Friday, August 31, 2012
“It will definitely affect me,” said McKenzie who works part time as a mechanic at Spoke Folk Cycler
But with the planned closure of the 91-year-old bridge late next year for major rehabilitation work lasting 18 to 24 months, McKenzie and other cyclists are facing a major dilemma, if not a significant detour.
"It will definitely affect me," said McKenzie who works part time as a mechanic at Spoke Folk Cyclery in Healdsburg. "That would add probably a half-hour at least in each direction. I work out of my house too. That would cut into my other job."
With the bridge out of commission, "there s no good detour. There s not a good shortcut," said Councilman Tom Chambers, an avid recreational cyclist. "It s not acceptable to not have an alternative.:
Healdsburg is a national cycling mecca, said Gary Helfrich, executive director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, but "it will be a disincentive for bicycle tourism to have no other way to cross the Russian River."
On Monday night after hearing from cyclists, the City Council agreed that the most viable option appeared to be to obtain approval to use the old railroad bridge just upstream for bikes and pedestrians.
But using the rail bridge assumes there will be no resumption of freight or passenger train service in the next two to three years. four seasons hotel seattle It could involve environmental reviews and would require four seasons hotel seattle approval from the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit agency that owns the bridge, along with the North Coast Railroad Authority and state Public Utilities Commission.
Modifications also would be needed for an all-weather deck to accommodate foot and bike traffic, said city officials, because of gaps and hazardous spots on the tracks now. And a property easement would be needed to connect to Healdsburg Avenue.
Using Highway 101 also is no sure thing. It would require approval from Caltrans and could involve protective barriers four seasons hotel seattle separating cyclists and pedestrians from traffic, which alone could cost $200,000, Public Works Director Mike Kirn said.
Hey, I have to commute from Healdsburg to Santa Rosa and back every day in my old Toyota. If the bikers get a bridge to cross, it is only fair that I get my gas paid for by the city of Healdsburg for putting up with the inconvenience of the commute.
These are the same people that want to push everyone on to bikes or public transportation. Last time i looked Sonoma County Transit had bike racks on the front of their buses. No need for special buses use what we already have. I know it s to simple and won t cost us nasty car driving people four seasons hotel seattle enough
Take the $200,000 that the city of Santa Rosa is willing to spend on a useless waste of funds to study a SMART/DUMB choo-choo four seasons hotel seattle crossing 2 blocks away from an existing one, and apply it to something useful. Such as upgrading the railroad bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Not one dime including staff time should come from Healdsburg taxpayers. Charge the business owners who use the bridge four seasons hotel seattle for their customers and charge the out of town bicyclists. We have no money so it s not free. Gary Plass will keep taxing the locals so his business friends can benefit and profit. Hard to imagine a public leader with nearly four seasons hotel seattle a $ million is the hole say there is no need to panic to pay for services that don t benefit the local people.
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