Mayor Jeff Schielke sparked renewed interest this week in the possibility of a second bridge downtown by asking the City Council to budget funds next year for a feasibility study.
But he may have also set the stage for a political contest, as the committee that must decide the issue has rejected the proposal several times.
“Everybody thinks we need a bridge, but I’m opposed to it,” said Ald. Charles Beckman, chairman of the Public Services Committee. “Nobody has ever come up with a good location for it.”
But the lack of a logical site is precisely the reason the question should be studied, said Schielke.
About 20,000 vehicles a day cross the Fox River using Wilson Street, Batavia’s only bridge, according to a recent study. Federal, state and county transportation agencies are studying the possibility of building a large regional bridge south of Batavia at Mooseheart Road.
Council members trimmed from the 1993 budget about $15,000 designated for such a study, and the mayor wants aldermen to reinstate the expense in 1994.
