Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 30, 2009 The Mary Avenue Bicycle Footbridge was opened in the city of Cupertino in California’s Santa Clara County, which encompasses much of the region popularly known as Silicon Valley. The 503-foot (153.3-meter)-long bridge, which crosses over Interstate 280 and connects the north and south sections of the Stevens Creek Trail, has the distinction... Continue Reading →
December 11, 1975 Benton MacKaye, a forester and regional planner who earned the nickname “Father of the Appalachian Trail” for his role in creating that marked public footpath in the eastern United States, died in the town of Shirley, Massachusetts. MacKaye, who was born in Connecticut in 1879, first developed the idea of the Appalachian... Continue Reading →
October 29, 1864 In England, Emma Sharp completed a highly publicized walk of 1,000 miles (1,609.3 kilometers) in 1,000 hours. This milestone in 19th century pedestrianism took place at a 120-yard (109.7-meter) roped-off course in Laisterdyke, a part of the then-municipal borough (now city) of Bradford. More than 55 years earlier in the English town... Continue Reading →
September 28, 2008 The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge was officially opened to foot and bicycle traffic two months ahead of schedule. The footbridge crosses over the Missouri River and links the cities of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. The 3,000-foot (914.4-meter) structure, which can be found north of the Interstate 480 girder bridge, is the longest... Continue Reading →
September 25, 1955 Emma Rowena Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail on her own. The 67-year-old Gatewood was also the oldest person up to that time to complete the trek. Gatewood reached the summit of Maine’s Mount Katahdin, which is the northern terminus of the trail, 146 days after starting her... Continue Reading →
September 12, 1884 Charles F. Lummis began an ambitious trip from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, using only his feet for a journey of 3,507 miles (5,644 kilometers). The 25-year-old Lummis had been working for several years as a reporter in Chillicothe, Ohio when he was offered a job with the Los Angeles Times as its... Continue Reading →
August 9, 2015 A cable-stayed bridge spanning the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, was first opened to the public. This open house took place more than a month before the bridge was officially dedicated. The new structure was designed by TriMet, the regional transit authority for the Portland metropolitan area, for the MAX Orange Line... Continue Reading →
July 12, 1809 In England, renowned pedestrian Robert Barclay Allardice (widely known as Captain Barclay) completed a mile (kilometer)-per-hour walk of 1,000 miles (1,609.3 kilometers) in 1,000 consecutive hours in the town of Newmarket. When he finished his ambitious walk at 3:37 on that Wednesday afternoon, he did so – in the words of an 1813... Continue Reading →
June 14, 2011 In Minnesota, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the final segment of a bicycle/pedestrian trail in the Minneapolis area. This late-afternoon ceremony formally marked the completion of the Cedar Lake Regional Trail after two decades of planning and construction. Those taking part in the festivities included Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis and... Continue Reading →
June 5, 2010 In the western region of New Zealand’s North Island, a bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists made its debut at the city of New Plymouth. Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, which measures 229.7 feet (70 meters) in length and crosses the Waiwhakaiho River, was officially opened by Peter Tennent, mayor of New Plymouth; and... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 