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Think underpass, not bridge

Fri., Aug. 15, 2014

Not to confuse the issue, but with the Riverfront Park renovations vote coming up (which I support), the 120-foot-high University District bridge certainly needs a second look. The Dec. 17, 2013, letter to the editor, “A better U-District plan,” had some great ideas, like using the North Erie underpass for access.

In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and other Soviet-era cities, pedestrian underpasses were built at major intersections. Besides protection from the elements, these underpasses are full of kiosks selling everything imaginable. If not at the proposed University Bridge site, perhaps the Riverside Avenue and Division Street intersection would be a good candidate.

Leonard Butters

Spokane

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