Thursday, December 08, 2011

Support Scudder Falls Bridge - The Bike Path to Everywhere

December is turning out to be a banner month for showing up at meetings and testifying to save bikeways. We have one final lump of coal that you need to help us throw into the blast furnace.

The proposed bicycle and pedestrian walkway on the Scudder Falls Bridge is being criticized as a waste of money ahead of a public meeting about an Environmental Assessment on the project. Supporters of the walkway can:


The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has opened up public comment for the final version of the Environmental Assessment for the Scudder Falls Bridge. This new addition is the result of the demand to publish the environmental impact of charging automated tolls on the bridge (who knew?).



While the ramp has been approved to be included in the design of the bridge, there has been some anti-toll blowback that has somehow landed on the bicycle and pedestrian pathway as a waste of money. Perhaps most notable is Newtown Township Supervisor Rob Ciervo, who made this YouTube video condemning the tolling on the bridge. At the 3:14 mark he singles out the pathway: "This is not the time ladies and gentleman to spend $9 million dollars on a bike path. What I call the Bike Path to Nowhere."

We beg to differ. Far from going nowhere, the bridge will connect the Delaware Canal towpath and the Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath, and provide an important river crossing point north of Trenton. The crossing will also bring tourism to Yardley.

Join us at the public meeting:

Thursday December 15th
Sheraton Bucks County Hotel
400 Oxford Valley Road
Langhorne, PA
7:00 - 9:00 PM

You can comment via email at
ScudderfallsbridgeEAcomments@hntb.com

The  Appendix H addition to the Environmental Assessment is located here.

1 comments:

Andrew J. Besold said...

Hmmm... Bike path to nowhere....

It's sad that Supervisor Rob Ciervo thinks so little of his own small beautiful town. The walk and bikeway on the bridge would make it very easy to ride a bike from the West Trenton part of New Jersey to his Newtown.

Next time on in the area with my car or bike and I'm look from a place to eat or otherwise spend my money, I'll have to remember that his Newtown is really just "nowhere".