VERO BEACH — The Alma Lee Loy Bridge, also known as the 17th Street bridge, remains under the purview of the Florida Department of Transportation, but that isn’t stopping the Vero Beach City Council from reviewing its options to make the bridge safer in the wake of a teen bicyclist’s death.
Vice Mayor Jay Kramer raised the issue during Tuesday’s Council meeting, noting that safety on the bridge has been a “back of mind” issue that sadly took a tragedy to bring to the forefront.
“It is frightening,” agreed Mayor Dick Winger, who explained that he occasionally rides his bike over the bridge.
Sixteen-year-old Cole Coppola was struck by a motorist in the wee hours of Sept. 27 as he was riding his bike across the 17th Street bridge. The collision pushed the teen over the side of the bridge. His body was later recovered from the water below.
The accused driver was impaired, according to law enforcement, and faces a charge of DUI manslaughter for Coppola’s death.
Unlike the Barber bridge, there are no concrete barriers separating pedestrians and bicyclists from motorists – the 17th Street bridge is too narrow.
Monte Falls, the city’s public works director, said a team from FDOT is scheduled to visit the bridge and review options. He said he hopes to have various recommendations before the next Council meeting.
One such improvement could be installing slightly raised concrete bumps along the white outside line, better delineating the bike lane.
Falls said the Council should not get it’s hopes up that a full concrete barrier could be installed. Because the bridge was built in 1979 – a time when little attention was paid to cyclists and pedestrians – it was not designed with sufficient right of way to accommodate two lanes of traffic in each direction and a protected bike lane.
In the meantime, one immediate action the Council is seeking is more enforcement of the speed on the Alma Lee Loy Bridge.
Police Chief David Currey told the Council that he would increase the department’s enforcement effort.
Vero Beach resident Ken Daige addressed the Council and suggested the City be more mindful of burned out street lights along the bridge. He told the Council that he often rides his bike across the bridges in the early morning, between 5 and 5:30, and has sometimes seen busted lights.
He recommended that the Vero Beach police officers keep an eye out and report to the Vero Beach electric staff who are tasked with replacing the lights.
City Manager Jim O’Connor agreed, explaining that officers already do so.
