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Pedestrians and bikes: consultants say existing sidewalk is heavily used and an ADA alternative would be required
Summary
Jacobs and staff reported that removing the sidewalk on a new 3‑lane bridge would sever a heavily used connection; federal/state policy requires a reasonable ADA-compliant alternative and staff said they did not find a viable alternate route in the memo.
Council asked whether a 3‑lane bridge could be built without a sidewalk to reduce right-of-way impacts. Jim Clark and Jacobs staff said they evaluated policy, usage and alternate routes and concluded that because an existing pedestrian/bike connection is in place and heavily used, policy would require a reasonable ADA-compliant alternative before severing that connection. Jim Clark said the analysis did not find a viable alternate that met ADA standards without imposing unsafe or substantial detours and that the existing sidewalk provides an important connection identified in the city’s bike‑ped plan.
Councilmembers raised the Merle/Marolt underpass and other north–south options; staff said those alternatives create other safety and connectivity tradeoffs and that e‑bikes and current pedestrian patterns favor the existing bridge connection. Staff recommended including a pedestrian connection on a new 3‑lane bridge rather than severing it without a documented ADA alternative.
