Calls For Pedestrian Bridge Between Manhattan, Jersey City Pick Up Steam

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Manhattan and Jersey City could share a new landmark attraction someday, if one man's ambitious dream becomes a reality.

"Most of the people were saying, 'You're absolutely nuts for trying this,'" Kevin Shane said.

As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, it started out as a pipe dream for Shane, but his idea to build a pedestrian bridge between Jersey City and Lower Manhattan may not be as far-fetched as it sounds.

"From there I just started talking to people. I started calling engineers; different bridge developers," he said.

Now, with the help of an architect, Shane has come up with renderings and hopes to grab the attention of government officials.

Named the Liberty Bridge, it would sit roughly 200 feet above the Hudson River to allow for maritime traffic. The bridge would be more than a mile long, and people would be able to walk, run, or bike across.

The bridge could give commuters another option and alleviate the already crowded public transportation options.

"They could have a much healthier commute into the office. They would be happier by the time they got into the office," Thomas Duffy said.

Duffy, a structural engineer with Thornton Tomasetti, said the bridge is feasible. But he said there will be challenges.

"Pedestrian bridges, by their very nature are typically very light, and you have those issues with seismic forces and wind loads, and the feeling of vibration once you're up," he said.

Commuters liked the possibility.

"Sweet, that would be good," one offered.

"Only if it has bike lanes," another added.

While a bridge may be a bit of a long shot, there is already an online petition signed by more than a thousand people who want to see the idea become a reality.