Kevin Shane and New Jersey-based Jeff Jordan Architects have conceptualized a 200-foot tall, 5,000-foot long pedestrian bridge linking Jersey City to Battery Park City, in Downtown Manhattan. Dubbed Liberty Bridge, the link would provide commuters with an alternative to public transit, according to Jersey Digs. The bridge would include both pedestrian and bike lanes, as well as retail spaces, works of art, park space, and solar panels.
Liberty Bridge, rendering via Jersey Digs
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
So cruise ships can’t pass under it
Nope. There are a few places in the city where a new pedestrian bridge might be a great idea, but this is not one of them. Also, I welcome creative solutions for crossing that part of the river. But this is not the right solution. That crossing is simply too long and it would need to be insanely high to allow for passing ships. These issues would make the bridge prohibitively expensive to build, and very expensive to maintain. It’s also such a long walk that I don’t see that many people using it to actually commute. Maybe if you lived right at one base and worked at the other base, but that applies to VERY few people. So it’s a much longer walk than just the bridge length. It would also have to be so high that the incline would be a challenge for commuting cyclists.
As much as I love the concept, I am just amazed how this becomes news. The plan is completely unfeasible, and the architect cited is a residential architect with what appears to be no experience whatsoever in this field. So why publish this Yimby? Poor journalism.
Sometimes we need a little fantasy. But I agree. It would have been much more informative had Reid reported on this more critically.
Reid explicitly said the project was conceptual; sometimes imagination/fantasy are necessary for innovation/improvement and I think he made the distinction clear in the piece. Though you are free to disagree. 🙂