Bikes & Pedestrians On The Fuller Warren Bridge?
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) wants to spend $136 million to expand the Fuller Warren Bridge. They claim including a bicycle and pedestrian crossing as a part of the project isn't possible on an interstate highway. Here are some examples across the country that suggest otherwise.
Interstate 95/495 - Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Image courtesy of https://bubikes.bostonbiker.org/files/2009/06/bridgebikers.jpg
The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River includes a multi-use path connecting Maryland and Virginia.
Interstate 95 - George Washington Bridge
Image courtesy of https://www.nycbikemaps.com/photos/bike-blog-nyc-on-george-washington-bridge-dsc_0056/
The George Washington Bridge carries I-95 between New Jersey and New York City and features a multi-use path for biking and walking.
Interstate 205 - Glenn Jackson Bridge
Image courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_205_Bike_Path
The Glenn Jackson Bridge connects Vancouver, Washington to Oregon City, Oregon. The bike path dates back to the early 1980s and is managed by the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Interstate 90 (Mercer Island)
Image courtesy of https://janheine.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/a-typical-ride/5interstate_bridge/
This bicycle trail parallels Interstate 90, connecting Mercer Island with Seattle and Bellevue, Washington.
Interstate 395 - 14th Street Bridge
Image courtesy of https://www.waba.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/14th-st-bridge-path.jpg
Interstate 395's bridge crossing over the Potomac River includes a bicycle/pedestrian component. This facility connects Washington,DC with Northern Virginia.
Interstate 94 - St. Croix River Crossing
Image courtesy of https://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/BillSell/TheHoanBikingWalking?action=download&upname=hudson1s.jpg
Interstate 94's crossing over the St. Croix River, near Hudson, WI, includes a bicycle/pedestrian component.
Interstate 279 - Fort Duquesne Bridge
Image courtesy of https://ak7.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/3523904/preview/stock-footage-a-bicycle-rider-on-the-bike-trail-on-the-fort-duquesne-bridge-in-pittsburgh-pennsylvania.jpg
Interstate 279's Fort Duquesne Bridge also serves pedestrians and cyclists traveling between Downtown Pittsburgh and the Northshore.
Interstate 676 - Ben Franklin Bridge
Image courtesy of https://wikimapia.org/56736/Ben-Franklin-Bridge
Additional Examples
Cross section example courtesy of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation at https://www.dot.ri.gov/img/content/bikeri/sakonnet_bridge_lane_profile_web.jpg
Examples can be found outside the Sunshine State in nearly every major metropolitan area across the country. Below is a "partial" list of Interstate freeway bridges in the United States with bicycle/pedestrian crossings.
Note: List adapted from report by the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, research for Bay View Matters list serve by "C Mb."
1. Scudder Falls bridge on I-95 between Pennsylvania and New Jersey
2. I-80 Carquinez Bridge linking Vallejo and Crockett CA - separated bicycle/pedestrian path.
3. I-494 over the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, Minnesota - path is immediately adjacent to the freeway, separated by a stone barrier.
4. Squaw Peak Freeway in Phoenix AZ
5. Appalachian Trail at I-80 Delaware Water Gap NJ-PA
6. I-84 Newburgh Beacon Bridge over the Hudson River, NY
7. I-84 Bulkeley Bridge over the Connecticut River, Hartford, CT - sidewalk on south side of bridge for bicycle/pedestrian use, separated by concrete barrier
8. I-278 Triboro Bridge, New York City
9. I-295, Tukeys Bridge, Portland, Maine - separated from the freeway by a jersey barrier; no known incidents
10. I-95 Gold Star Memorial Bridge over the Thames River, New London, CT
11. George Washington Bridge I-95 NY-NJ includes a sidewalk accessible to pedestrians on the south side and a path accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians on the north side
12. I-494 bridge over Mississippi River, near Minneapolis.
13. I-90 bridge over the Fox River in the Chicago area has a bicycle path underneath the main bridge
14. I-80 crossing the eastern reaches of San Francisco Bay has an adjacent bicycle/pedestrian path
15. I-680 crossing San Francisco Bay in California will have an adjacent bicycle/pedestrian path.
16. I-10 over the Colorado at Blythe, CA
17. I-80 Yolo Causeway bridge, between Sacramento and Davis, CA - approximately 3-mile section over the Yolo Bypass that includes a bike path physically separated by a barrier from the westbound traffic lanes
18. I-82 Columbia River bridge between Washington State and Umatillan
19. I-5 bridge over the Columbia River at Vancouver, WA--sidewalks on both sides.
20. The Record of Decision for two planned new interstate highway bridges across the Ohio River in or near Louisville includes separated bicycle/pedestrian facilities for both bridges.
21. Interstate 66 bridge across the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. (immediately adjacent sidewalks on each side separated by guard rail). The I-395 and I-66 bike/ped facilities have existed for more than two decades without any safety problems related to their immediate proximity to the roadway.
Let's Have Open and Honest Dialogue
Washington, DC's proposed Douglass Bridge is an example of what a Fuller Warren Bridge with a cycletrack could look like. Image courtesy of https://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/19699/new-douglass-bridge-could-be-best-bike-bridge-in-dc/
If the expansion of the Fuller Warren Bridge ends up not including a bicycle/pedestrian connection, it will not be because it can’t legally happen. Rather, it will be because FDOT does not want to include a multimodal option, even if it would help improve mobility, mulitmodal safety, and the area's quality of life.
Quite frankly, Jacksonville deserve better. If FDOT wants community support, they're going to have to be more upfront, honest and creative as they attempt to sell this project and its negative impacts to the urban communities surrounding it.
Rendering of the future Sakonnet River Bridge Bike Path in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Image courtesy of https://www.dot.ri.gov/img/content/bikeri/srb_path2_web.jpg
They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you think it's a good idea that this proposed bridge widening should include a multimodal connection, like the other INTERSTATES shown above, click here to let FDOT know how you feel.
Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
Title image courtesy of https://tacomabikeranch.blogspot.com/2013/03/bridges-of-tacoma.html