Suggestions on how to make Pine Avenue in Anna Maria safer for non-motorized traffic so far have not met with resounding support among some residents.

Nearly 70 percent of respondents to this week's Sun Survey said they either didn't like the measures being discussed or believed that strictly enforcing the 25 mph speed limit would be sufficient.

At issue are plans to make the small, but bustling, business district more of a "walkable community" by slowing traffic. To accomplish this, the speed limit would be reduced to 20 mph, yellow lines in the street's center would be removed and lanes narrowed by widening the white lines that border the edges.

The theory is that the yellow lines make the street look more like a highway, thus encouraging motorists to drive faster. Taking out the lines supposedly would make the roadway seem more like a side street and less of a thoroughfare. Likewise, narrowing the driving lanes would, theoretically, encourage slower speeds, as well. Lowering the speed limit, then strictly enforcing it, would round out the trio of efforts to make the street safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and anyone else not in a vehicle.

Similar measures have been tried in other small towns and cities and have, according to supporters, worked quite well. That may be. But critics of the proposal have a case to be made. The avenue already is crowded with cars and delivery trucks. Making it narrower would not seem to be the answer. Plus, the plan could drive traffic onto residential side streets running parallel with Pine, just shifting the congestion.

City officials are discussing these ideas now, so now is the time for residents to make their opinions known.