BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for November 3, 2008

• Durham's Southwest Branch Library on Shannon Rd. -- the second most popular library in the County according to circulation records -- closes for 18 months starting today for renovation to expand it to a 25,000 sq. ft. facility akin to the North, East and forthcoming South branches. (H-S) That marks a three-month extension from the anticipated closure period we talked about here in July.
• Advocates for the transfer of West Point Park on the Eno to the state as a means of preserving the 60-acre Black Meadow Ridge property will make their case at this Thursday's City Council work session, the H-S reports, while noting that Durham state representative Paul Luebke is pessimistic that state park land acquisition will escape the severe economic downturn caused by the recession. Still, as the H-S points out, the likelihood of the BMR property being developed in the near-term is all but nil given the devastating state of the national economy. (H-S #1, #2)
• Just under 98,000 Durham County voters cast ballots through early voting in the One Stop No Excuses program that ended 5pm Saturday -- shattering by almost two-fold the numbers from '04. (H-S)
• The Durham Arts Guild's 54th Annual Juried Art Show wrapped up downtown this weekend, its 400 submissions ending in a showing of 70 that coincided with this weekend's downtown Art Walk event. (H-S #1, #2)

Comments

[Bill Bussey]

Hi Bull City Rising Readers,

Here is a slightly edited message that I sent City Council members on Friday for the meeting tonight where the ATT I-40 bridge design will be chosen.

From what I've heard, we're not going to win this one. :-(

For me, going with the low profile arch is the death of a dream I've had for many years. Oh well...

Dear Durham City Council members,

I would like to ask you to please support construction of a Cable Stayed bridge design for the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) span over I-40 because such a bridge would be a landmark for Durham and the region.

A cable stayed bridge design will be high tech, sleek and noticeable, yet fit very well in the i-40 corridor. It would serve as a fitting gateway to Durham, as well as Durham's own Research Triangle Park.

The cable stayed bridge unique design - the first such bridge in the Triangle - would quickly and prominently be featured on the covers of business, engineering, architecture, and travel magazines and publications locally, regionally, nationally and worldwide. This has proven to be the case, time and time again with cable stayed bridges elsewhere. What better way to show the world that Durham has arrived than with a cable stayed bridge over our major artery. Durham deserves nothing less!

As Durham Bike/Ped Advisory Commission member Greg Garneau noted last week, "Every time the networks interview a commentator from Boston (or for that matter Charleston or Tampa), they always have their cable stayed bridges shown prominently in the background."

Such a cable stayed bridge should stand out and be noticed. It would look great in the middle of the day. At night, it could be lit beautifully, especially if we can convince Cree Research to donate their LED's for lighting it. Imagine lighting the distinctive bridge with colored lights for the holidays or in NC Central, Duke or any area school colors whenever they have a major and important win!

The bridge itself could utilize the colors our team schools. But in any case it SHOULD be bright and noticeable because we are proud of such a bridge, our home town and the American Tobacco Trail!

But the cable stayed bridge would offer a more than just a visual experience from afar. Those using the bridge would also get a visual and use experience. The cable stayed bridge tower and cables would be prominent from the pedestrian and bike path. Use of the cable stayed design means that the bridge deck could be made wider and perhaps use the bridge elements themselves as a user traffic type - non wheeled and wheeled, or slow and faster - separator.

The lighting for users could be much more easily integrated into a cable stayed bridge design than a low profile arch. The tower and cables already exist. No light posts would have to be added. Light posts sticking up on a low profile arch would break up the lines that is the main design appeal of a low profile arch.

The colored lights mentioned above if designed properly would also be a visual treat and experience for trail users. Such lights could be even expanded onto the trail on either side of the bridge during the holiday season. Imagine walking or riding to and from the mall under a canopy of holiday lights!

According to the architect Mr. Steven Grover after the meeting, a cable stayed bridge design would necessitate fewer and shorter lane closures of busy I-40 in construction than a low profile arch. Because of this, Mr. Grover noted at the time that NCDOT apparently preferred the cable stayed bridge design. He noted that the cable stayed bridge would also be easier to build than a low profile arch.

In the first staff report, it was mentioned that the cable stayed bridge would potentially cost more to inspect after five years. The difference was roughly estimated to be about $5-10K over twenty years or so. This at best is negligible over the life of the bridge. Isn't this being penny wise and pound foolish?

