Email from Ray Breslin: 

"Dear Joe:

I know I've talked this to death with you but the residents keep reaching out to me. Many ride the South Beach Local Bus that drops off at 23rd Street and Liberty Ave. They then carry their groceries back to the Lake Pancoast Neighborhood where there are hundreds of households and residents. With the bridge closed they must walk 3 blocks out of their way. If you were actually working on this bridge, we could accept that but this bridge didn't become life threatening from one day to the next. I'd really like to meet you out here with your team to inspect the surface of the bridge. In my opinion, the walking surface is actually in better shape than the 24th Street Bridge which is a much longer span over Lake Pancoast. You show pictures of the de-lamination on the underside of the bridge and if held unchecked, the rebar would ultimately break down and require replacement and not just a repair. This is a walk bridge. There are no parties on this bridge or groups congregating. That would more likely occur on 24th Street where there is actually a view and many selfies taken. 

There are many ways to cut down the traffic on the pedestrian bridge without cutting off the life line to this neighborhood. As I said before, multiple bollards to insure motorized vehicles can't ride over and those same bollards will insure people on bikes also walk over. Isn't it time to really think about the residents? If you can show me one real safety hazard that condones your over reaction, I'm all eyes but lets stick to the actual structure and not de-lamination. That is a concern requiring repair but that repair may even be able to be accomplished from under without even closing the bridge and certainly not for months as currently planned. Please placate me and let's have a meeting on site. Can you do that? 

Another negative is without this bridge open, the now dead end at Flamingo Road had become a hang out for homeless and a place to smoke marijuana. Often 5 or 6 hanging around there for a good portion of the day and sometimes sleeping at night. This is not good for our residential neighborhood and at the very least needs patrolling. 

Thanks,
Ray Breslin