Thank you for joining. If you can’t stay until the end, please share your comments on our brief survey: https://bit.ly/3kdHq7j

We will have an open discussion at the end of the presentation but feel free to share comments or questions during the presentation.

You may access a copy of this presentation at www.bridgebethlehem.com tomorrow morning.

As Jared mentioned, you can share your feedback on the alternatives shared tonight here: https://bit.ly/3kdHq7j

will people be able to fish from the bridge span across the river?

The bridge is high over the river. At our very early community meetings at the Ice House, the overwhelming consensus was to have the bridge cross the river relatively low and then have an incline or tower to get over the railroad. Was a lower over the river main-stretch of the bridge considered in the study?

There was also a consensus at those early meetings to have the bridge-width sufficient fo separate walkers and bicycleists rather than a narrower shared pathway.

Did you measure the noise from the nearby roads on the bridge and either side of the river, along with the railroad noise near the “plazas”?

Excited to see the proposed stair/ramp to Payrow Plaza. I think that's so important.

Is that estimated increase in property values clustered in a certain area? Will the north side benefit more than the south?

Can you tell us how the consumer activity at local businesses figure ($6 million increased annually) was determined?

How were other quality of life benefits calculated?

I would like to make some design suggestions in reference to main nodal points

Seems like a big waste of money, given the urgent need for low income housing, and we already have pedestrian walkways in the vicinity of the proposed bridge.

Where does the money come from to pay for the bridge, how concerned about the cost should we be?

What is your target audience for the bridge? Is it the Bethlehem community or tourist?

Doesn't the diagonal nature of two of theoptions (particularly the expensive one)

Thank you for giving the explanations for the width of the bridge. I do think it is important to have a width that allows for a separate flow of bikes and flow for walkers

that diagonal makes one direction easy while making the other hard (downstream/upstream) on ones side or the other. The fairest direction would make the bridge nearly perpendicular to the river,

My example might be a trip from Lehigh to city hall or Hotel Bethlehem (via steelstacks?)

The concept is wonderful. North and South Bethlehem have been too divided for too long. Walkable cities are better and safer communities because the citizens connect through “coincidence.” I think it is important to provide gathering places, on both banks…a place for a morning coffee or evening wine, or juice bar…intimate spaces that generate conversation and interaction. As for parallel needs for affordable housing…this bridge offers alternative transportation…no fuel costs, bicycle access, access to the natural environment.

Noise question relates to height of bridge anc closeness to rail and car bridges.

YES!!

yes connecting the plaza is the key

I regret I must leave this great meeting to help lead another Zoom meeting -- that one about the effort to upgrade Delaware Water Gap Nat. Recreation Area to PA and NJ's first National Park! Thank you so much for this presentation. - Don Miles, chairman of Sierra Club of Pennsylvania

I love the diagonal options, providing visual interest; I can’t imagine a 4th direct bridge across the Lehigh. This bridge needs to be special, a respite, slowing the pace of life. I am also enthusiastic about addressing the green space on the north side. We have the great gift of the Lehigh River that we’ve basically ignored to date. Time to create a river view! A nature walk! The history of Bethlehem, connecting the Steel Mills on the South Side to the Moravian Industrial Quarter on the North Side. I think this project would contribute to our becoming a Unesco site.

What is the width of the third option in comparison to the width of the river at the narrowest viewable spot? I ask this because it looks like the third option is almost half as wide as the river at certain spots, and I feel like that really takes away from or overwhelms the river. It makes the whole thing as much about the bridge as about the river. The proportion seems peculiar, although I have no design expertise.

If you’d like to add further comments: please submit them here: https://bit.ly/3kdHq7j

I think it would be essential to support the locally owned small businesses in the core of our Southside business districts with fairly direct access to/from the bridge, as well as serve commuters who don't have (or may not want to use) cars. The Webster connections would be so much more central for both reasons!

What about access over the Norfolk Southern rail lines? Has that been addressed?

Is it possible to consider a roof over the bridge? Thinking that shade along the bridge would help with hot summer days for folks to be comfortable. Also be nice if it were raining.

Hello all, two questions:1. Will this presentation be made available for us to review?2. What is the process and timeline for making these big decisions, (such as location, width, etc )and how will you ensure that the community will be participants in the decision making process?

Can you please show the third option

A special heartfelt thanks to Doug Royston who was so instrumental in igniting conversation about a pedestrian bridge. Such structures have had an enormously positive impact on communities around the world.

I have to run- thank you so much for putting the time and effort into evaluating ways to connect the north and south side via a pedestrian bridge with River access! This is an amazing project. I know the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L Trail) would especially love to see a connection between the D&L to the Southside Greenway Trail, which this bridge would facilitate in a safe manor.

I like #2

We got the poll and answered.

how do we vote no options

I can see the poll

I did not participate because I want to return to the slides before voting.

is it possible to click all that you like, rather than pick one or all ? I have voted for 1 and 2

id like to change my vote from 1 to 2!

Option #3 has a particular grace to it’s design. Sorry, it’s the most expensive

are bike lanes 16 feet wide?

I would like to see on and off lanes for bikes only too.

I can’t imagine 16’ width allowing for comfortable travel — 25’ should be the minimum, I think

Love the green space landing/destination on Polk St

how wide are the walkways on the two existing bridges

So glad to see so many City Council Persons on the session.

Agreed, Sonja!

sorry I missed the poll, I pick 2

Link to the google form: https://bit.ly/3kdHq7j'

Curious…What if Alternative 1 could be made wider, 25’ blended with #3. I like the minimalism of option 1 and the trajectory of option 3.

I like alt 2 but wish alt 2 had some shade structures though like alt 3 ahs

The poll didn’t ask specifically about the bridge support design features

Also love that the Webster options feed right into the heart of the Historic Conservation District!

Thank you so much for hosting this discussion!

What I like about #3 is the least amount of structures in the water, but I like the river walk and straight walk across the river of #2

Thank you!

Thank you for this great presentation!

And I really appreciated hearing from so many residents - great discussion.

I may have missed this but when will you stop taking input on the website.

Thank you!

We will be gathering input through the Google Form link for the next week, likely through the end of next week, and then will need to start incorporating those comments into the final plan!

thanks for the information and for getting more feedback from the community

Thank you all: www.bridgebethlehem.com

This presentation and the questions will be posted to the site tomorrow morning. Please encourage your friends, neighbors and colleagues to share their comments.

nice job with tefhnology!

Thank you