A Plain Dealer column by yours truly on Tuesday addressed challenges that Cuyahoga County's Department of Public Works will face in its highly ambitious plan to build a $25 million pedestrian walkway from the Mall to North Coast Harbor in time for the Republican National Convention in 2016.

Most infrastructure projects of the sort have taken a decade or longer in Cleveland. Building the pedestrian bridge over a quarter mile lakefront dead zone that includes three active rail tracks and the Route 2 Shoreway would be a big feat.

Nevertheless, with city, county and state funding already committed at $25 million, the project has been launched with the county's release last week of a Request for Qualifications from teams of engineers and architects that would vie to design the bridge. The deadline for their submissions is August 1.

The county's RFQ said that the selected design team would be responsible in part for extensive outreach to the public about the potential design. Other entities will no doubt be involved in guiding the project, including the non-profit Group Plan Commission, LAND Studio and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance.

We're here to help. On Tuesday, readers of Cleveland.com didn't have to wait to chime in. So let the record show that public participation on the project has already begun in a very robust way.

Here's an overview of what readers said:

Bad idea

Schmange19 kicked off the conversation with a visceral negative response to the bridge concept:

"OMG. This project is so bad. It's just not a good use of resources....The design is not important. We should be asking ourselves whether this is the best use of resources. Instead we get essentially a rubber stamp again from the PD, little to no discussion, and then some pretend concern trolling about the design. Eyeroll."

In response, I pointed out to schmange19 that the city has worked for more than a century to create a better connection to Lake Erie. I asked her whether the city should stop trying.

She responded:

"Should the city give up? Hmm....Who are these people clamoring to walk from Mall C to the Rock Hall? What makes them so important?....It's going to serve like a dozen people a day when it's done. There are literally dozens of much more pressing transportation issues we could be focused on."

Leftyright agreed with schmange19 that the pedestrian bridge would be a waste of money:

"With the crumbling infrastructure that exists in our core neighborhoods , it is difficult to embrace the wisdom of using precious Cleveland funds on this project."

CobraDude shared the same negative view of the project:

"I have to agree, this is a monumental waste of money. They keep dangling these "oooo...ahhhh" things in front of us to make Cleveland look good, but icing does not a cake make. Take some of this money that seems to be appearing out of nowhere and use it to fix some of the decaying infrastructure."

Shap asked incredulously:

"$25 million for a pedestrian bridge? The article states that 'money for the project is not the issue. Timing is.' Really? I think the over-taxed workers and businesses in Cleveland might disagree."

Daffy Duck then quipped to shap:

"For $25Million, I WILL carry you on my back from the Mall to the Harbor."

But Daffy Duck sounded less negative later one when he added that his real worry is getting the job done right:

"I think people are most concerned that the project [should] be done correctly THE FIRST TIME, and not that it shouldn't be done at all. Truth is, we have more than a few examples of grand projects in this city that have really gone down the tubes due to poor planning or lack of foresight."

In favor

The nays, though vocal, did not overwhelm the thread. Responding to the negative views of the project, Cleveland197 came out in favor:

"It always baffles me how all the Cleveland haters get on here and trash every project the city attempts to push through to enhance not only the quality of life in this city, but the functionality of it. I wonder if these haters would just rather see Cleveland totally 'give up' and stop spending any money, remove all income taxes and let the entire population just fend for itself like some primitive native society.

Cleveland197 later added that "a pedestrian bridge is not only needed, but should be a basic requirement for a city like ours with such a great resource like Lake Erie staring at us in the face."

Carlkinas agreed that the bridge makes sense, but shared my concern about whether the county and its partners can produce quality on a deadline:

"Thank you for this reminder that the city has to work fast, yes, but also pay attention to great design if it has any aspirations of becoming the world-class city it wants to be. A Calatrava (or Calatrava-inspired) bridge would be a real statement. Even something as simple as a High Line-style walkway could work if designed beautifully."

Bigsmooth66 agreed that the bridge is needed:

"This is long overdue. It's time that the city take a more sophisticated view at city design."

