![Image](http://www.samclarkjr.com/images/bridge001.jpg)
![Image](http://www.samclarkjr.com/images/bridge002.jpg)
![Image](http://www.samclarkjr.com/images/bridge003.jpg)
DPatel304 wrote:So is the pedestrian portion of the bridge still blocked off? Beautiful pictures!
cowboyeagle05 wrote:You missed something. Mostly on the Oak Cliff side in fact. One will have a ramp the other will have stairs. The line down the middle will be a separation between east and west bicycle traffic. The approaches on the Riverfront side will be what appears to be ramps so another confusing Dallas design.
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cowboyeagle05 wrote:Really the pedestrian/bike elements were just a tool used to get federal funding for the signature white arches they wanted to span the river. The Feds and the state weren't willing to shell out a bunch of extra money just so Dallas could slap Santiago Calatrava on another signature bridge. The only way the Trinity Trust could get something out of the Feds was to add alternative transportation to the project. Obama had funding initiatives in place to support the growth of biking, transit, and pedestrian transportation projects as part of the economic incentives after the 2008 recession. So they came up with the idea of slapping some fancy pedestrian/bike bridges on the sides to the cheaper and practical highway bridge the state planned to build to appease Federal officials handing out money. I don't think they ever really planned to have pedestrian amenities anywhere near any of these previously visioned bridges. It was an afterthought that we can build on.
As for where is it going well the city came up with a plan to build a Coombs creek trail so the west side would be connected to something besides empty sidewalks along Beckley. On the Riverfront side, the city and the county are building in dedicated bike tracks and wider sidewalks so I see it a logical connection that could go somewhere eventually. West Dallas will get pricer and more development will creep down Beckley near this bridge. Riverfront is also likely to see some interest eventually but I think the Beckley side will flip first for commuters who want a fast route into Downtown and a view of the skyline despite the super wide highway bridge they will stare at.
soco wrote:cowboyeagle05 wrote:You missed something. Mostly on the Oak Cliff side in fact. One will have a ramp the other will have stairs. The line down the middle will be a separation between east and west bicycle traffic. The approaches on the Riverfront side will be what appears to be ramps so another confusing Dallas design.
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You are referencing an outdated schematic that does not match what is being built. The south bridge is being striped to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians. I will concede that the north bridge is being striped pedestrian only, but unless something has changed, there is not a physical barrier preventing cyclists from accessing the bridge. The ramping structure has also changed for both bridges, and is even visible on updated images from Google Earth.
Tivo_Kenevil wrote:Maybe there's an affluent Dallasite named Margaret who will fund the third one.
Maybe more ballet than engineering. In early 2016, barely half a year after elaborate ceremonies celebrating the lifting into place of the final arch, the bridge began to crack up under the stress of high winds. Since then, it has been the focus of a bitter dispute, never disclosed to the City Council, among designers, project engineers, the construction company and members of the city manager’s staff who oversaw the project.
On March 22, 2016, a rod used to adjust one of the cables holding up the bridge’s pedestrian deck cracked when the cable was twisted and vibrated by wind. The next month, on April 13, another rod cracked. On April 30, a third failed.
cowboyeagle05 wrote:CANCEL THE TRINITY PROJECT. I am done waiting on the city or a privatized entity of the North Dallas elite making decisions that ALWAYS FAIL. The current Mayor endorsed this sort of behavior and previous councils did as well. I say spend what money that is left on repairs and call the whole thing off. At least we got the bridge park out of the deal.
Matt777 wrote:cowboyeagle05 wrote:CANCEL THE TRINITY PROJECT. I am done waiting on the city or a privatized entity of the North Dallas elite making decisions that ALWAYS FAIL. The current Mayor endorsed this sort of behavior and previous councils did as well. I say spend what money that is left on repairs and call the whole thing off. At least we got the bridge park out of the deal.
Or simply just vote better people into office and increase citizen engagement.
We need this project to be completed and be spectacular if we expect to continue to attract and more importantly RETAIN a new generation of workers. Honestly the outdoor amenities in Austin are not that beautiful compared to other cities around the country that are more topographically blessed, but they exist and are large and attract talented millennials like flies to honey. And they stay. If we made the Trinity a giant outdoor natural parkland and continue to invest in trails and bike infrastructure than we could compete in the outdoor activity category.
tamtagon wrote:I cannot wait for the Crow family to honor that family's Margaret matriarch. The city certainly needs another matching suspension bridge, completing the mangled triptych; hopefully, though, the emphasis will be uniting the trail networks through the managed wilderness park.