need more green space.  Besides, repairing Klingle Road will not reduce green space.  

Sierra Club also notes that "in the District, traffic is the number one cause of ozone, and it is estimated that ozone alone triggers 130,000 asthma attacks a year.  Car accidents cause about 60 deaths each year in DC."  

The DPW study found that opening Klingle would reduce traffic delays and accidents, particularly at Connecticut and Porter.  It would also reduce the amount of time we spend in our cars, thus reducing ozone emissions.

Yet, inexplicably, Sierra Club leaders would make Klingle Road a unique exception to their principles of repairing existing roads and making transportation more efficient and safe.

Moreover, a significant number of DC Sierra Club members want Klingle Road repaired.  If you are one of them, please write and tell them your concerns.

* Steinzor, N. "Klingle Valley: Beyond a Temporary Traffic Fix" Capital Sierran, v. 9, No. 1, p. 11, Spring 2001