Freedom Bridge in Santa Clara faces demolition despite bicyclists' protests

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 8/27/16 | Scott Herhold

[ProtectOurFreedom]

A couple of long blocks north of Highway 101, bicyclists whiz up and down the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, one of the best bicycle paths in the valley. At the property of tech giant Intel, a few of them cross to the east side of the creek on a wooden bridge called "The Freedom Bridge."

[ProtectOurFreedom]

This is a small item, but so emblematic of life in the U.S. today. Common sense says the bridge works and is safe for light loads. But the idiots at the water district are scared to death of ADA lawsuits from the feds because the decades-old bridge doesn't meet access ramp requirements for walkers and the disabled.

Look at that picture. What walker would have any problem using that bridge? It looks fine for wheelchairs, too. Did anybody ask if people in wheelchairs are using that path? Have there been any complaints by people in wheelchairs that they can't use the bridge?

I often wonder how in the world the West got settled. How in the world did people build the West without standards for trail connections and standards for wheelchair access? Doesn't anybody use any common sense any more?

[RoosterRedux]

If those using the bridge need it enough, they should raise the money to keep it open.

BTW, it's always about money.

[glasseye]

The west was settled before the estrogen soaked lawsuit crazy girly boys were put in charge.
Where I live in downtown San Jose the are stuffing as many people as they can into 3 & 4 story ‘breeding pens’ all while reducing parking space and traffic lanes in the name of bicycling lanes.
It is like ‘stupid on steroids’.

[Secret Agent Man]

Bureaucrats need jobs. They have to raise more little bureaucrats and vote to keep more people needing bureaucrats in their everyday lives.

[DoughtyOne]

Lawyers...

Might have known.

[Mears]

” Did anybody ask if people in wheelchairs are using that path? Have there been any complaints by people in wheelchairs that they can’t use the bridge? “

---

That does not matter one whit to the ADA zealots.

They have been actively looking for infractions for many years.

.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“I often wonder how in the world the West got settled.”

It wouldn’t settled be in today’s type of world.

[Ed Condon]

I’m sure that they could find some endangered species living in the creek, that could delay the bridge demolition for several decades.

[Ray76]

Just drop in a precast culvert.

[Iron Munro]

Good thing the government had ADA ramps on the Oregon Trail or much of the west would still be Indian country.

[BwanaNdege]

BTW, it's always about money.

Often, in the case of bureaucrats, Power is the more readily accessible aphrodesiac. Going after the money (for them) could land them in the slammer.

Exercise of Power can always be done under the cover of "It's for the Children" or "We only have one planet, we must save it NOW!"

Besides, it's FUN making people jump through your hoops!

/s

[ProtectOurFreedom]

No kidding. I hear the Environmental Impact Statement took a decade. Without that, people would have been out here a lot sooner.