As Bethlehem climbs higher among the top destination cities in the U.S. with its world-renowned festivals, colleges, history and natural beauty, the city is looking to add a bike/pedestrian bridge over the Lehigh River. The bridge would provide safe, scenic passage across the river, unite the distinct North and Southside communities, and make for a more truly walkable city.

Representatives from the project team, including the Bethlehem Planning Commission, lead project consultant WRT Design in Philadelphia, and Michael Baker International, an engineering firm in Allentown, set up shop outside 60 W. Broadway Oct. 1 to engage the community on the status of a yearlong feasibility study investigating the possibility of the bridge.

The project is a grassroots effort led by several dedicated citizens who are committed to helping Bethlehem thrive economically, culturally and sustainably as a true walking/rolling city. These folks envisioned a bridge that is architecturally beautiful and creates a host of recreational opportunities to interact with the Lehigh River waterfront and trail systems. Leading this effort is resident and activist Doug Roysdon who spoke passionately of the people and places connectable with a bridge such as this.

“This bridge would make a true pedestrian-biking population and a Euro city possible,” Roysdon said. “It would be the infrastructure of the local culture supporting grassroots interconnectivity of people. There would be tremendous health and economic benefits to connecting the two communities of Bethlehem and the trail systems.”

“There is also a growing understanding of the urban environment around here,” Roysdon added, speaking of the native wildlife along the trails and the river. “This bridge is a catalyst to opening an environmental expanse through the city and who knows what great things that could lead to.”

With this feasibility study, the project team aims to understand the values and needs of the community and has been actively and creatively engaging the community about the project since last spring. The team has hosted virtual public meetings, focus groups, interviews with steak holders, surveys, and scavenger hunts using technology that allows participants to answer questions and leave feedback directly within the presentation material. At 60 West Broadway, the project team set up colorful posters and interactive visuals where visitors could be updated about the project and leave their input. Residents can also stay informed and leave feedback on the project’s website (bridgebethlehem.com).

Rob Melosky, chairman of the Bethlehem Planning Commission, commended Darlene Heller, Director of Planning and Zoning, for making this a truly interactive, grassroots-led effort.

“She and the rest of the project team are doing this the right way by seeking lots of feedback from constituents. That’s what matters most,” Melosky said.

The team is specifically collecting feedback on possible locations for the bridge, how it should look and what features it should offer. The study is zeroing in on the area between the Hill-to-Hill Bridge and the Minsi Trail Bridge. Various points along this area of the river allow for connecting landmarks, trails and/or economic points of interest on either side of the river.

The resulting feedback indicates that the community wants not merely a safe pedestrian crossing between two destination communities, but that the bridge would be a destination itself with green space, public art, performance areas and ample seating. People spoke of wanting a cultural hub that was an active part of Bethlehem’s festivals, is well-lit and pleasing to look at, and a place where people can linger and enjoy themselves. Folks also expressed wanting the bridge to be a catalyst for recreational opportunities on the waterfront.

“It’s a symbolic addition to have something like this,” Heller said. “It represents what Bethlehem is and it would be a tourist attraction, a distinct location on its own.”

The goals of the study include narrowing down all possible locations for the bridge to three recommendations. The study will also yield a better understanding of what permits and approvals will be needed, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) considerations, cost projections, a timeline for next steps, and a return-on-investment analysis provided by EConsult Solutions in Philadelphia.

“[The return-on-investment analysis] will be an important piece to helping the community understand the economic impact of the bridge,” Woo Kim, principal urban designer and planner at WRT Design, explained. “It may be that every dollar spent on the bridge could yield multiple returns for the city in terms of economic benefits when we talk about tourism and recreation and just bringing a lot of value and identity to an already identity-rich city.”

“Providing people more options to get from one place to another can have a huge effect on socioeconomic status,” Kim added. “This bridge could lead to better access to jobs and so much more.”

Following the feasibility study, the team plans to apply for state and federal grants for design and engineering plans, create a preliminary design for the bridge incorporating input from the public, finalize the design, and then apply for funding for construction.

This project and feasibility study build on several other studies conducted over the past few years aimed at pedestrian safety, sustainability and connecting North and South Bethlehem. These include the BethConnects Trail Study from 2015 that recommended connecting the South Bethlehem Greenway with the D&L Trail, and Bethlehem’s Vision Zero Plan enacted in 2016 pledging to end pedestrian deaths and injuries. In 2018, the city enacted the Bethlehem Comprehensive Plan aimed at strengthening physical, economic and cultural connections to the waterfront and extending the greenway connections between the Northside and Southside. Finally, in 2020, Bethlehem laid out its Climate Action Plan to reduce auto emissions by promoting a walkable and bikeable city, as well as Walk/Roll LV, a masterplan to create a better-connected road, trail, sidewalk and transit network that is safe and convenient for travelers of all transportation modes.

“The question has always been how do we connect the south and north and how do we create a walkway that’s safe, less institutional and more walkable,” said Willy Reynolds, Bethlehem mayoral candidate. “We can’t tell people to walk without safe infrastructure.”

Reynolds also described the Lehigh River waterfront as currently an underutilized recreational opportunity and wants the community to be able to access it and enjoy it on both sides.

Walkers, rollers and transit folks alike stopped by 60 W. Broadway on Oct. 1 to check out the project, talk with the team, and leave thoughts on the various interactive presentation boards. Among them was Scott Slingerland, a 25-year resident of Bethlehem who has been car-less for 12 years.

“You can go anywhere with a bike,” Slingerland explained, “but it could be made more enjoyable from a tourist and recreational standpoint. Bethlehem is a crossroads of trails, but they don’t really connect across the river. A bridge like this is a huge piece of the puzzle connecting everywhere everyone wants to go. It’s also much more welcoming and comfortable to have a designated crossing point only for pedestrians and bikes.”