Talk:Wards Island Bridge

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Comment[edit]

why are measurement units in meters and not feet? this is a joke —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.218.112.42 (talk) 03:27, 20 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Ward's Island" vs. "Wards Island"[edit]

Since the island in question seems to be Wards Island, isn't the bridge the Wards Island Bridge, not the Ward's Island Bridge? —Larry V (talk | e-mail) 21:14, 1 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Nearly all of the references to the island that I can find call it "Wards Island" (including those linked to in both this article and the Wards Island article), so I'm going to move this page to reflect that spelling. If anyone has any major objections and convincing evidence otherwise, contact me and I'll be happy to undo the move. —Larry V (talk | e-mail) 21:23, 1 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Bicycles?[edit]

Is there an authoritative source for whether bicycles are allowed? The 1967 NYTimes article we currently cite says, "Bicyclists may not use the footbridge ... They were told, however, to walk their bikes over the footbridge. Previously, cyclists were forbidden..." Which I guess means you couldn't even walk your bike over the bridge (the mind boggles). But, it's not clear if it's officially allowed to ride across it today. Not that it matters in a practical sense, but we should try to be accurate in what we say. -- RoySmith (talk) 00:54, 30 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

RoySmith, I literally just ran past this bridge. On my next run I'll see if the photos speak to official policy. This guide implies you can, and I certainly see cyclists on it all the time, but I'm not sure if that's just unenforced vs. specifically permitted. Star Mississippi 01:44, 30 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I used to ride over it often too. But, as you say, just because people do it doesn't mean it's officially allowed. RIPA has no official authority over the bridge. And looking at the DOT web site, they talk about it being a "pedestrian bridge" and having a sidewalk but no roadway, all of which kind of hints at not allowed to ride your bike, but doesn't actually come out and say that. -- RoySmith (talk) 01:58, 30 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting because I'd describe the bridge surface as a road and not a sidewalk especially since they refurbished it and it connects directly with the paved loop on RI vs. the gravel trail just west thereof. OR, yes, but we're not talking about adding that to the article. I'll check if there's a sign near where it has the bridge hours, which they're recently enforcing more. Star Mississippi 02:32, 30 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, RoySmith, I finally thought about this while running. It's a DOT sign which points to the bridge being the bike access to Randalls/Wards Island. Might SI-2082G be a regulation we could research to get out of OR territory? Star Mississippi 22:09, 9 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Hi again @RoySmith:. I ran to Randalls Island this morning and saw this on the top of the bridge. It appears to actually be shared use now, but I'm not sure what we can find to confirm it for sourcing needs. Star Mississippi 18:50, 21 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, thanks for re-pinging me. I remember seeing your first ping a couple of weeks ago, not having time to respond right then, and I guess it just slipped off the radar. Sorry about that. I'm thinking we just add the photo to the article and let people draw their own conclusions. -- RoySmith (talk) 21:28, 21 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

No worries, it didn't really need an answer. Then I was on vacation and forgot to look up the numbers on the sign. Your solution works fine for me. I'm not 100% sure on photo adding, but will give it a go. Feel free to tweak. Star Mississippi 00:30, 22 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Found another source. https://randallsisland.org/visit/general-information/#1455133373424-814f3295-9d99 says, "The 103rd Street Footbridge in Manhattan is open to pedestrians and cyclists 365 days per year, 24 hours per day" -- RoySmith (talk) 15:14, 10 September 2021 (UTC)[reply]