Freedom Bridge

Imagine …

… an intown community that enjoys all the advantages of an increasingly populated city but not the disadvantages. One key to that vision: Making sure our neighborhoods are accessible to the best that Atlanta has to offer — without having to get into a car. The Moreland Avenue Livable Cities Initiative is all about connectivity. And what could improve connectivity more than a new bridge for cyclists and pedestrians at the site where Moreland has for too long cleaved Freedom Park in half?

  Since the Freedom Bridge idea was revived in 2015 by a group of volunteers from Candler Park, Druid Hills, Lake Claire, Inman Park and Poncey-Highland, it’s gotten an enthusiastic reception at more than a dozen presentations before neighborhood groups, in front of city officials and on social media.

  While we can’t answer all questions about a project that is still at the conceptual stage — after all, an inclusive design process will require community input — we want to share what we know so far.

Where did the idea of a bicycle/pedestrian bridge across Moreland Ave. come from?

The bridge was part of Freedom Park’s original conceptmaster plan. EDAW — the landscape architecture firm engaged by the city to plan the park after neighbors won an epic battle against the Presidential Freeway — proposed the bridge “to preserve the visitor’s uninterrupted enjoyment” of the park.

Why hasn’t it been built?

After saving our neighborhoods from the freeway, activists were split. Some believed a footbridge was needed to stitch into a coherent whole the sprawling park created by the highway settlement. Others were concerned that a major structure backed by the state DOT would violate their desire for a passive greenspace. Many reacted negatively to an early rendering of a bulky stone design. Eager to move on to establishing the park, all parties agreed not to include the bridge in the initial park build-out.

Why do we need the bridge now?

In a word: Connectivity. As intown neighborhoods have grown, Moreland’s traffic has gotten much worse; it now carries some 40,000 vehicles a day — nearly as many as Peachtree near Lenox Square. That creates a barrier that interrupts a walk to school route and disconnects school children in Inman Park from their elementary school; middle-school kids from Inman Middle and the new Howard Middle; commuters in Candler Park and Lake Claire from downtown and Midtown; and recreationalists from enjoying the full network of trails centered on Freedom Path and the Beltline — and extending to Decatur and Stone Mountain.

Does a bike and pedestrian bridge really fit in today’s urban environment?

Over the last few years, the Beltline changed the city’s fabric. It’s shown that there’s a place in Atlanta for off-road greenways that “fold space” between neighborhoods by crossing major thoroughfares above grade. Freedom Bridge is proposed with that concept in mind. In fact, Beltline visionary Ryan Gravel was one of the early advocates for reviving the bridge idea. The Freedom Bridge concept is supported by other urban-design professionals: To get technical about it, the Moreland Avenue LCI Update recommends it as a “grid fuse” that creates a link for non-motorized mobility where connectivity is broken.

What problem would Freedom Bridge solve?
Cyclists, runners and walkers have seen many problems firsthand. The Moreland Avenue crossing is the single longest interruption for many a bike commute, run or recreational activity. The intersection isn’t just inconvenient; it’s dangerous — partly because of its T-configuration. For example, cars that turn south from the Parkway onto Moreland must watch for traffic from the north; that makes it difficult to pay attention to cyclists coming toward the intersection from behind them on the Path, or to see children. The hazards inherent in this type of intersection were underscored last year, when a pedestrian was killed by a car at the Beltline’s Monroe Drive crossing. Because Moreland is a state highway and the Parkway is a highway spur, the same issues are even exacerbated.

Can’t the crosswalk be reconfigured to be more safe and convenient?

As the old saying goes, you can’t put lipstick on a pig. The Freedom Path crosswalk has been redesigned at least twice since the Parkway was completed. But various issues — including the lay of the land, the configuration of the two roads and Moreland’s status as a state highway  — continue to make it hazardous and inconvenient. Those problems are bound to grow worse as traffic increases.

Won’t the bridge be big and obtrusive?

One of the niftiest things about the Freedom Bridge is how well it settles into the surrounding topography. Rises on both sides significantly shorten necessary approaches and will make the bridge itself more easily accessible for wheelchairs. For Path travelers, the bridge will require less elevation change than the current road crossing!Based on a “concept study” by the Kaizen Collaborative, the approach on the west side would require a short grassy berm, consistent with the topography that already is there. The east side is unlikely to require a ramp at all, because a hill rises almost immediately from the sidewalk. If you look closely you’ll see that it’s even unlikely that any trees would be removed for the bridge.

But won’t it be an eyesore?

Hold on there: We’re talking about a ped-bike bridge — not even as wide as a single car lane, and much less bulky. The bridge’s clearance must be 17 feet, the same as the existing traffic signals.It’s top wouldn’t be too different from the tops of the existing signal posts. The entire structure would be well below the high transmission lines and poles that already run along Moreland Avenue. Site-lines show that it will truly nestle into the landscape. Just as importantly, Friends of Freedom Bridge has advocated a community-driven, site-specific design that would become an icon in our part of town and would be entirely appropriate in Atlanta’s officially designated “Art Park.” Many of some 200 participants in the charrette we held at Manuel’s Tavern in 2015 affirmed that view, stating a strong preference for a unique, streamlined modern design that complements the landscape. At the same time, nobody has locked in a specific design.

There are a lot of unanswered questions: What happens to the power lines? How do we stop graffiti? Will the bridge become a hangout for homeless people?

These are all valid questions that must be answered as part of the design process for any public infrastructure project. Of course, it helps that this is a narrow bridge over a busy highway, which makes it less susceptible to becoming a shelter or a hideout. Most important: Well-thought-out site-sensitive design has successfully avoided these sorts of problems in projects around the globe. That’s why it’s crucial that we continue to press for a community-driven process.

How do you expect me to approve this bridge without seeing the design first?

We don’t. The LCI is a planning document that helps to qualify potential projects for future grants. It’s very, very far from design approval. The vigorous civic culture in our neighborhoods ensures that no eyesore will be thrust upon us. Inclusion on the LCI list merely means that the community approves of the concept.

Wait a second! Does this mean you’re going to push for more bridges at Highland Avenue and other roads that crossed by the Freedom Path?

No way! There is not now and never has been a proposal to bridge other roads that Freedom Path crosses. EDAW, the PATH Foundation and community activists have advocated a bridge at Moreland Avenue because it’s by far busiest and widest crossing in Freedom Park, because the landscape accommodates it, and because it would help Freedom Park to become a nicer amenity.

For an annotated version of this FAQ document, with sources cited, please go to our Facebook page: facebook.com/FreedomBridgeATL. And be sure to Follow us — it’s a great way to keep up with this project and to show your support! And if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to message us via Facebook as well.

Friends of Freedom Bridge: Jay Sandhaus (chair), David Aynes, Walter Brown, Ken Edelstein, David Hamilton, Doug Wetzel and others …

April 2018