Is Staples Bike Bridge Safe?

Is the Staples Avenue Bike Bridge safe?

June 12 UPDATE: We received a nice call today from Steven McAlearney the City’s Director of the Department of Engineering about this story. He assured us that they wouldn’t let people ride on the bridge if it was unsafe. He rides the bridge often himself. He said the bridge should be good structurally for some years into the future, especially given the weight of a few people at a time isn’t much. But based upon the photos he’s having a professional go under the bridge and give it a closer look. That should happen within the week. As a result they may need a little touch up to extend the life. He promised to let us know the results.

He also said that the Community Services Department had the bridge slated for replacement in their capital budget plan. It was slated to be replaced in the coming 2020-21 budget year but will be pushed back to further out due to looming budget cuts as a result of Coronavirus slowdown.

May 27, 2020. NOTE: As a result of the story and follow-up the City Engineer is going to have this checked out. We’ll let you know what the City finds.

By Chris Hamilton, April 30, 2020

A local kayaker asks this question while sending us these pictures of rotting metal on the bridge. We need to take care of this vital asset because:

• hundreds and hundreds of people use it every day
• geography makes it is the only link between downtown and New Town/ Stock Island that keeps bicycles off of less safe, car-centric N. Roosevelt Boulevard and Flagler Avenue
• it is part of the Crosstown Greenway that safely connects bicyclists with downtown and points north

We’ll ask our friends at City Hall to look into this and get back to you.

We need to do all we can to make sure:

• the bridge is safe
• the Crosstown Greenway project is finished
• difficult intersections such as George Street at Von Phister Avenue and Staples at First and Fifth Streets are addressed
• the proposed trail through Wickers Sports Complex and across Kennedy Street is started
• the proposed Bike Boulevard project for the Crosstown Greenway at White Street is started, and
• all the elements of the Crosstown Greenway (formerly “Connector”) are started and completed.

Chris Hamilton

A native of the District of Columbia, where for a couple decades+ he led the nationally renown Commuter Services unit for Arlington County, VA’s DOT, Chris has lived in Key West since 2015. He lives car-free downtown and works and volunteers for a couple non-profits.