I was amazed to read that sprucing up the Simi Arroyo would cost an estimated $60 million (Simi Valley Acorn , Nov. 6).

The Simi Arroyo Greenway proposal for 12 miles works out to $5 million per mile. I Googled freeway costs and found that a ballpark figure for four-lane freeway construction was $5 million to $10 million a mile.

I can’t imagine what $5 million per mile would buy, especially since the city and park district already own the property.

The project would take an estimated 20 to 25 years to complete, and no one knows where the money will come from. The good news here is if we don’t have the money, we can’t spend it on this boondoggle.

I use the existing bike path a couple of times a week and enjoy it, but the asphalt surface on most of the path is in dire need of repair. There is one section, just west of Erringer, that is bare dirt for 50 to 75 yards.

Spending a relatively small (compared to $60 million) amount of money to simply resurface would make the path more usable and enjoyable in a much shorter time than 20 to 25 years.

I would be interested to know the fee RRM Design Group received for designing this project that, most likely, will never be built. I am further amazed that, according to the Acorn article, the park district is moving ahead with its plans. Bruce Davids Simi Valley