Jul 24, 2020 at 03:28 PM
I just don't get it. It's a beautiful bridge, so dismantle it and put it in a huge museum upstate with other great pieces of architecture where you can pay to have a cyclist run into you, for that nostalgic effect.
And then roll up your sleeves.
A super modern wishbone bridge with pedestrian walkways on the North and South sides that meet in the middle where there's a cafe and public restrooms.
Running down the center on the same level for cars should be a wide, two lane bicycle path with bike parking in the middle so cyclists/tourists also have access to the cafe and bathrooms upstairs.
Roadways for cars.
Every flat surface for cars, bikes, people, should have electric heating elements so those, and all LED lighting, is powered by tidal generators in the East River, solar panels built into the bridge, and short wind turbines that aren't noticeable, are parts of the elements of the bridge.
Retractable clear roof also powered by green energy, automated for rain and snow.
This could be an infrastructure project that could get a lot of people working. I don't believe it's eligible for Federal Funding, but the current situation is changing things dramatically, opening up the possibility.
And, set it up for whatever smart and driverless cars will need. I don't know what that is, but I'm assuming leave spacing beneath the roads, or along the railing, to run electrical conduit, wifi repeaters, spacing for cell phone boosters, even smart paint strips on the roads, in anticipation of automated driving. Think into the future by 150 years.
Make it a dark-sky bridge, so all the light faces down, and begin to remove some of the city's light pollution.
Then get to work redesigning how bicycles and pedestrians access it from both sides, giving priority to people over cars.
Then get to work redesigning how bicycles and pedestrians access it from both sides, giving priority to people over cars.
