Working to protect the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities area

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“The Bridges” — What can I do?

The Bridges of Saint Paul

[Photo: Tom Kelley, former director of St. Paul Parks and Recreation]

“I have been involved with the restoration of this river for more than 40 years. The City of St. Paul, Ramsey County and the National Park Service have invested millions of dollars in making the river a place that is accessible to everyone. A key to this success has been the citizen volunteer involvement in creating the plans to restore and protect the river, as well as the commitment to follow those plans. The Bridges project defies the principles of these plans, and should not be allowed.”

Tom Kelley, Highland Park Neighborhood resident and former director of St. Paul Parks & Recreation

Actions you can take

  • Learn more by reading this web site and following links to other information
  • Write or talk to decisionmakers
  • Write a letter to the editor
  • Support FMR
  • Join the coalition of groups and individuals opposed to The Bridges.
  • Send us your thoughts about the Bridges, the West Side Flats, or this web site. Contact Irene Jones at Friends of the Mississippi River through our contact page or at 651-222-2193 x11.

Sample letters to decision-makers

Check out the latest on the project’s status and contact info for decision-makers.

Sample Letter

Dear City Council Member:

The West Side Flats and our community as a whole deserve development in keeping with the West Side Flats Master Plan and the city’s own comprehensive plan. Such development is neighborhood-scale and protects public resources such as pedestrian river access and views of the city’s bluffs and river. Unfortunately, the Bridges of Saint Paul proposal is not that kind of development.

The Bridges of Saint Paul should be rejected for the following reasons:

  • It will require a public subsidy of up to $100+ million, the biggest ever in the city.
  • It will drain business and commerce from downtown and other parts of the city.
  • It will dramatically worsen traffic for West Side residents.
  • It will block views of St. Paul’s dramatic river valley landscape.
  • It will limit public access to the river.

This is not a choice between all and nothing for the West Side. It is a choice between development that respects the community and the river, our history and our environment, and development that serves primarily a private interest while departing from the community’s vision and wishes.

Sincerely,

[Your name]