October 10, 2007

Change in Name of Red Bridge Study Should Signal Return to its True Purpose

The following message was sent to members of Friends of Red Bridge: 

                       Friends of Red Bridge News Update                     

     September 26th meeting at Hillcrest Community Center

Turnout of Friends of Red Bridge people was good, and outnumbered the
BridgeZilla supporters by all accounts (though project manager wants to keep
attendance list a secret). Thanks to all who came.

Agenda not announced in advance. Controversial survey held to the end of the
meeting and no discussion of it allowed. Agenda content showed thinking of BWR
is no more friendly to our values and desires than the previous firm. This
meeting and other forms of public input so far have been more for show than for
substance.

Acoustics of meeting place were poor, but next meeting planned for same
location.

Finalized survey, which some of you may have received, is hostile to our values
and sensitivities -- perhaps even more so than the original.

     Behind the scenes developments

Background: The City Council resolution that governs this project, and the RFP
(project description) are in fundamental conflict with the contract eventually
signed between the City and BWR. The resolution and RFP dictate that the
question whether Red Bridge Road is in need of improvements will be revisited in
light of the opposition to the previous design, and a new study will result in
alternative designs to the original "BridgeZilla" plan. However, the contract
acknowledges none of the history of this controversial project, and sets as its
goal the formation of a community consensus around a single preferred design
(which the project team has stated may be the original design).

The public opinion survey is the central guiding mechanism in the process as
described in the contract. Since it is designed in such a way as to lead the
survey taker to vote for an expanded road and bridge, the results of the survey
will likely be similarly skewed. The survey methodology is also unscientific in
that the least-concerned members of the community (who initially failed to send
in the survey) may well be over-represented in the final results.

Recent developments:
The name of the project, "Red Bridge Road Community Consensus Study" has been
changed to "Red Bridge Road Alternative Study" at the request of Councilman
Sharp. At first glance, this is a positive development, but we have yet to see
anything that would make us think this is something more than a name change. We
will pursue this matter with Councilman Sharp and the BWR team.

Councilman Sharp also sent an email to the project team on October 1st to
express his concerns about the study. From the Councilman's email:

> 1. It sometimes seems that the original design for a new bridge is still on the
> table as a possible alternative. I submit if the Council felt that design was
> acceptable, and the opponents were simply being unreasonable, this alternative
> study would not have been authorized.
>
> The original bridge design was highly controversial, and I cannot imagine if
> such a design is resubmitted it would achieve anything near a community
> consensus. If the team recommends the original design, or a slight variation of
> that design, we probably will reach a community consensus on one thing -- that
> this entire process has been a gigantic waste of time and money.
>
> AN ALTERNATIVE STUDY SHOULD RESULT IN REAL ALTERNATIVES -- BETTER ALTERNATIVES!
> AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE SHOULD NOT JUST BE TRYING TO PUT LIPSTICK ON THE PIG.
>
> 2. The study covers Red Bridge Road from Holmes to Grandview Road. I am
> concerned that a massive new bridge spanning both the river and the tracks could
> gobble up all available funds, not leaving any money for necessary improvements
> to Red Bridge Road from the river to Grandview Road. While I acknowledge that
> the task of the project team is to recommend the best possible alternatives, we
> should be aware that funds for this project are not unlimited. In my opinion, it
> makes little sense to improve Red Bridge Road from Holmes to Blue River Road
> while leaving the portion from Blue River Road to Grandview Road as is with no
> improvements whatsoever.

---------------------------

Thanks to all who emailed Councilman Sharp with messages of support for
exercising the leadership it will take to get neighborhood-friendly alternative
designs for Red Bridge Road.

Speaking of alternatives, please email us any specific features you think should
be included in the final design (including anything that should be preserved as
well as anything new).

Thank You,
Craig Morea
for Friends of Red Bridge
www.redbridgeroad.org
koshiboy@yahoo.com