Lake Shore Drive shouldn&8217;t be a place for automobiles to cruise. There are plenty of other streets in Albert Lea for that.

Lake Shore Drive runs along Fountain Lake in the Shoreland Heights area of Albert Lea. It is thin; some of it is barely paved, and most of it is bumpy limestone &8212; just like an alley.

Bicyclists and pedestrians enjoy taking the route because it is scenic and they hope to avoid the auto traffic found on other streets. Many docks are accessed via Lake Shore Drive, and boaters need the route to haul gas, skis and other gear to their boats.

If the only people who used Lake Shore Drive were bikers, walkers and boaters, everything would be fine.

Since motorists and motorcyclists insist on cruising on this skinny alley on weekends, things become jammed. Cadillacs to Kawasakis cram into slow-moving convoys that crowd the way and have no true destination but through.

There&8217;s little space for parking. Cruisers drive on private land, causing damage. All the traffic is bad for the pocked road surface. It&8217;s hard for police to patrol, especially at night when teens go through to avoid being seen.

A solution needs to be found. It would be good if the only users of Lake Shore Drive could be pedestrians, bicyclists and boat users. Perhaps there could be new pavement with gates, and the city could distribute keys for people with dock permits. The gates would offer enough space for bikes and walkers to pass.

A civil engineer might have a better solution, but it&8217;s a problem the city could begin considering, if it hasn&8217;t already. There&8217;s just no need for the traffic.

The new Lake Shore Drive would result in a safer place for children. It would extend the city&8217;s trail system. The new pavement would last longer. And boaters could enjoy their docks with more space for their vehicles and less noise.