8.0°C Not observed 
Dear Editor,
Visitors to Lillooet often express that they cannot believe the roads around here.
Of course, when people are coming from flatlands, more established and populated areas, or Alberta, where roads never curve and the shoulder is as wide as another lane or two, this is to be expected and Lillooet cannot be responsible for all the roads leading to our town.
However, isn't one of our primary remaining industries supposedly tourism? Isn't our town trying to appeal to tourists and outside investment? Don't we have a policy of forcing buildings to look good and conform to a heritage style?
Why, then, should the roads be neglected for so long? Roads and signage are one of the first things that people see when they arrive or pass through here, and a bad experience with signage or road hazards stays with people long after they leave.
It doesn't even matter whose job painting lines ultimately is (the District of Lillooet, Highways Ministry, business owners, Boy Scouts), our town officials and staff should see this as something to take care of at all costs, especially our public works director and our economic development officer.
People who visit have no idea that Main Street widens into two lanes per side near the museum and again near the fire hall.
They have no idea that the driveways at the mall are one-way, yet locals either get angry when people don't know this or they use the poor markings as an excuse to play dumb and sneak into the exit. Recently, this resulted in a collision.
(Fast food joints have no problem marking the entrance and exits to their parking lots with upright signs and paint on the road surface. Can't we learn from them?)
The main turn in front of the Reynolds is also confusing to leaving visitors. Would an explanatory sign kill us?
Amazingly, the main climb above the mall, like every other scrap of road in town, has no lines and no reflectors, regardless of the many pedestrians it serves and the steep drop that ends with propane tanks and a children's play area below.
There are also no crosswalks anywhere around the mall.
Where are the posted warnings about not using engine-retarder brakes in residential areas, especially in the north end of town, which isn't bypassed?
Why should we have faith in our local government to tackle major problems (like water) properly if they clearly cannot even get the small stuff right?
Daniel Jordi
Lillooet
