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Comment by yumario | Hacker News Reader

I study at FIU... I just don't see the point this bridge. Why would you spend 10+ million dollars on a bridge to cross a street, when the same problem can be solved by a simple crosswalk? We already have one of these bridges... and the majority of people don't bother to use it and simple take the cross walk. It just such a waste of money.

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To put it into perspective, 8th street is an 8 lane street at that intersection, with cars driving past 50 and 55 mph all the time. Not to mention that there are several on/off ramps for the Florida Turnpike right next to it. I would be scared of crossing the street there to be honest. If I remember correctly there had been several hit and runs of students too.

The bridge was connecting FIU with a large student residence. Negligence during construction notwithstanding, to say that a simple crosswalk was enough is disingenuous.

The federal government was picking up most of the cost. It's much easier to be wasteful when it comes out of someone else's budget.

And when it also supports your claim of being at the bleeding edge of bridge construction.

Because drivers want to go 60mph and not wait at stop lights for more than 3 seconds.

This is the meta story. The campus is my city is the same way, bordered by a six-lane arterial with poor pedestrian connectivity so cars can speed as fast as possible through the high-pedestrian area. As long as North American cities put the car first, people will die whether from bridge collapses or car crashes.

I'm not sure about that area, but pedestrian bridges are safer and more efficient, especially when traffic is heavy.

You clearly don't study any subjects in the fine arts.

:-p

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