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The design of the new Silver Spring library, as published in The Gazette of Nov. 4, is quite impressive. One thing is missing, however: parking. At the busiest times, the current library's parking lot is completely full, but the new library provides no parking at all.

I realize that the Wayne Avenue garage is supposed to provide parking for the new library, but without a pedestrian bridge to the new library, the Wayne Avenue garage is a very poor solution. It seems unlikely that patrons with heavy bags of books and small children in tow will find it practical to park in the garage, go down an elevator, walk half a block to the corner, cross several lanes of traffic while right- and left-turning cars are in the intersection too, negotiate the Purple Line tracks with trains every three minutes or so adding to the congestion, walk a half a block back to the library entrance, and then take another elevator back up to the new library, which is on the third floor. And try that in a wheelchair or with crutches!

Building a bridge will not only benefit library users in general, but is also the least expensive way to meet ADA requirements for handicapped parking. The County Council needs to reconsider the bridge issue and approve building the bridge so the new library can serve all its projected users.

Robert E. Oshel, Silver Spring