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The city’s plan to replace the Harmer Avenue footbridge over Highway 417 with thoughts and prayers for two years could yet be fixed, depending on how a meeting Coun. Jeff Leiper has on Thursday turns out.

While the rundown footbridge west of downtown is rebuilt over the next two years, the city planned a temporary segregated bike lane on Holland Avenue just to the east. Then 118 people signed a petition objecting to the lost parking. Then 650 people signed a petition asking for the track. Now Leiper is going to try to convince Mayor Jim Watson’s people that keeping cyclists from hitting pedestrians and motorists from hitting cyclists is worth a little trouble.

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“I would have preferred a better detour,” Leiper said Tuesday, sticking to the mild tone he’s taken on the issue (there’s no percentage in antagonizing the mayor). “I’m going to raise and discuss the feedback we’ve been getting.”

The pedestrian bridge over the Queensway that connects the ends of Harmer on either side of the highway is being replaced after 55 years, with a new enclosed crossing much like the Max Keeping footbridge near the train station and baseball stadium. The ramps at either end aren’t up to modern standards and need rebuilding, too, which is why it’s going to take so long.