Traverse the Bridge and Share Your Thoughts
Fri 8/24 @ 4:30 – 6:30pm
By Hollie Gibbs
It’s a bridge. It’s a road. It’s a landmark. It’s history. And if the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) has its way, it will be so much more.
The CUDC and others are working hard to re-open the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge for bicycle and pedestrian use and as a public space and possible performance venue. Now they want your help.
“Generally, we are trying to get as much input as possible from as many people as possible regarding their interest in the bridge,” Jeffrey T. Kruth, urban designer with the CUDC, said. “Specifically, we are trying to address issues regarding pedestrian and bicyclist traffic, were the lower level of the bridge to be opened permanently. How would people use it? What interesting spots on the bridge would people tend to stop and take in the view? What are the different possible configurations of bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways? We hope to do a temporary partial build out of some of these configurations to obtain feedback about these user groups’ preferences.”
The CUDC presents Bikes, Peds & Pets on the Detroit-Superior Bridge Fri 8/24 from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Traverse the bridge, and tell CUDC what you think at feedback stations at both entrances.
The Detroit-Superior Bridge (that’s the Veterans Memorial Bridge for those of you not around prior to 1989) was one of the largest steel and reinforced concrete bridges in the world when Cleveland’s King Bridge Company built it in 1917.
A two-level 3,112-foot long arch bridge, it was designed to allow a 96-foot clearance for ships on the Cuyahoga River (which was greatly preferred to the Superior Viaduct swing bridge that proceeded it). While its upper level buzzed with automotive traffic, its lower level bustled with streetcars. However, that lower section has remained relatively dormant (save a biannual open house and the occasional Ingenuity Fest) since Cleveland’s streetcar line was discontinued in 1954.
“The overall goal for the bridge is to recognize and embrace it as a unique piece of Cleveland history by reopening it to the public and utilizing it in the best ways possible to serve transportation needs and serve as a unique way to experience the city,” Kruth explained. “The development of the bridge should not just be seen as an insular event. The bridge is a unique space in itself and should be embraced as such, but it’s also a fantastic connecting piece to some of the city’s most treasured landmarks and neighborhoods. If we can take a step back and assess how this acts as part of an integrated catalyst which strengthens some of these downtown, Warehouse District, Flats, and Ohio City neighborhoods and developments, then we can see this project as being successful.”
Connecting west side neighborhoods with The Flats and downtown Cleveland, the bridge is the perfect vessel for foot and pedal traffic. To that end, the CUDC is inviting pedestrians and bicyclists to explore the lower level for a couple hours and share their opinions on ways to make the bridge safer, more accessible, more efficient and more fun. The group is expecting 60 to 100 people at the Fri 8/24 event.
“Perhaps the most important step in this process is gaining public support for the bridge to be reopened,” Kruth said. “It would be fine if a nice study and report could be produced at the end of the day, but it’s usually support from the general public and grassroots organizations that push projects like this forward, and that’s one thing we’ve set ourselves out to do by holding these public meetings. We want to see what people’s interest is in the bridge, what they would like to see down there, and how they would like to see it function.”
The lower bridge features five different regions all with distinctive potential.
“If one walks the entire length of the bridge, from west embankment to the east, a range of interesting design possibilities and conditions exists,” Kruth said.
“From the dark and cavernous embankments to the floating center span with wonderful views of downtown, the lake, and the near west side, the entire lower level is a unique space. In general, the lower level is a more contemplative space than the heavily trafficked upper level. Given this, it can and should be used in a unique way,” said Kruth. “While the entirety of the lower level is long and expansive and can be experienced this way, there are somewhat obvious places where the bridge can be broken from its more monotonous linear path and be used for additional programming elements.”
During Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works’ annual July open house the CUDC presented their current work on the bridge, sharing their visions of the lower level’s possibilities with community members. The Cleveland Design Competition also recently asked designers for their ideas.
“We’ve not seen any specific proposals yet, but anticipate a range of interesting proposals from architects, urbanists, and artists from around the world to inspire both the work that we do, as well as the general public,” Kruth said. “We have our own ideas, which have emerged from years of collaboration with key stakeholders on the bridge, a development analysis, and community engagement. In the end, it will probably be a combination of many of these visions which produces the best results.”
The CUDC has been involved with the Detroit-Superior Bridge for years. They expect to complete this current study by winter. The future of the bridge is partially in the hands of the public, however, as it will depend on public support, as well as the economic and political climate.
The CUDC submitted the Cleveland Bridge Project through the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a This Place Matters Community Challenge project in 2011. A collaborative effort, the CUDC is leading the public engagement process focusing on urban connectivity issues related to bicycling and pedestrian access through the bridge.
Cypress Research Group and Levin Ventures will assess the needs of the arts and cultural community. Coral Strategies will determine types of development missing on or near the bridge, and Environmental Design Group will analyze traffic and parking given current and future development in the area.
The City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office have co-sponsored a planning study of the bridge’s potential for pedestrian and bicycle use with a $75,000 grant through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Transportation for Liveable Communities Initiative and a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Cleveland Bike Rack will provide free bike rentals at both ends of the bridge for the event, and CUDC will install temporary bike lanes to test different configurations. A social at Viaduct Lounge (2100 Superior Viaduct) will follow from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. for drinks, appetizers and conversation.
More information on the bridge project can be found at http://www.BridgeProjectCleveland.com. To learn more about the Cleveland Design Competition, go http://ClevelandCompetition.com.
Hollie Gibbs has a BS in journalism from Kent State University and studied photography at School of the Visual Arts in Manhattan. Her articles and photographs have appeared in numerous local and national publications. She can also be found playing guitar with various bands and building life-size monster props.
Cleveland, OH 44113
Cleveland, OH 44113