India Point Park Bridge is Open

The newly built pedestrian bridge to India Point Park is now open, albeit without landscaping. Some pictures have been posted here, and the ProJo did a brief story here. There's also a blog posting on the Projo site which is interesting because of the comments. One commenter decries the bridge as an example of pork barrel spending:

It's really hard to make it out from the photo, but is that pedestrian bridge paved with gold? Because for $27 million, it sure must be.

This is just one more fine example of pork barrel politics. Everybody in the state is screaming about how the bridges in this state are falling down around our ears, yet DOT finds the bucks to build a gratuitous pedestrian bridge, as India Point Park is freely accessible from Gano and South Main.

The part this person doesn't mention is that the bridge was actually under budget, which is, as far as I can tell, a first for a Rhode Island public works project. I also highly doubt the commenter has ever actually walked to India Point Park via either Gano or South Main. Neither access point is what I'd call "pedestrian friendly." Here's a view of the Gano St. approach. Enticing, no? I especially like how the sidewalks end a few blocks shy of the park. The South Main approach is different, because you could walk through here or here. Not so bad, right? Problem is there's no easy way to walk to either of these spots without crossing this. Rather than bitching online, Mr. These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (That's his/her screen name...) should be glad that he/she can now drive his/her Oldsmobile down to the park, Nancy Sinatra blaring, without worrying about all those dumb pedestrians getting in his way.

Another commenter offered this:

I'm not really crazy about the lettering or the signage. The bridge belongs to RI and should have a closer connection. Maybe RI Historic Bay Bridge or something along those lines.

Maybe I'm being picky, but bridges are usually named after a politician or some other noteworthy person. Sometimes they're named for the body of water they cross, or are colloquially known by the places they connect. See, for example, the Newport Bridge (Really the Claiborne Pell Bridge) or the Jamestown Bridge (Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge) or the Mount Hope Bridge (which actually crosses Mt. Hope Bay). If we apply these naming conventions to this bridge, we should certainly call our new pedestrian bridge the India Point Park Bridge. Rt. 195 is clearly not a "historic bay," after all, and I don't recall hearing that the funding was secured by Senator Point Park. Also, arguing that the bridge belongs to all Rhode Islanders doesn't get you very far since the money came from the federal government. By that logic the bridge should be called the "United States Bridge Over A Regional Interstate Highway" or something.

I reckon it's about time to head over that way and take a look at the golden-paved bridge myself...