Recent plans to change traffic on Waterville’s Main Street to two-way seems to be a very expensive option. Wouldn’t it make more sense to build a parking garage under the new Colby dorm for half of the space and have retail shops in the other half of the first-floor building?

Traffic on Main Street is always a challenge, but it might be made less challenging by merely changing the angle parking on the west side to parallel parking and placing a couple more flashing pedestrian signs, like the one at Main and Appleton, on lower Main Street. These are very visible when activated and attract motorist attention.

Also, the old Waterville Hardware site would make a great two- or three-story parking garage. A skywalk crossing Main Street over to the new projected hotel would also be a nice addition, attractive and convenient for hotel guests.

These options seem to make more sense and could prove a lot less costly than converting Main Street into a two-way street.

Ronald Raymond

Winslow