Downtown Rising: The Skybridge

There has been much talk about the skybridge at the City Creek Center development. Those that are fot it are strongly for it. Those that are against it are over-my-dead-body against it.

I'm in favor of it.

Other than the people mover part. That's just stupid.

But, the rest of the skybridge I like. It will enable the users of City Creek Center the ability to easily get from store to store.

Which is the idea of a mall, isn't it? To get people from store A to store B in an easy fashion.

To hear the detractors talk, there's not going to be shops on the first floor.

We already have an example of how successful skybridges are in downtown Salt Lake City:



That's right, the Gateway. Somehow, the shops on the first floor of the Gateway seem to do just fine.

For those of you who chalk up the need for a City Creek skybridge to laziness, I issue a challenge:

Start at the Starbucks in Gateway. From there, go to Gymboree without using a skybridge. That means walking downstairs, crossing Rio Grande Street, and going back up the stairs. Now proceed for Gymboree to Fanzz. No streets to cross, so we move on. But, you're in want of a Bizzard from DQ. So, head back downstairs, cross 100 South, and walk back upstairs. Enjoy your Blizzard. After your Blizzard, head to a movie. Go downstairs, cross Rio Grande again, and head back upstairs. Congratulations, you're done.

Now tell me, was that better than using the pesky sky bridges?

Oh, and from most of main street, you can't see Ensign Peak anyway. You have trees, buildings, and (occasionally) pollution in your way.

Lastly, for those that fear the skybridge will pull currently-nonexistant pedestrians off of Main, I leave you with the thing that will keep them there: