Shedding light on the Manayunk Bridge
I wanted to respond to some of the comments on my latest story about the Manayunk Bridge. A number of readers complained about the pedestrian and cycling bridge being closed after dark, when it might get the most use.
The bridge's gates are not open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. through March 31, according to a good Q&A put together by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. One big reason, no lights.
The $5.76 million project didn't have the funds to pay for lighting on the bridge or on the Cynwyd Heritage Trail it links with, though illumination is on the wish list of the groups that championed turning the old rail bridge into a walking and cycling throughway.
Right now, after sunset, the bridge and adjoining trail are dark. Really dark, said Chris Leswing, Lower Merion's assistant director for building and planning.
"I went there by 6 p.m. and there were people using their phones to walk along the trail," he said.
The lack of light is a safety and security risk, he said.
Three lighting elements are needed, he said.
Lights on the Lower Merion side of the bridge, on the trail, that won't be disruptive to the homes nearby.
Pedestrian lights on the bridge itself.
Ornamental lights on the structure, like spotlights and neon, that might highlight the span's stately arches.
"The bridge is good urban design," Leswing said. "This makes it awesome urban design."
He pointed to the illumination of bridges over the Chicago River as an example of how much light can add to architecture.
He didn't have an estimate of when lights might come to the Manayunk Bridge or what the lighting would cost, he said, because organizers never decided on a design plan. The bridge itself was was renovated with a mosaic of funding sources, including Lower Merion, PennDOT, the William Penn Foundation and SEPTA, and the lights would probably need another collection of contributors. Any lighting scheme would likely need the approval of the municipalities that sit at either end of the bridge, Philadelphia and Lower Merion.
"We need to regroup and get back together and say here's the next phase," he said.