Many residents hoof it on Mass. Ave.

The comments made in the "Rethinking Mass. Ave." article (City Weekly, Aug. 10) were right on target. I was a resident of Mass. Ave. and St. Botolph Street for 20 years, and I know that the streets are filled with seniors and people who use wheelchairs, and as Mass. Ave. becomes a street designed for cars and not the people in the neighborhood, it may force many to stay home.

Valerie Fletcher, executive director of Adaptive Environments, is correct when she says that the plan gives cars all of the advantages. Many of the people in that neighborhood don't even own a car. Most of us dislike big projects, particularly in progress - the mess of the construction, the inconvenience to the residents and stores, and the difficulty getting to the hospitals along the street. None of this seems to be taken into consideration either and it makes me wonder how much of the advice given by people who will be most negatively impacted was considered.

Karen Schneiderman
Jamaica Plain