CHESAPEAKE
The City Council approved a $13 million bike path Tuesday night as part of a $373 million plan to widen Dominion Boulevard and replace the Steel Bridge.
But a resolution approved Tuesday also allows the city to eliminate the bike path if it turns out that it’s not required by the state or federal government. A congressman who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is reviewing the situation.
Tuesday’s 7-1 vote merely approved the major design features and location of the $373 million Dominion Boulevard project.
City officials say construction could begin as early as mid-2010, but that will depend on funding. The city has only $36 million in allocations for the project, city documents show.
“We need this project,” City Manager William Harrell said. “It’s an important one.”
The $13 million, 10-foot-wide bike path is about $5 million less than a 14-foot-wide bike path that was part of the project earlier this year. City officials have been trying get state approval for a $1.5 million plan to let bicyclists use 10-foot-wide shoulders along Dominion.
Councilwoman Patricia Willis had city staff point out that the council had to approve a bike path to secure state and federal funding for the project.
Councilwoman Debbie Ritter was the only one to vote against the project’s major design features. “A 95-foot bridge over a few feet of water is excessive,” Ritter said.
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Is it 2010 yet?
Duke hit this one right on the head. The Chesapeake Council favors bicyclists when spending our tax dollars instead of making the CHEAPER repairs to the Jordan Bridge. What is going on in that council, have they ALL (sorry Debbie, Bless you for doing the right thing). Have all but one of them lost their minds?
Normally I bang the drum against the Dems for their wild spending but this one takes the cake.
& oh yeah, one more thing, Thanks again Patty!
Silly Me
And I thought Portsmouth City Council was as bad as it gets.
Millons Wasted
Millions for a bike path and many of the city offices (engineering, parks/rec./transportation) are located in cramped, molded construction trailers.........go figure?
Don't need it now.
That is one long, lonely and dark stretch of road that runs through nothing. No one wants to ride there now. I can see why the city wishes to build there more in the future because of the vast amount of land that could be developed going towards and around route 17. I believe the developers that the city allows to build in that area should provide parks and safe bike paths in those communities to attract homebuyers.
Did a Dumb Bomb hit Chambers
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot... Are they nuts the close a vital transportation link (Jordan Bridge) yet waste 13 million dollars on this.. Some folks need to remove their heads from their fourth point of contact!!!!!
June 20, 2007
Headline: Chesapeake council to rethink $16 Million bike path
Story said Councilman Cliff Hayes said he made a "mistake" by voting for it in the first place. The old vote was a 7-1 decision as well. This is a 2 mile bike path. In June 2007 the price was $16 million. Now they say $13 million and $5 million difference someone can’t add or are trying to deceive. Either way it will cost $6.5 million per mile to be able to transport what maybe 15 to 20 bikes a day to travel 2 miles that would equate to $890.00 per bike per day per mile 365 days a year. What stupidity!!! Keep electing these morons.
Jordan Bridge
Wow, $13M for a bike path and they could not fix the TOLLED Jordan Bridge ($14M) and opted to close it. Chesapeake = backward thinking into the future.
This would be a joke . . .
This would be a joke on some TV comedy skit - and should be. In this time of deficits when there are so many other infrastructure needs, that money needs to go elsewhere.
It sounds like the city
It sounds like the city council was strong armed by the ideologues in the state and federal government. This will just be another bike with with no real beginning and no real end like one current one in front of city hall along cedar rd. Another win for the minority while the majority pays for something they do not want.
More People are Bicycling to Work
Common sense and general observation points towards the fact that more and more people are riding their bicycles for commuting purposes. Several bicyclist have been hit in the past few years, even the outgoing VB mayor hit a bicyclist by accident. Let's make safe roads for everyone including bicyclist. Besides, a wider road will allow more easement for vehicles to pass.
Debbie Ritter
Looks like Debbie Ritter is the only one with any sense. I fail to see the need as well, especially considering the deficit the city has already.
City Council Strikes Again!
Just what the City of Chesapeake needs another bike path. How many persons actual use these bike pathes. This is a waste of taxpayers money.
Chesapeake Council will OK millions of dollars for a bike path, but can't use the same money to replace the Jordan Bridge.
The councilmembers seem to have their priorities in the wrong order.
- CITY COUNCIL STRIKES AGAIN!-