Battles lines drawn again over Friendship Trail Bridge

By Tristan Wheelock and Emily Nipps, Times Staff Writers
In print: Friday, December 12, 2008

GANDY — Community activists and cyclists are looking to gather support for what might be another long battle: reopening the Friendship Trail Bridge.

The bridge was closed last month after engineers discovered that it had dangerously deteriorated with chunks dropping into Tampa Bay.

Since then, local bicyclists, and business owners have felt the pinch.

"A lot of people think it's closed totally," said Bill Robinson, owner of Gandy Bait and Tackle, which has noticed a decline in business. "There's construction on the road and they've taken away some of the parking we used to have. It's a lot of things all at once, that's what's bad."

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Comments

[Chip Haynes]

Bridges, in general, have a life span of about 50 years. This bridge was built in 1956. (I'll wait while you do the math.) The problem is not that it can't sustain the weight of a cyclist or two, but that it can't hold itself up, and that is far more serious. Traveling as we do on the top side of the span, none of us can see what's going on directly beneath us, between the bridge's road surface and the bottom of the bay.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that's been under that bridge in a boat lately.

[ryan carter]

whoever is supposed to be cleaning the west bound shoulder on gandy is doing a very very bad job.

[s]

Installing bike lanes and urban trails are good.

But the closing of the Friendship Trail Bridge shows we still have reasons to educate bicyclists and motorists on road laws and how to operate cooperatively and safely together. When bike lanes and trails aren't available, the cyclists will be on the same roads as the cars and using the same lanes as the cars.

Order a bunch of "Florida Bicycling Street Smarts: Riding Confidently, Legally, and Safely" http://www.floridabicycle.org/resources/fbapubs.html . I suggest sending a donation of $2 per booklet or $15 per ten booklets to reimburse them for printing and shipping. Get several booklets to distribute to other people.

[Coo Coo For Cocoa Puffs]

I saw some guy up there sweeping the west bound shoulder of the gandy bridge this past sunday, problem was, instead of brushing it with the wind, he was brushing it into the wind which caused it to blow right back onto the lane where we all ride! I guess he doesn't understand wind patterns or dynamics. The guy had the most muscular calves I have ever witnessed on any human being ever in my lifetime! His calves looked like two footballs buried under the skin. Can't imagine who this guy was...

I had to wonder, if he doesn't understand wind dynamics, how could he possibly know which side to pull through on in a pace line!

[Joe]

What has happened to the "SPOKE-N-WORD" Blog ???