Sellwood residents are gearing up for a march on the Sellwood Bridge this Saturday. According to one of the event’s organizers, Bradley Heintz, the goal of the march is to send a message that any bridge that is built adheres to existing planning guidelines as community livability concerns.
The Sellwood Bridge Project has reached some key decision points in recent weeks. Last week, the project’s Community Task Force made their official recommendation on the bridge alignment and lane configuration to the Policy Advisory Group (the PAG includes Mayor Adams, Metro councilor Robert Liberty, and others). On February 6th, the PAG is set to make a recommendation of their own.
“We want to make sure the bridge is no greater than 64-feet wide and that it only has two lanes of motor vehicle traffic.”
— Bradley Heintz, Sellwood resident
In the meantime, the community wants to make a statement that whatever decision is made is in accordance with the city’s Tacoma Main Street Plan. “We want to make sure the bridge is no greater than 64-feet wide and that it only has two lanes of motor vehicle traffic,” said Heintz.
Heintz said he and other members of the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League (SMIL) are worried that if a wider configuration is pushed through, the now wide and ample room for bikes and pedestrians might get re-striped as a motor vehicle lane in the future.
In addition to lane configuration, Heintz also wants to make sure that Tacoma Street (the street the bridge is on) stays as safe as possible. Back in November, a Sellwood boy was hit while trying to cross Tacoma at SE 13th Avenue on his bicycle.
Another Sellwood resident, Christopher Heaps, says they hope for a good showing at the rally. Heaps says whoever shows up, “will help preserve a neighborhood where people feel comfortable walking and riding,” and he added that, “a two-lane bridge…will do just that.”
The march organizers have secured a permit to go down Tacoma and half-way across the bridge.
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Sellwood Bridge March
Saturday, 1/31 at 9:30am
Location: Sellwood Community Center (SE Spokane and 15th Ave.)
— Browse our previous coverage of the Sellwood Bridge Project.