I appreciated the letter from Janet Wiley (“
Of course, the Rec Center is now the crown jewel of Durango amenities. Those opponents were wrong then and opponents of the 32nd Street trail bridge are wrong now.
Opponents forget that there are two constituencies for the bridge: trail users and drivers. Do we really want to condemn traffic on the second-busiest street in Durango to constant interruption to accommodate dog walkers, joggers, baby strollers, bicyclists (including wobbly preschoolers), school outings, and innumerable casual walkers, in perpetuity?
Some opponents think the money should be redirected to other needs, like a new police station.
The bridge is funded by a dedicated Parks and Rec sales tax overwhelmingly passed by voters several years ago. It cannot be redirected to non-Parks uses.
Another objection is that the bridge would obscure the view from the bridge. Drivers, keep your eyes on the road! Want a great view, walk to the top of the new bridge!
The obvious solution is to design a less clunky, graceful bridge and build it for trail users, drivers and to save a child from being killed by a texting driver.
Hugh BrownDurango
