[Vision2020] 3rd St. Pedestrian Bridge

mark seman fcs at moscow.com
Tue May 1 20:42:00 PDT 2007 

The development along east 3rd, with the knowledge of a future vehicular
bridge, was poorly done.  To try and mitigate that problem by omitting the
bridge will cause more future problems.  A pedestrian-only bridge at 3rd &
Mt. View is just a bad idea.

A pedestrian-only bridge at west 3rd is a polar-opposite good idea that has
to happen and should be of higher priority for timing and funding.

Mark


mark r. seman, architect
       v=928.925.7617
       f=928.776.9107

  -----Original Message-----
  From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]On Behalf Of Tom Ivie
  Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 12:58 PM
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] 3rd St. Pedestrian Bridge


  Excellent point Donovan.

  Michael Kyte, Director of the National Institute for Advanced
Transportation Technology (NIATT) and member of the Transportation Research
Board's Committee on Highway Capacity and Quality of Service has timed the
difference of the two routes to be less than one minute.  By putting in a
vehicular bridge, a driver would save less than one minute.

  Third Street is the flattest East/West Route and it makes sense to have a
pedestrian bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists.

  Mitigation is an interesting word. The need for mitigation only exists
when a project or situation creates a problem(s) most often that cause harm
to an individual, group, environment, or species. Mitigation can be seen as
any effort to try and prevent negative effects.  Why go forward with a
project or situation that causes harm? It differs from other measures
because it specifically deals with risk.  A precursor activity to the
mitigation is the identification of risks.

  What are the risks involved for pedestrians, bicyclists, a neighborhood,
and vehicles with a vehicular bridge vs. a pedestrian bridge? (both with and
without both of these)

  The following is some background on the pedestrian bridge idea and it's
origins. (for those that aren't familiar with it or who believe it was an
effort to circumvent the vehicle bridge).
  The folks from Moscow's Paradise Path (part of Moscow's Parks & Rec)
brought some consultant/ organizers from City Repair of Portland to a
workshop on Sept 10, 2005. After a presentation and brainstorming session,
attendees at the workshop identified places in Moscow that might be
candidates for City Repair's ideas of people reclaiming their urban spaces
to create community-oriented places. These places were:
    a.. Deadman's Hill (Adams, from B to C streets)
    b.. F Street Hill
    c.. West entrance to Moscow
    d.. Hwy 95 & Hwy 8 Intersection
    e.. Harrison St right of way south of Hwy 8 (connection to Berman
Creekside Park)
    f.. 3rd St Crossing of Paradise Creek
    g.. Travois Way Linear Park
    h.. D Street and Mt View Intersection
    i.. F Street and Mt View Intersection
    j.. Taylor and Lauder Intersection
    k.. A Street and Main Street Triangle
  From these, three were picked by the group (West Entrance to Moscow,
Intersection Of Hwys95and8, 3rd St Crossing) for further brainstorming.
  For more information about City Repair please visit their website
http://www.cityrepair.org




  Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
    The costs outweigh the gains of placing a vehicle bridge across the 3rd
Street and Mountain View intersection.

    Think, what do you gain. You gain an access point, but to what and at
what costs to others.

    Taking 3rd Street instead of D Street or 6th Street takes longer to get
to town. The width of the road, the right of way, positioning of stop signs,
pedestrian traffic, and other vehicle traffic makes using 3rd Street a
slower alternative. I suggest you drive this route:

    Joesph St. to Mountain View to 3rd Street. Time it. Then drive the
distance from the end of 3rd Street to downtown. Time that and add the times
together.

    Next, drive from Joesph Street to 6th Street, then make a right on
Hayes, the a left on 3rd and follow it all the way downtown. You will find
it took you longer to drive the Mountain View Route.

    The same is true with coming from the northeast side of town off Dst
Street. It is faster to take Dst and go left on 95 than it is to take
Mountain View and try to go right down 3rd Street.

    There are no houses on the other side of Mountain View where it would be
a quicker access point to use 3rd than either 6th or D streets.

    The city would be creating another access point, but it would not be a
faster or safer route. So it seems like a weak argument when you consider it
would disrupt parking and reduce safety in the neighborhood. Not to mention
the environmental impact problems to the creek and lightening of the
taxpayers wallet.

    I would rather see a bridge across 3rd Street/Highway for safe passage
of students over the traffic. The City is working on the wrong end of the
street.

    Best,

    Donovan


    Dan Carscallen <areaman at moscow.com> wrote:
      Cynthia asks:
      "Someone please explain to me WHY a pedestrian bridge is being built
at
      3rd St. Please try to convince me that it's not to, once and for
      all, prevent an auto bridge from going there. What powerful people in
      Moscow DON'T want that?"

      >From what I heard at the Administrative Committee meeting last
Monday,
      if the placement of a pedestrian bridge is to either the north or the
      south, it would not preclude the future addition of a vehicular bridge
      in the future (a vehicular bridge is a part of the Comprehensive
Plan).

      One must realize there is some pretty vocal opposition to a vehicular
      bridge there, which got it put on the back burner about a year and a
      half ago. If a person is in favor of a vehicular bridge there (which I
      think would work with some traffic mitigation), that person should
make
      their opinion known to the powers-that-be.

      DC


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