FW: BIKE: Envision Central Texas, CTRMA & TxDOT

[dick ryan]

The Lamar Street Bridge is (I believe) listed on the National Register 
of Historic Places, or at least it was judged eligible by the State 
Historic Preservation Officer and as such, Federal dollars (ISTEA 
Enhancement money from FHWA) could not be spent on a project that would 
have had a negative impact on the character defining features of the 
bridge - which adding additions to the sides certainly would have done.

Adding more (car) lanes in the future would have an even more negative 
impact and as such, Federal dollars could not be used.
Not to mention the fact that adding (car) lanes to the bridge 
accomplishes nothing - the railroad underpass is only 4 lanes just like 
the bridge.

Dick Ryan


>
> The decision to go with a stand-alone bike-ped bridge instead of 
> improving the Lamar Bridge was done on the pretext on not disturbing 
> the "architectural significance" of the Lamar bridge and to keep the 
> option of adding lanes to Lamar available for the future.
>
> Jeb
>