Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge to Include Bird-Friendly Lighting Features

Depiction of lighting for the Omaha Pedestrian Bridge. Image Courtesy of the mayor's office, City of Omaha.

By James Ed. Ducey

The plan for lighting the Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge - currently under construction along the riverfront of Omaha and Council Bluffs - will incorporate several features to provide a "bird-friendly" design.

As the bridge lighting methods have been finalized in recent months, several changes were made in the multitude lighting system to reduce the potential impact of the bridge lights on migratory wild birds.

"The lighting approach has been altered to provide a more bird friendly approach, and has been accomplished without comprising pedestrian safety of the bridge's nighttime appearance," Larry Foster, administrator with the Omaha Parks and Recreation Department said in a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to address the agencies concerns regarding migratory bird safety. The department is responsible for the bridge construction and management.

"The city of Omaha was contacted through the Nebraska Department of Roads, to review suggestions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding bridge lighting approaches that would be bird friendly," Foster explained in an email. "At the time, the city was working to finalize the bridge lighting system to incorporate bird friendly elements without compromising the illumination need to insure pedestrian/bicyclist safety and provide the night-time 'signature' icon appearance" for the skyline along the river between Omaha and Council Bluffs.

"In addition to approaches provided by the Fish and Wildlife Service, Toronto's bird friendly designs were reviewed at the suggestion of a local bird watcher," Foster said. "After reviewing this document, it was clear Toronto has given the approach to bird friendly lighting considerable study, so recommendations in this document were therefore consulted as the lighting system was finalized."

Specific comments provided in response to FWS comments, in a mid-May, 2007 letter from the City of Omaha, include:

1) "Avoid the use of red or pulsating red beacon lights on the bridge pylons." Consultations with the Federal Aviation Authority and Omaha Airport Authority were required to successfully meet this stipulation.

2) "Use LED lights or low energy consumption lights for directional light to help minimize light pollution and bird attraction." A "low-energy fixture" will be used in the bridge deck lighting setup.

3) The initial lighting installation is expected to occur at a time other than the nesting season.

4) "Consider turning lights off during spring and fall bird migration periods. Limit lighting times." The decision on this "will be made following a period of bridge operation when pedestrian patterns and other issues, including the impact on birds, can be better analyzed," the letter said. The methods for this evaluation have not yet been determined.

After consulting the "Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines," the lighting of the cables "will be accomplished with lighting parallel to the stays, thereby reducing the amount of light directly upward."

A contribution of $300,000 from the Gallup Corporation was recently announced by the City of Omaha, and the funds accepted by the Omaha City Council. The funds will be used to provide additional light fixtures necessary to focus the light on the many bridge cables and the two pylons supporting the bridge structure.

The current lighting plan was revised from a preliminary strategy prepared by the FWS, APAC-Kansas and HTNB Corporation in December 2006. This plan was subsequently reviewed by the FWS.

Wild birds will receive special focus at a plaza to be developed on the western side of the bridge, near the headquarters of the Midwest regional office of the National Park Service.

"The city of Omaha, in conjunction with the FWS, has agreed to use the pedestrian bridge project to highlight the Missouri River environment and its endangered species," Foster said in an email. "One of the approaches likely to be used is the creation of 'play creatures' based upon river related endangered species: the Least Tern, Piping Plover and Pallid Sturgeon. The project will likely construct models or statues of these species and encourage children of all ages to climb and play on the 'river critters.'

The bridge approaches will include other educational elements designed to acquaint people with the environment of the Missouri River and its fish and wildlife."

Meetings are being held with the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and other agencies to develop environmental education exhibits to be placed at either end of the bridge, Foster said.

Aerial depiction of the Omaha Pedestrian Bridge setting. Image courtesy of the mayor's office, City of Omaha.

Subjects for these elements will likely include the riverine habitats used by the Bald Eagle and pallid sturgeon, the "tremendous loss" of cottonwood forest habitat on the river floodplain, riverine habitats used by the Least Tern and Piping Plover, native species that occur along the Missouri River corridor, and what the public can do to prevent further loss of habitats used by these species, according to preliminary information given in the environmental assessment for the project. The impact of the extensive channelization of the river may be an additional subject for this kiosk.

The specific content has not yet been determined. "We are trying to think outside the box" for these educational elements, Foster explained.

Part of the mitigation plan for the project construction requires a 3:1 replacement of the approximately 70 cottonwood trees removed during the construction phase, according to the environmental assessment.

The pedestrian bridge is expected to open in November 2008.

The Missouri River valley is an important migratory corridor, and breeding area used by more than 300 wild bird species during the past ten years, according to a compilation of sighting records by numerous observers.