Regarding the Mission Creek Bridge

I have lived in Mission Canyon for 50 years and worked at the Museum of Natural History for 45. The following observations and opinions are my own, not intended to represent the museum’s position regarding the bridge.

The vast majority of drivers do not yield right-of-way to pedestrians crossing Mission Canyon Road toward Puesta del Sol due to very poor sight lines with trees at the edge of the curved roadway. On several occasions, cars have crashed into the corner of the stegosaurus wall, at least once knocking out a utility pole.

The white line delineating the edge of the lane on the west side has been obliterated by cars driving over it, close to the edge of the bridge. This is clear evidence of danger to pedestrians walking to or from the Mission on that side of the road.

I don’t want to see the bridge widened. What we need is a safe pedestrian walkway on the west side, clearly visible crosswalks, and better sight lines in the vicinity of Rocky Nook Park and the Woman’s Club on the east.

I attended many community meetings about this and thought that a reasonable plan had been devised for a west-side pedestrian walkway. If transportation grant funding requires replacing the bridge, I say we should step back and look elsewhere for funds to provide the most appropriate, minimally invasive solution for our needs.