Terrible ROI on Red Gate bridge

Ask Mayor DeWitte why the taxpayers of St. Charles are paying $120,000 per person for only 500 direct beneficiaries using the Red Gate bridge?

The first phase already seems to be running above cost estimates at a total cost that will probably exceed $30 million. The mayor lives in one of those homes, so perhaps he counts more?

The math is simple if you take an aerial view.

Approximately 500 homes are closer to Red Gate Road than they are to Stearns Road to the north or Main Street, Illinois Street and Prairie Street bridges to the south.

Figure that half of those 500 homes send a car east in the morning or west over the Fox River during the evening and subtract for some those that work from home are retired or head west in the morning and you get approximately 250 divided into $30 million.

Not a healthy return on investment, folks.

I have heard residents of that same area also detail the unsafe and crowded road conditions near St. Charles North High School at city council meetings. The mayor or council seem to just ignore the waste of money and the increased safety risks associated with more traffic on a winding country lane.

Also the Magellan fuel pipeline that runs near the bridge and high school costs to bury deeper has not been considered fully, to my knowledge.

But not to worry. They have your pockets to continue pulling cash from despite the dire economy and terrible ROI.

Any leftover funds could be spent to save our riverfront in downtown St. Charles for public use, instead of 47 future condo owners (who knows how long they will sit vacant.)

Make a call, go to a council meeting, use your next votes wisely and join the Citizens Coalition for Sensible Spending.

Nolan Day

St. Charles