(21st in a series of posts on Walkability and Bikeability)
Dear Gadfly:
As recent letters to the Gadfly affirm, a pedestrian/biking bridge across the Lehigh River comes with its own challenges and questions. And, it is worth noting that from the beginning of our community discussions, the assertion has been made that the railroad tracks are an insurmountable obstacle and that Norfolk Southern represents an impenetrable bureaucratic fortress. Likewise, it has often been suggested that our current means of walking and biking from the North Side to the South Side is already adequate for every purpose and for every person.
Now, thanks to the forward thinking of the mayor and city council, these concerns can be addressed formally by the State Department of Conservation. And, more important, these engineering challenges can now be fairly weighed against the myriad of social, cultural and economic benefits that a quality pedestrian-biking bridge represents to the City of Bethlehem. We all look forward to answering these questions.
Lehigh Valley Sierra Club
