Until reminded, we seldom remember that McIntire Park is split in two. For all practical purposes, we think of the two parts as two parks.
That’s because one side has a separate function and goes by a separate name: the McIntire Golf Course.
Currently, the sections are separated by railroad tracks. But Charlottesville is trying to bring them together with a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. That linkage has been envisioned for some two decades and is highest on the city’s list of proposed bicycle and pedestrian trail facilities.
We’ve heard some complaints about the barrier of the tracks, but this anecdotal evidence is hard to judge for intensity and extensiveness. As one transportation expert has pointed out, there may not be much demand to cross between the two parts of the park, with their two distinctly separate functions.
But that’s not the bridge’s only purpose. It also will be part of a longer trail system that, when completed, will go all the way to U.S. 29. That longer system is an especially good idea for improving alternative transportation; and by offering more destinations, it likely would be more heavily used.
City officials plan to apply for a $500,000 grant for the bridge from the Virginia Department of Transportation, adding $100,000 of city money.
We hope they get it.
But is a “good idea” enough to justify funding this year? Given the state’s transportation difficulties, funding could be directed toward ideas that solve critical problems.
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