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Pedestrian bridge: Accessories over necessities
A large number of pedestrian bridges in a city can indicate that a city favors motorized vehicles over pedestrians and signals poor walkability.
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New icon: A woman walks past a new pedestrian bridge on Jl. Sudirman on Jan. 6. The Jakarta government is making the finishing touches to the bridge before it officially opens soon. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
T
he Jakarta government will soon open a new pedestrian bridge in Karet Sudirman over the city’s thoroughfare Jl. Sudirman. The bridge will also serve as a bicycle crossing and a viewpoint facing two Karet overpasses that could be a perfect spot for selfies and your latest Instagram post.
In addition, it will be an outdoor gallery to commemorate frontline health workers who have died of COVID-19. Finally, the bridge will have colorful and "artistic" lighting fixtures to enhance the capital city's beauty.
It will be the latest addition to the "instagramable pedestrian bridge" collection that share similar features: so-called iconic architecture, colorful material, over-the-top lighting and sometimes no roof.
The city government's social media account claimed the bridge would pamper pedestrians, even though they have to walk up 80 steps or an 150-meter ramp since the elevator only operates on specific hours and days.
During the construction of the bridge, the city government is operating a temporary pelican crossing that connects the two sides of Karet Sudirman and the Transjakarta bus stop.
Many cyclists, including me, use the pelican crossing routinely and gratefully. Thanks to the facility, I don't have to walk my 15-kilogram bicycle on the ramp of Benhil bridge when I need to cross Jl. Sudirman and feel sorry for other fellow pedestrians when I meet them on the ramp.
The pelican crossing has already provided a quick and easy way for pedestrians to cross and access the Transjakarta service. The Karet Sudirman pelican crossing emulates the success of its predecessors near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and Tosari crossing, both on Jl. Thamrin. The only downside is that some car and motorcycle drivers do not stop when the light turns red, either because they are ignorant or the traffic lights are not visible enough.
