"In a February social media post, Trump said he would not allow the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open "until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.""
"Spanning the Detroit River and named for the Canadian ice hockey legend who played for the Detroit Red Wings, the Gordie Howe was designed to facilitate a more direct path for car and truck traffic between freeways on either side of the border - and it would have also included a bike and pedestrian path, protected from the six lanes of car traffic beside it."
"First conceived in the early 2000s, the bridge was built and financed by Canada under an agreement in which Canada would recoup its costs via tolls, though cyclists and walkers could cross for free. After 25 years of planning and approvals that have finally brought the massive infrastructure project close to completion, though, the future of the bridge is now in limbo - and with it, the only car-free connection between the two cities, for which local advocates and trail organizations have fought for years."
""The number one thing that people wanted was a bike lane and it hadn't even been on the plan," said Lori Newton, a Windsor bike shop owner and cycling advocate who was actively involved in the Gordie Howe project. "It's something that grabbed the imagination of people on both sides, whether or not they would use it.""
President Trump threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge until the United States is fully compensated and treated with "Fairness and Respect." House Democrats introduced legislation to prevent federal interference, and that bill remains pending. The bridge spans the Detroit River, was designed to carry car and truck traffic between freeways, and includes a protected bike and pedestrian path. Canada built and financed the bridge under an agreement to recoup costs via tolls while allowing cyclists and walkers to cross for free. After roughly 25 years of planning and approvals, the nearly completed project is in limbo, jeopardizing the only car-free Detroit–Windsor connection championed by local advocates.
#gordie-howe-international-bridge #us-canada-relations #bike-and-pedestrian-infrastructure #border-infrastructure
Read at Streetsblog
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