Pedestrian Bridge Dollars Should be Spent on Street Improvements

In Atlanta, a proposed pedestrian bridge to connect the Vine City MARTA station to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the new home of the Falcons football team, carries a hefty price tag. At $24 million, the bridge would be more than two blocks in length, intended to bypass a 70 foot crosswalk. The Saporta Report calls for that funding to be spent on improvements that are more needed on an everyday basis, not just gameday.

The proposed bridge would cross over Northside Drive, and including the looping ramps to elevate pedestrians over the roadway, would be 700 feet long. Plans to make Northside Drive into a complete street are already underway, but have not yet been implemented.

The Saporta Report points out that $24 million could pay for 200 traffic signals or address 10% of the city's backlog of broken sidewalks.

We now can embark on a more collaborative, inclusive, rational and efficient way in how we decide to invest in our Atlanta’s future.

"A good place to start would be to stop the pricey, loopy-loop pedestrian bridge over Northside Drive. Then we can reallocate those funds to make Northside Drive a corridor that really connects the people in our city."