Well said, well said, well said!
Editorial: Proposed Broadway bridge brings out Stoppers
Why are some elected officials so eager to block a needed span over the Sacramento?
Published 12:00 am PST Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Well versed in the laws and procedures of government, the citizens of California's capital have long been adept at stopping things from happening. That is why it sometimes seems tough for Sacramento to mature as a city.
The latest target of The Stoppers is a bridge that would span the Sacramento River, extending Broadway in Sacramento into West Sacramento.
This bridge would give residents in both cities a convenient way to cross the river, whether by car, foot, bicycle or – in the future – a possible streetcar system. It would allow motorists to avoid congestion on the Capital City Freeway bridge, and it would be a lifesaver if a levee break or other disaster forced residents in either city to quickly evacuate.
Yet despite all the sensible arguments in favor of a new bridge, The Stoppers are determined to stop it. Activists in Land Park and Southside Park fear a bridge would send too much traffic into their neighborhoods. They are pressuring the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to drop the bridge from the region's Metropolitan Transportation Plan, which the SACOG board is scheduled to finalize next month.
While it's hardly a stunner that neighborhood leaders would oppose a new Sacramento River bridge – Land Park activists previously killed a proposal to build one at Sutterville Road – the reaction of several elected leaders is more surprising, and lamentable.
City Councilman Rob Fong – not normally known as a "cancel man" – has come out against the bridge. Determined to put a final stopper on it, he has enlisted the help of Assemblyman Dave Jones and State Sen. Darrell Steinberg, who wrote a letter opposing inclusion of the bridge in the MTP.
That's disappointing. The proposed bridge needs a thoughtful response.
Throughout history, bridges have defined the character of river cities. Well-designed bridges can be architectural landmarks that inspire civic pride. Portland, a city that many Sacramento leaders and environmentalists would like to emulate, boasts eight bridges over the Willamette River. Sacramento, by comparison, seems to be bridge-phobic, judging by the three that now span the Sacramento River and the ones residents have opposed crossing the American River.
