The Lee Drive section of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is without question one of the best national parks in the nation preserving the Civil War.

I frequent the parks numerous times each month and think Superintendent Russ Smith operates a top-notch, well-maintained system.

Speeders frequent our parks, as well. There are far too many to capture with the limited law enforcement provided. That's the safety factor.

Darrell Cooper's letter asked Russ Smith to outline a list of traffic fatalities, accidents, and the like ["Statistics, please: Was Lee Drive that unsafe?" June 11]. What is that going to prove?

The rude members of some bicycle riding club do not constitute a majority; it is simply the complaining of a few who have exaggerated the results of an upgrade to a road they frequent.

Get a life, people. I may be way off-base here, but that road was built for everyone to gain access to an area that sustained fighting in the Civil War. It was not built for the bike club.

If they're concerned about federal government funding in our park, they can help subsidize that by visiting the park and offering a donation. But that would mean their budget would be strained and they couldn't purchase any more of those shiny shirts and tight black shorts.

Russ Smith and staff: Don't let the discontent of the bike group impact you on this matter. The majority know you're doing a good job.

It's time to move on. Might I suggest that the bike club take its travels to the middle of other county roads, impeding traffic? Oh, wait, they do that, too.

For the record, I am an avid biker. I ride Lee Drive every day. It's the arrogance of the bike club that keeps me far from them.

William (T.J.) Sanford

Spotsylvania