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Nevada Street bridge idea hits roadblocks Neighbors Ted Hall, left, and Spike Breon survey the area where a proposed bridge over Bear Creek at Nevada Street would be built. photo by Jim Flint Thursday Dec 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Jim Flint for the Tidings A proposed bridge across Bear Creek at Nevada Street has been a controversial topic ever since it was first raised in the April meeting of the Ashland Transportation Commission. It was the first time many residents had heard of the proposal. More than 25, mostly from neighborhoods near the site, attended to voice their opinions — a few in support, the majority in opposition. Since then, opponents of an automobile bridge have suggested a bike/pedestrian bridge as an alternative, arguing it would serve the neighborhood's needs at a much lower cost. The public works department is considering that idea. Ted Hall, a registered professional engineer, lives in the neighborhood west of Bear Creek and is adamant in his opposition to the automobile bridge proposal. “I have been planning, designing, and building bridges for over 40 years,” he said, “but a bridge has to have a purpose and need, supported by technical traffic studies that show that it helps solve problems. “My license further requires that I do no harm,” he said. And harm it would do, he argues. He said it would encourage drivers to cut through the neighborhood to get to Helman and Laurel streets and worsen traffic at Helman near the elementary school. He said if the city were successful in diverting traffic from North Main to bypass downtown via a Nevada Street bridge, it would impact the city's carbon footprint in a negative way. “I personally would not be affected by the cut-through traffic, but Ashland’s kids would be,” he said. Hall said he believes the rationales for building an automobile bridge there have been thoroughly rebutted. However, he is not opposed to a scaled down bike/pedestrian bridge, even one with a lane blocked by bollards that could be opened for emergency vehicles if needed. Most of the opponents of a vehicular bridge are not opposed to a bike/ped bridge. There are people who have expressed both support for and opposition to the project, some of whom have commented on the Ashland Next Door website. Kim Blackwell is one of them. “I feel the bridge is actually a missing piece of the new developments over by Mountain Meadows and will provide needed connectivity,” she wrote on the site. “I think the bridge is a good idea.” She said there is no place to cross, even on horseback. “I have climbed all around the creek on a couple of occasions trying to find a place to cross, unsuccessfully.” Susan Hall echoed Blackwell’s comments about horseback riding, but had a different tack. “As a horse lover trying to cross Bear Creek, I would much prefer a one-lane bridge with a bollard,” Hall said. “Such a bridge allows emergency access if needed, but most of the time it would allow horses, bikers, and walkers to cross without any cars whizzing by,” she said. Susan Carney, a Railroad District resident writing on the site, liked the idea of a smaller bridge. “A pedestrian/bike bridge could be cool,” she said. Don Morehouse, who lives in the Meadowbrook Park II neighborhood on the east side of Bear Creek, filed a letter with the City Council in favor of the proposed bridge. “I very much support this project and feel that it is an important and sensible connection for both my immediate neighborhood and the City of Ashland,” he wrote. He noted in his letter that a bridge would allow for walking and biking, as well as a connection to downtown and Helman Elementary School. Morehouse also argues that a vehicular bridge would reduce miles traveled by cars accessing state Highway 99 and Interstate 5. “The east side of Ashland needs a more sensible connection, especially in regard to northbound trips,” he wrote. Marty Breon, who lives next to Bear Creek off East Nevada Street on the west side of the creek, opposes the idea and questions whether the need for it has been proven. She said she had asked Public Works Director Mike Faught for a study he said was done by the Oregon Department of Transportation showing computer modeling and touted as providing supporting data for an automobile bridge. It was never provided to her. She also said when she spoke with a private engineer that he told her the study had never been completed. Faught has recommended that the Transportation Commission add an East Nevada Street bridge project update to its agenda for the Jan. 26 meeting. He assured Breon that bike/ped and bike/ped with emergency vehicle access alternatives would be part of the update. Faught attended a Sept. 8 neighborhood meeting at the Breons' home. He provided background information and listened to comments and questions about the proposed bridge from East Nevada neighbors on both sides of the creek. Plans for other neighborhood meetings have since been put on hold. At the meeting held at her home, Breon expressed an interest in working with public works on resolving the issues. “We don’t want an automobile bridge; however, we would rather not be adversaries of public works but partners,” she said. During the meeting, Faught told those in attendance that he was not pushing ahead. “We are starting at ground zero,” he said. Faught added that he has made note of the opposition to the original proposal and didn’t see any point in pursuing that version if there turns out to be no agreement on the idea. He said if he encounters similar opposition at other meetings, public works may well conclude that it shouldn’t be built. Jim Flint is a retired newspaper editor and publisher and can be reached at [email protected].