Not enough

A separate group of readers felt that the pedestrian bridge isn't big enough as an idea to connect the city and the lake.

Kiddoinc said that "the railroad tracks and freeway sever the city off from Lake Erie, [and] they need to be completely covered from West 3rd to East 9th. I walked from Tower City to the Rock Hall with some out of town guests, such an unpleasant harrowing experience of broiling hot sidewalks & high-speed traffic exiting the highway. The little bridge pictured is a 'Good enough for Cleveland band-aid.' "

Take out the Shoreway

Fifty-nine was among many commenters who said the downtown stretch of the Shoreway should be narrowed or removed:

"The Shoreway is the major stumbling block and the question needs to be asked if the the Shoreway should be removed. We can live with the railroad tracks. They are low enough to easily bridge, but the Shoreway is another matter.

Fifty-nine suggested extending the Mall north across the lakefront railroads and the Shoreway North Coast Harbor, essentially repeating the temporary bridge built for the 1936 Great Lakes Exposition: "This full width extension could tie into the existing green area between the Stadium and Science Center. A full width extension of the mall, actually ties together the downtown, Mall and lakefront areas."

I'd interject that such an extension is probably impossible now because the north end of the Mall, known as Mall C, is actually the green roof of the city's new convention center, which has a ballroom with a giant window facing north toward the lakefront. Extending the Mall would darken the ballroom and rob the interior of a great deal of daylight.

Marcinch was one of many commenters who said the entire gap between the city and the lakefront should be bridged somehow:

"Wouldn't we be creating a whole lot more value and stitching the lakefront in an honest way to the city by capping the shore way and rail tracks at E. 9th Street? It worked well for Columbus. Let's rebuild the Amtrak station into something worth visiting, and then open up the land at the lakefront by slowing down the shore way like we're doing on the west side."

Thinking too small

Commenters seemed undeterred about using the issue of the pedestrian bridge and its design to raise bigger questions about the Shoreway, Burke Lakefront airport and making better use of the RTA Waterfront Line and the city's lakefront Amtrak station.

Eat Righteous criticized the notion of building the pedestrian bridge in the absence of a later plan to connect the city to the water.

"And there you have it," he said, "ad hoc decisions with no real plan. Let's step back, plan a real lakefront and then see what projects best address the plan. In my opinion that would be dealing with the Shoreway as the main barrier, slow it down and add some lights and cross walks, take ramps off E 9th; orient the convention center so light rail can be included; improve the Amtrak station and try to improve frequency of service (why does the tourism bureau not focus on tourism via rail?); close Burke and develop the area and add more parks.

Mendo said bluntly:

"The city needs real vision. How about dismantling the Shoreway between West 6th and Ontario?"

Engineering dreams

Of all commenters, ciceropolo sounded most like an engineer.

In a lengthy post, he suggested that "while better connection to the Lakefront is much needed, this needs to be part of an integrated multi modal transportation / parking structure (Amtrak station, Greyhound Station relocation and waterfront line "loop" that comes back around east 17th or East 18th). This would sync up the peripheral transit links, remove the Greyhound eyesore north of Theater District for expanded development and enable further longterm commercial development of downtown by defining it with a "Loop".

Ciceropolo later added an extensive proposal that included the following:

"1) Move the Route 2 Valley / River crossing northward (Through CMHA Lakeview Estates across Sycamore slip and skirt the northeast of whatever East bank buildings will go there) as a boulevard 40-50 mph. You'd then have longer approach to descend to RR level and have the lanes blend into city grid in the area of the Browns Pit Lot (old Train Station pre Tower City W 3 - W 6th) freeing up the city grid (in some way) to weave northward from W 3 to East 9th."

I'd like to thank readers and commenters for a lively discussion.

Just one more question for those proposing all the big ideas:

Where's the money? If you suggest big ideas for the lakefront, please identify a funding source, next time.

Also: If you've got ideas, how about including some sketches to other readers can see what you're talking about?