Now that the State of New York has announced that $78 million will be invested in rehabbing the Chautauqua Lake Bridge, should it be time to consider adding a pedestrian walkway as part of the project?

Such projects have been a part of other bridges on the Interstate Highway System, and it would seem that such access here on Chautauqua Lake would make a lot of sense.

Probably the most recognized pedestrian bridge crossing in the country is the Brooklyn Bridge. One of the oldest big bridges in the country created a walkway across the East River from which, for free, you can see the beautiful backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. I have also seen pedestrian sidewalks and bikeways on bridges in Florida over the intracoastal waterway where walkers, hikers and bikers go almost daily for exercise and to view the bay and surrounding area.

Wouldn’t it be great if walkers or bikers from Stow or Bemus Point could walk or ride over the Chautauqua Lake bridge, not only for the view but for the healthy exercise? Now is the time–while a major reconstruction of the bridge is going on–to invest in this type of public infrastructure.

If the upcoming work on the bridge were a mere resurfacing project, one could easily argue that it would be difficult to incorporate a walkway into the bridge. However, as announced, this job is virtually a rebuild of the bridge. All of the paving and surface are being replaced as well as the current walls of the bridge. As described, the structure of the bridge will be essentially stripped down to the main girders thus enabling an addition like this to be included.

During winter months access to such a walkway would likely need to be restricted due to the snow and ice we experience here. Yet, that should not be a deterrent. There are many sidewalks and pedestrian ways which are already blocked by the elements in winter. Why not have a walkway over the lake during the months when people are walking, hiking or biking?

One of the realities you now get used to in the summer are people walking and biking along Routes 394 and 430. In most places, the shoulders are wide enough to accommodate hikers and bikers. The new design of Fluvanna Avenue and Washington Street in Jamestown has even included marked bike lanes. The bridge is big and strong enough so that a bike/pedestrian walk could, with separation, be built as an offset and adjacent to the outside lane(s) of the highway itself.

It is hard now to conceive of life in the county without the Chautauqua Lake bridge. It has become an integral part of our lives. The logic of it now seems indisputable. The bridge helped a county, essentially divided by a 20-mile-long lake, to connect itself together. But, why should it be accessible only by cars and trucks? More people-flow between Stow and Bemus would benefit both communities.

From a personal standpoint, I really don’t have “a dog in this hunt”–my biking days are over and my walking distance is limited. Yet, I can still appreciate the experience and healthy benefit such a facility would provide to the public.

What do you say DOT? Isn’t it possible? Now, when you are going into a 3-year reconstruction of the Chautauqua Lake bridge why not build this people-friendly public improvement? Let’s go for it!

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.