Read the full story here Web Link posted Saturday, November 20, 2021, 7:57 PM
Town Square
A 'mythical bridge' no more: Palo Alto's new bike overpass is now open
Original post made on Nov 20, 2021
Read the full story here Web Link posted Saturday, November 20, 2021, 7:57 PM
Comments (13)
a resident of Ventura
on Nov 20, 2021 at 8:54 pm
Rhodoreae is a registered user.
What a wonderful addition to our community that provides safe access to the Baylands for pedestrians, bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and other human powered vehicles!!
And by staging the ceremony on the west side of the bridge before it opened, we only had to risk our lives one last time by cycling on the San Antonio overpass!
a resident of Downtown North
on Nov 21, 2021 at 6:45 am
Nancy the real Nancy is a registered user.
I'll refuse to use this bridge! Why? Because it's TOO ugly and doesn't make a "statement" that this is Palo Alto. Everyone knows that PA is special and needs a beautiful bridge. Maybe we can place a billboard on the bridge saying it cost double with all the delays just to prove how special we are.
a resident of Ventura
on Nov 21, 2021 at 9:38 am
Rhodoreae is a registered user.
Argh, I got my west mixed up from my east in my earlier comment.
Corrected:
"And by staging the ceremony on the EAST side of the bridge before it opened, we only had to risk our lives one last time by cycling on the San Antonio overpass!"
a resident of Community Center
on Nov 21, 2021 at 4:52 pm
Neal is a registered user.
Completing this bridge in ten years is warp speed compared to progress being made with the Chaucer St. bridge. It only took 4 years to build the Golden Gate Bridge.
a resident of another community
on Nov 21, 2021 at 5:47 pm
WilliamR is a registered user.
When I see a construction like this, I'm always bothered that there's no separation for bikes and pedestrians. The Homer Avenue tunnel in Palo Alto is a good design, with raised sidewalks for pedestrians and the bike lanes in the middle.
a resident of South of Midtown
on Nov 21, 2021 at 7:05 pm
Donald is a registered user.
Separation of bikes and peds is an issue that has been studied and researched for many years, and nobody has found a solution that really works. Pedestrians in the Homer tunnel don't stay in their lane, but the step keeps bikes from encroaching on the ped space. A good approach is to provide tons of width with clearly designated lanes, but that gets VERY costly when you are talking about a bridge. This one has basically the minimum width that meets safety requirements for shared-use paths.
a resident of Palo Verde
on Nov 21, 2021 at 7:19 pm
cheese guy is a registered user.
Ok, now we just need to name it the Benjamin Lefkowitz bridge (the name of the prior "underpass" which this bridge replaced) in honor of the Palo Alto cycling enthusiast who pioneered biking in this area many years ago.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Nov 21, 2021 at 8:03 pm
JS1 is a registered user.
So stupid that this is 10 years in the making and making headlines. It is over budget and long past due. Should have been designed economically from the very beginning. No iconic statement - for goodness sake, it is just a pedestrian/bike bridge across a drab freeway that provides access to a fairly underutilized badlands area.
a resident of Ventura
on Nov 21, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Jane is a registered user.
I rode over it today and I thought it was all well-designed and tasteful. Already you could see that it was affording more people the opportunity to get around safely and explore the Baylands.
a resident of Midtown
on Nov 22, 2021 at 4:25 am
Resident is a registered user.
[Post removed.]
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Nov 22, 2021 at 7:30 am
Bystander is a registered user.
Interesting to see all the cars parked in the office parking lot with occupants heading for the Baylands across the bridge. With parking at the end of San Antonio parking lot often full, this seems set to become a route for those who want to drive to Shoreline Park to find parking at weekends.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Nov 22, 2021 at 5:34 pm
Resident is a registered user.
This trivial bridge "10 years in the making ["...actually a 20 year effort...", according to Simitian]" symbolizes sclerotic decline more than progress: the tallest building on earth was built in 6 years.
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Nov 22, 2021 at 6:27 pm
Seer is a registered user.
> This trivial bridge <over 20 years. symbolizes sclerotic decline more than progress
I did mention to my friend from Mainland China that in China, they would have built 20 bridges in this time. He said "Yes, but 5 of them would already have fallen down, 3 would be falling apart ready to fall, 9 of them would go to and from nowhere sitting unused as "investments", and 2 would be reserved only for high party members. So, the result would be the same."
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