Quote:
Originally Posted by 427MM
In a nutshell, skybridges (in climates where you're not buried by snow) help to suck the life out of the grade-level public realm. After 20 years of getting things pretty right here, I for one am not ok to vote for this. If the at-grade crossings are too dangerous for people, then we need to correct them and make them safe. One of the best things about convention centers and the hotels that accompany them are the monies they leave in our city--something that only happens when these visitors engage our city.
You don't have to agree with me, but I do ask that you consider just how bad our streets could get if you take more and more people off of them. The hotel has stood open now for 14 years--is there really a good argument for the skybridge?
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I agree with the Hilton but I think the Fairmont should be an exception. Crossing Red River is nowhere near as easy as crossing 4th where the convention center is. You also have the loading dock on one side of the hotel and then a single exit halfway up the convention center on the south side. The north side of the convention center has much greater access. That's a 1000 room hotel with a lot of people staying there who will be going to the convention center every morning and a lot of people crossing that street and delaying traffic from Cesar that is trying to turn right.
Also, I don't see much value in foot traffic on that part of Cesar anyway.