Toll Bridge Commission OK's Scudder Falls Bridge Bike/Ped Path

As reported by or friend John at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia:
(I know I've been awfully lazy lately with cut and past news).

The Trenton Times and PhillyBurbs.com report that the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced on Monday that a bicycle and pedestrian path will be included on the nine lane Scudder Falls Bridge.

Using our original blog post as the start point, the public campaign to add a pathway lasted 2329 Days or 6 Years 4 Months and 16 Days. The Commission received at least 170 action letters sent through the Bicycle Coalition's Scudder Falls webpage . 1505 people signed the petition online and nearly 200 signed in person.

"The bicycle-pedestrian facility was easily the topic that received the most comments during the public hearing process we conducted late last year and early this year," said Frank G. McCartney, executive director of the commission as quoted in the Times of Trenton.

Many thanks to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and those who supported our campaign including Congressman Patrick Murphy, Congressman Rush Holt, PA State Rep. Santasiero, Ewing Township Council and the Lower Makefield Township Board of Supervisors.

This is not just a victory for bridge, its another example of retooling the Interstate Highway to function as complete streets. There are many bridges built to Interstate Standards such as the Betsy Ross and Commodore Barry Bridges that one day will have to be rebuilt. I-95 is a local demonstration that this can and should be done with every urban/suburban bridge project.

Of course nothing is set in stone until it is set in stone, and environmental impacts, tolling and two years of final design are still issues that the commission has to deal with. We will continue to work with the Toll Bridge Commission to ensure that the new Scudder Falls Bridge has a bicycle and pedestrian pathway across its span when opens later in the decade.