Does Berkeley need this bridge?

UC Foothill bridge simulation

For the fourth time in 15 years, UC is seeking to obtain an encroachment permit from the City of Berkeley for a pedestrian bridge to be erected across Hearst Avenue between the La Loma-Gayley intersection and Highland Place. The proposed bridge would link the La Loma-Ridge block of the Foothill student housing complex with the dining commons on the south side of Hearst Ave.

As the photo simulations looking east and west reveal, this bridge is pedestrian in more ways than one. In fact, its resemblance to a prison bridge has been remarked by various observers, including several members of the Design Review Committee, who criticized the design and recommended that an alternative that does not include a bridge be offered. At the Public Works Commission, the bridge was deemed intrusive.

The next presentations will take place before the Landmarks Preservation Commission on 12 April and the Planning Commission on 14 April. A public hearing before the Public Works Commission is scheduled for 29 April. All of the above will take place at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue at Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, before the matter is presented to the City Council.

If you have an opinion on the bridge project, post it in a comment below this post.