To clarify, ALL bridges, just like our motor vehicles, elevators and playground equipment ALL need to be inspected on a regular basis. The cable stayed bridge would actually be easier to inspect because the load carrying cables and most of the load bearing structure would be very visible on TOP of the bridge. Any areas of concern could/would be very visible, and would be much easier to get to than a low profile arch - whose load bearing structure would be located UNDER the deck and on top of 8 lanes of traffic.

A low profile arch bridge over I-40 would be rather inconspicuous. It would look like bridges on the Washington-Baltimore Parkway, or the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Also, a low profile arch has already been done before in the Triangle on the Creekside Landing Drive bridge over US 64 connecting Green Level Church Road and Beaver Creek Commons in Apex. This bridge, though primarily vehicular, has a 8-10 foot-wide protected pedestrian/bike lane/path on its north side.

Do we really want to do what has been done in the area before? Or do we want to take this once in a lifetime opportunity to make and build something special?!

Keep in mind that this bridge can and will be used by EVERYONE, regardless of age, ethnicity, shape, or socioeconomic status. It is used by those aged two days to two centuries old. It doesn't require a license or any special skills. If one can walk, crawl, carry or be carried, roll, be pushed or pulled, one can use the American Tobacco Trail.

The American Tobacco Trail is already used by thousands each day. Wake County Parks says their 6.3 mile-long portion of the ATT is now used by over 125,000 folks each year. Durham's current 7.5+ miles is visibly more crowded than Wake's but we don't have long time and accurate counts to verify a yearly count. NCDOT expects the ATT to be used by over 500,000 per year. Even at a fraction of those numbers, on Day 1, the ATT and I-40 bridge will be the most heavily used greenway in North Carolina because it goes where people want to go.

Can't we build the best and most distinct bridge for those millions of our own citizens who will use it over its lifetime?!

I challenge anyone reading this message to sit or stand by the ATT at any Fayetteville Road crossing, Solite Park, Dunhill Drive, or Morehead Ave. trail intersection for an hour - even less if you want - literally any time of any day - but weekends are best - and see and count the number, and more importantly, the diversity, of those using it. Literally every trail or greenway expert or affectionado who visits from out of town immediately notices and comments on the diversity of users on the ATT.

There have been least three studies done on the ATT by professors from The Citadel, UNC and Harvard University SPECIFICALLY because the it had one of the most diverse group of users than any greenway path in the country, and for that matter the world. Just like we all love the diversity of Durham, others have taken notice and are studying it carefully.

Durham has often been compared unfavorably to our nearby "twin" of Raleigh. Durham is the Fort Worth, St. Paul, or Odessa to Dallas, Minneapolis or Midland. We usually end up getting the short end of the stick.

In building the cable stayed bridge Durham will be Number One! Raleigh got a lot of mileage and press with their Art Museum greenway bridge over I-440. It is still heavily used just to use it. The trail that connects to it doesn't go anywhere and is about 3 miles long. If the cable stayed bridge is built on Day One we'll have the best and most notable greenway bridge on the longest (22 miles), the most diversely used and most heavily used of any greenway in the state of North Carolina.

The staff reports says that the cable stayed bridge would cost a little bit more than a low profile arch. But even this hasn't been precisely determined. The initial studies indicated that it would cost less. Most cable stayed bridges are built in other world class cities because they are the lowest cost and most elegant solution. We won't know until it is put out to bid in what is right now a buyers market.

Also, $200K in a $6.5M project is only 3%. This is less than typically budgeted for cost overruns. Isn't this amount - particularly over the 50 year life of the bridge - worth it for the best and most distinctive design?

Do we want to save a little bit now when we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to build something special? As Admiral Rickover, father of our nuclear Navy, said to a young Jimmy Carter, "Why not the Best?"

The money to build either bridge is here now. It won't be here again. There aren't any rivers in the Triangle to cross with an elegant bridge. There aren't many significant trails which will be used enough, particularly from Day One, to warrant use of an architecturally significant bridge over major traffic arteries. Life cycle costs differences will be negligible, if any.

Like the election this Tuesday, this is a once in a lifetime to truly do something special. This is your opportunity, and all of our opportunity to make and build something which will be a significant change in the status quo. Why not build the best for our citizens instead of settling for 2nd best?

Please vote to continue Durham's recent progress with the new Performing Arts Center, the reinvigorated downtown, and the American Tobacco Trail itself by choosing to build the most elegant and intelligent bridge option in the cable stayed bridge design.

Happy Trails,

Bill Bussey