The Story of Our Bridge

From today's Ashland Times-Gazette column:

When I read the Times-Gazette report of the recent meeting to sort out what to do with the Rt. 42 bridge that spans Rt. 250 (our Main Street), I was reminded of the nursery rhyme, London Bridge is Falling Down. In that children’s song, a number of alternatives are offered. Perhaps the bridge could be repaired with wood and clay (might wash away), bricks and mortar (won’t stay), iron and steel (will bend and break) or silver and gold (will get stolen).  Ultimately, the nursery rhyme determines that a man should be posted to watch all night (I suppose so that the gold and silver doesn’t get stolen), and, in case he falls asleep, he is to be given a pipe to smoke to keep him awake. Not quite the appropriate solution for today’s world, is it?

What about our bridge?  A recent study showed that the bridge needs major rehabilitation or replacement, for while it may not be falling down yet, it’s definitely seen better days, and the 50+ year old lady isn’t quite tall enough to meet current federal specifications. She was built before I-71 stole away much of her Cleveland to Columbus traffic, and since she doesn’t extend over a river or a railroad track, the question has come up – do we even need her? So what shall we do about our bridge?

Enter ODOT (the Ohio Department of Transportation). This is the section of our “we the people” government that is charged with designing and maintaining our roads and bridges. I’m glad ODOT is working for us, because with their involvement, we don’t all have to be experts on bridge design – we can use the expertise of those with training and experience in the transportation field for that. But I’m also glad that they aren’t the playground bully, insisting on the “my way or else” mode of decision-making. Instead, the representatives from ODOT and Glen Stewart, our Ashland mayor, actually asked the people of Ashland what they think about it!

As Missy Loar of the Times-Gazette reported, Allen Biehl, deputy director for ODOT District 3, said the "worst" projects are those without public input. "It's a big project for the city of Ashland, so we want to get it right," Biehl said. Good for him.

No matter whether we end up with option 1, option 8, or something in between, I’m just glad they asked. While I didn’t attend the meeting, about 100 of my neighbors did, and they (and all of Ashland, through the coverage of the Times-Gazette) got to hear about the possible solutions and to weigh in on their viability.

There is something about being welcomed to the table of conversation that is empowering to both the community and to its leaders. As Nelson Mandela taught us, “As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a consensus of what I heard in the discussion.”

 As I’ve discovered over many moons of life experience, sooner or later someone has to make a decision about whatever the presenting problem is – what to eat for supper, how to manage a conflict, or what to do about our bridge. But I am much more willing to support the final decision when I’ve had a chance to listen and to be heard.  And what’s really amazing is that sometimes, in talking with each other, new solutions are discovered that even the experts may not have considered.  Who would have thought?

The story of the Rt. 42 bridge stands as a symbol of what bridges can do within a community, whether they are brick and mortar construction or the links between people of divergent interests, backgrounds and priorities. Whether the Rt. 42 bridge is restored or removed, my hope is that the connections being formed in our community through ODOT-led discussions, mediation, community-wide forums and conversations over coffee will remind us of the value of shared decision-making and respectful dialogue– building bridges instead of walls.