Marina pedestrian overpass will be closed at night
The city government is moving forward with a plan to close the Marina pedestrian overpass between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. every night.
City administration justified the decision with concerns of vandalism, loitering, and general cleanliness.
The decision is also motivated by repair costs: since 2021, seven panes of glass have required replacing, each costing $4,500. An additional 15 glass panes are damaged but not yet to the point of replacement.
The decision was discussed at the city’s first Quality of Life standing committee on Tuesday.
“I actually use this overpass quite often… I don’t think I’ve ever seen it really clean,” said Councillor Shelby Ch’ng during the meeting.
Referring to the broken glass, she remarked, “It’s quite disheartening because I know how much we’ve spent on this.”
Fences and gates will be installed to keep the overpass inaccessible while closed.
When asked about surveillance, City Manager John Collin stated that he expects the city to consider installing cameras at the site in the coming months.
The Department of Infrastructure and Operations, which proposed the closure, consulted with local businesses before recommending the change. Signage will be posted at the overpass to direct pedestrians to the alternative ground-level crossings at Pearl Street and Camelot Street.
The overpass could operate with a different schedule during special events at the marina.