Bridge Study Press Conference Update

We made our point(s) this morning in a press conference at the foot of the Cooper River Bridge:

They are:

• It's great to see that large numbers of people, especially African-Americans, believe the bridge is helping them toward greater physical fitness
• The bike/pedestrian lane on the bridge is fabulous, but it needs to be interconnected with a network of bicycle and pedestrian options.
• Some officials in the low country get decent marks for good intentions but progress is way too slow. (We're embarrassed to say that Spartanburg and Greenville are ahead of Charleston.)
• The next huge priority is a bike/ped crossing over the Ashley River, then connecting it to the West Ashley Greenway (which itself must be made usable by a wider cross-section of users).

Participating in the press conference were Charleston Moves Co-founders Don Sparks and Lenny Greene, Dana Beach of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, and Ann Levering RN, the Director of the Employee Wellness Dept. of the Medical University of South Carolina.

In his remarks, Mr. Beach stressed that the bike and pedestrian lane was not a mere "frill" but an integral part of the Lowcountry transportation network that becomes more crucial as time passes. Echoing the position of Charleston Moves, he urged quicker work on more such facilities by officials.

Ms. Levering said she recognized the bike and pedestrian lane as a crucial addition to the choices people can and should make to maintain and/or improve their health. She pointed to new studies documenting the efficacy of exercise in reducing chances for disease of all kinds.

The news conference was covered by the Post and Courier and by all three Charleston TV network affiliates, Channels 2 WCBD (NBC), 4 WCIV (ABC) and 5 WCBD (CBS).

click here for Post and Courier coverage
click here to go to the Live5 News coverage
click here to go to the Channel 4 (WCIV) coverage

For more, click here to see related documents.