Bike bridge idea gets chilly response

A public meeting held by the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority on Wednesday, March 26 drew 23 members of the public who were more interested in who would be crossing the bridge than what type of bridge will be used in the future.

A discussion focusing on the cost of six foot-wide sidewalks that were proposed with every alternative dominated much of the conversation. Many residents who attended were opposed to encouraging foot and bicycle traffic to cross the bridge by including the sidewalks.

In each of the four proposals for the future bridge, six-foot sidewalks were part of the plan. They would add $2 million to the budget of each proposal.

Those proposals include another swing bridge built next to the existing bridge, another swing bridge built offset to the existing bridge, a bascule, or drawbridge-style bridge, or to simply rehabilitate the current bridge.

Anticipated costs for all of the options were given as well. Sanchez’s figures, based on a three percent escalation until the year 2018, when construction is scheduled to be completed. The adjacent swing bridge, which is the new swing bridge that would run connected with the current bridge, would cost $35 million. The offset swing bridge was calculated at almost $41 million, and the bascule bridge was projected to cost more than $51 million. Rehabilitation costs would be $15 million, and GIBA Executive director Jim Cooper estimated that if repair work was done it would probably last 20 years.

When Cooper explained at Wednesday’s meeting that two new Charlotte County bicycle trails would eventually end at the Boca Grande Causeway, several people in the audience responded with shaking heads and groans.

“If and when they complete the new Coral Creek Bridge, which is scheduled to be finished in another two years, it’s going to connect up with the bike trail starting in Rotonda, go past the Coral Creek Golf Course and dump out at our causeway,” Cooper said. “So if you think there’s bike traffic now, I can assure you it will increase quite a bit. I think it’s a reality … it’s something that we need to think about. We need to co-exist.”

GIBA officials also brought up the fact that a serious injury accident or fatality involving a bicycle on the bridge could eventually end up in a lawsuit.

“It becomes a legal and insurance issue,” said GIBA Chairman George Robinson. “I think there’s a liability now with the bridge. Even though signs are posted that say it’s not safe for bicycles, and to travel at their own risk, the first time someone gets killed going across that bridge it’s not going to be a pleasant outcome for us … we will undoubtedly be sued.”

Those who attended the meeting were given a survey to fill out, which asked questions such as how many times a week they use the bridge, what type of travel is most frequent for them (boating, pedestrian, local or commercial driver), whether they would use a bicycle lane if it was provided, and what is most important to them as far as options, appearance, operation, etc.

“My gut feeling is that 10 years is what we’ve got,” Cooper said. “We should plan for that. One of the whole purposes of the study is to find out what which option we want, how to get the cost down and make it realistic, then cycle it into the big picture plan and see how it will flow financially.”