Whew. As of this morning there was STILL a lot of misinformation on the bridge path being spread including on the public airwaves - hopefully due to inadvertant ignorance of the facts on it. We cant fix all of the motives for this but we can try and spread the facts so people can make informed, rational decisions - so we created the Q&A below on it. Once the facts are known it simply does not make sense for Mobilians not to request that ALDOT and the Federal Highway Administration study the inclusion of such facilities or mitigation thereof. It will only have benefits for our area. Please read & share: What are we requesting?: The BPAC petition simply requests that ALDOT & the Federal Highway Administration CONSIDER and STUDY the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian facilities on the proposed I-10 Mobile River Bridge OR create alternatives. The feasibility of such a project in terms of COST or SAFETY would have to be studied by those entities and if deemed infeasible then hopefully alternatives or mitigation would be considered. Dozens of bicycle and pedestrian paths exist on federal highway & interstate bridges (see pdf below) - safety standards are aleady developed and this is not a novel concept. Why should we request it?: The federal government is building the bridge in Mobile to make it easier for people to get through Mobile quickly. The bridge will have some negative effects in Mobile. The bike/ped path is an amenity that they are required by federal law to provide us if feasible. If the federal government is going to build this massive structure in Mobile that will last for hundreds of years and be used by our descendants then we need to make sure it is done right and not miss this opportunity. What benefits will it have?: The path has the potential to provide us the health and economic benefits outlined in the petition, as have happened with the similar Cooper River Bridge in Charleston where 66% of residents say they got more exercise because of the path. Additionally - biking and walking infrastructure has been named as one of the most sought after amenities for educated young people when deciding where to move. Lastly, even ALDOT has admitted that this will be a singular world class structure that will draw people from around the country to utilize. What will it be like?: Engineering has yet to be done but it will likely be a concrete barrier separated bike-pedestrian path. Separated bike paths are off the street and are safer for everybody. Again - these exist on numerous interstate bridges and have been proven to be safe. ALDOT has said in MPO meetings that it will have a 4% grade - equal or less that the Charleston or Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridges. The assertion that only world class bikers will be able to use it is easily refuted by talking to an average area biker - not to mention the fact that most people could easily walk it. Ideally it will connect with the planned Three Mile Creek, Crepe Myrtle, and Eastern Shore trails for continutity from West Mobile to Dog River to Point Clear - and possibly beyond to Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island creating a world class trail around the bay. Will it delay the bridge? ALDOT has stated in MPO meetings that including the path at this point will not delay the bridge. In fact, NOT including the path will lead to a potential delay - as bridges built with federal funds are required to include due consideration of bike-pedestrian facilities (see statute in pdf below). Not including them will likely lead to a lawsuit which will only mean more delays. Plus, its inclusion may help to mitigate some of the other potential concerns that would otherwise delay it. How will it be funded? Funding for the bridge as a whole is yet to be determined, but the Bridge is a federal project and will be funded primarily with federal dollars, with a smaller match by ALDOT. There is dedicated federal bike/ped funding for projects like these that can be utilized. If this path is not built then those dollars will simply go to another city. We will NOT get a tax rebate check, unfortunately. Since we are ranked #49 in the nation in bike infrastructure it will likely go to a city that already has better facilities than we do. Mobile has received relatively little bicycle-pedestrian infrastructure dollars in the past and is already significantly behind most cities. Is it legal? The paths are not only legal and present on dozens of Interstate Highways already (see pdf below) - but their consideration is REQUIRED by law. If for some reason the path was not deemed feasible then the funds could potentially be used for mitigation on other projects. Petition - text and signatories below - is available here: https://change.org/petitions/alabama-department-of-transportation-include-bicycle-pedestrian-facilities-on-the-i-10-mobile-river-bridge PDF containing references on facts above: advocacyadvance.org/docs/Bridge_Access_Report.pdf
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 21:19:41 +0000
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