What Happened to the Promised Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge Across the 57 Freeway?

A mailer supporting the renewal of Measure M in 2006 promises a bridge across SR-57 near CSUF. Perhaps they meant to put it at the bottom of the list?

Eight years ago Fullerton residents received this mailer urging them to renew Measure M, the county-wide half cent sales tax adopted by voters in 1990. Funds from Measure M, and M2, as the renewal became known after voters passed it in 2006, have been mostly used for widening streets. But some funding was steered toward mass transit and at least one project was supposed to have been built to benefit cyclists and pedestrians.

Voters a approved “Measure M-2,” but we never got our bridge.

At the bottom of the lengthy list of promised projects to benefit Fullerton residents is a bicycle and pedestrian bridge across the 57 Freeway next to Cal State Fullerton. The bridge would provide a direct transportation path to the school for numerous students and others living to the east on the other side of the busy freeway. Bicycle paths at the school currently run north and south, but riding east or west on Nutwood Ave on the south side of CSUF or Yorba Linda Blvd. on the north side can be dangerous because of the onramps and off ramps of the freeway itself on both streets.

Imagine all of the students who could walk or bike to school from the other side of the freeway instead of having to drive the short distance.

While many of the other projects promised on the mailer have either been completed or are in process, the bridge over the 57 Freeway seems to have been all but forgotten. Supervisor Shawn Nelson discussed the bridge two years ago during a Bicycle Summit meeting, but nothing concrete seems to yet be in the works.

Anaheim has plans for three bridges across freeways. Where is Fullerton’s promised Measure M funded bridge?

Meanwhile, the City of Anaheim recently hosted a visioning session with a hired consultant where cyclists had the opportunity to provide feedback about various street modifications and other measures planned to make the streets of our neighboring city safer for bicycle riders. Their plans include no fewer than three freeway bridges. These funds will come from grants. But what happened to Fullerton’s bridge over the 57 Freeway that was supposed to have been paid for by Measure M 2 funding? It’s a good question to ask Orange County Transportation Authority representatives who will on hand Wednesday, August 27 at 6:00 pm. at the Fullerton Community Center for a public meeting about the OC Bike Loop project.

The Fullerton Community Center is located at  340 W. Commonwealth Ave.