Pacific Aldermen Still Pushing for Pedestrian Lane on new Meramec River Bridge; Franklin County still opposed | emissourian.com

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Even though some aldermen said they did not want to halt construction of a new bridge over the Meramec River, they voted 5-0 this week to approve a resolution deeding a small strip of land in the project to Franklin County as a quid pro quo for adding a pedestrian lane to the new bridge. . . .

Franklin County has already bid the $4.5 million project and plans to award a construction contract as soon as MoDOT signs off on it.

The bid includes building a new bridge and improving Highway N with a new road and sidewalk from the bridge to Pacific city limits. The strip of roadway involved in this issue is included in the project.

Aldermen indicated at the Aug. 2 board meeting that they might withhold the land without a pedestrian lane, which prompted an angry response from Franklin County Presiding Commissioner John Griesheimer, who said Pacific was trying to hold the bridge hostage.

Link: 

Pacific Aldermen Still Pushing for Pedestrian Lane on new Meramec River Bridge; Franklin County still opposed | emissourian.com

MoBikeFed comment: This new bridge over the Meramec River just on the outskirts o Pacific, MO, was designed without any pedestrian access, even though Pacific aldermen asked for such access as long ago as three years.

Now the Pacific City Council has approved a resolution deeding a needed piece of land for the bridge over to the county, but only on the condition that the new bridge include the pedestrian access.

It is unclear how the project got to this point without a careful examination of the need for pedestrian access.

This lack of examination seems to go against policy of East-West Gateway, MoDOT, and federal law.

Earlier this month we issued an Advocacy Alert on this issue:

http://mobikefed.org/2016/08/alert-pacific-mo-calls-pedestrian-access-ne...

If you live, work, visit, walk, or bicycling in this area, sending a quick note to officials in Pacific and Franklin County could make a big difference. Please take a moment to contact officials.