We did it - and then some! We're on our way to building the Footbridge Over Burnside, thanks to you and over 660 donors during this crowdfund raising over $184,000. Stay tuned as we gear up for construction - and find any updates at the Portland Parks Foundation website. THANK YOU for all your love and support of the Wildwood Trail as we all work to make sure we have a safer, better crossing on West Burnside.
Update (LAST DAY!)
You've made this campaign a great success - and we have one day left for anyone who wants to be a part of it. It doesn't matter whether you gave on Day 1 or Day 33 - you can still help build the Footbridge Over Burnside. And one day left to claim a supporter reward: a Columbia Employee Store Pass, a Nike Footbridge t-shirt, your name on the Footbridge dedication plaque, or the celebration of the First Crossing of the Footbridge! We've had over 640 donors come together to crowdfund over $181,000 - will you help us get to 675 supporters? Donations of all sizes count!! Remember, every dollar will support the building and maintenance of this unique, beautiful and necessary structure for the next century.
This has been an amazing community and an amazing 33 days for the Footbridge!
UPDATE (10/16):
WOW! Wildwood Trail lovers are the best!
A HUGE thank you to everyone who has given so generously to make the Footbridge Over Burnside a reality. Today you exceeded our "stretch" goal--with a week still to go in the campaign! This means that you've earned an extra $25,000 in matching funds from our anonymous donor, for a total of $175,000 in addition to more than $177,000 donated online from nearly 600 donors!
The crowdfund still runs through next Monday evening, and continued donations will help to assure that we meet any unforeseeable costs, as well as create a healthy major maintenance fund. Your support has removed any doubt: the Footbridge is coming, and we'll soon be activating the construction team to make it happen!
We'll post again on this site next week if there's other important news to share as the crowdfunding effort wraps up.
KUDOS TO YOU!
Update (10/12):
Our community of Wildwood Trail users and park supporters has brought the Footbridge Over Burnside crowdfunding campaign to within $6,000 of its "stretch" goal of $175,000. Thank you to every one of our 576 donors to date!
Every dollar is being matched by an anonymous donor up to the new goal. Let's hit the finish line running (and hiking)! Your contribution before midnight, October 23 will be creating a safer Wildwood Trail for generations to come!
UPDATE (9/30):
Community response to the Footbridge Over Burnside has been tremendous! In the short time since we launched the campaign, more than 470 donors--mostly making contributions under $100 --have brought our campaign to meet its goal.
Even though we've reached our goal with time to spare, we hope to surpass it! Why? Because with every day that passes, the overheated construction environment in Portland threatens to increase costs. And while our budget has allowed for inflation, additional funds ensure that we can absorb any unavoidable increases in costs--AND that we can create an even stronger maintenance reserve than originally planned. Construction may be more "glamorous," but equally important is tending to what we build. This is a 75 to 100-year lifespan bridge, and with so much community investment in it, we're determined that it gets the care it deserves. Not only does the Footbridge create a safer trail, it's virtually a public art installation--in a forest--that you can walk over! Let's make sure it stays beautiful with the best possible maintenance.
And our anonymous donor has now pledged to match the first $25,000 given beyond our goal! We're very grateful.
Let's build the Footbridge and protect it for generations to come!
THE FOOTBRIDGE OVER BURNSIDE
You’re traveling on Portland’s iconic Wildwood Trail when you suddenly have to pull up short: What’s this? A three-lane, high-speed urban arterial smack in the middle of your peaceful forest? Or, you’re cruising in your car down Burnside toward the city at 40 mph when the car in front of you screeches to a dead stop. You slam on your brakes and narrowly avoid a collision. As you look up, you see a group of hikers darting across the street.
For too long Wildwood Trail users have been endangered - and their experience in nature interrupted - by the crossing at West Burnside Street. Now we’re doing something about it - and we need your help!
The Portland Parks Foundation is building the Footbridge Over Burnside, a pedestrian footbridge that connects the north and south sides of the Wildwood Trail as it crosses Burnside. When it is complete, we'll finally have an uninterrupted recreational experience for runners and hikers - a truly unified experience in nature right in the heart of Portland.
A PUBLIC NEED FOR SAFETY
The dangerous crossing at Burnside was identified over 20 years ago in the city’s pedestrian master plan and again in the 2008 transportation safety plan as a problem. As traffic has increased in Portland, it has only gotten worse. Over 80,000 runners, hikers, walkers, and schoolchildren each year navigate this dangerous crossing as 20,000 cars flash past each day. That's why the City of Portland and Metro are also deeply invested in this public safety effort!
UNINTERRUPTED NATURE
The Wildwood Trail is a part of the 40-Mile Loop and one of the few places in America where you can run or hike long distances on wooded trails without leaving the city. Building the Footbridge Over Burnside dramatically improves the trail and outdoor experience, whether you’re training for a race or a long hike, enjoying a quiet walk in nature, learning more about our urban forest with your school class, or journeying from one cultural gem to another.
FUNDING FOR THE BRIDGE – GET INVOLVED!
Thanks to generous support from community members and seed funding from the City of Portland and Metro, PPF has raised more than $2.3 million toward building the Footbridge. Now we all have a chance to make sure that construction can begin in 2018.
Not only that--your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor. (up to $175,000). That's right--every dollar you give will earn another crucially important dollar to fund the building and maintenance of the Footbridge. The more you give, the more you multiply your impact. Thanks to this anonymous donor and this crowdfund, we'll be able to meet our fundraising goal and build the Footbridge.
Help us close the gap in this final phase of fundraising. Along with fellow community members, you’ll be creating a beautiful public work that enhances recreational and natural experiences for people from all over the world!
THANK YOU!
Thank you for all you do to help build the Footbridge Over Burnside! Please share this crowdfunding campaign with your friends - even if you aren't able to give, sharing helps us spread the word.
FAQs
How much is the Footbridge going to cost and how much more is needed?
The working budget for the cost of the Footbridge project is $2.5 million--the final number will be determined by year end. To date Portland Parks Foundation has raised over $2.3 million from private gifts, grants and pledges, and public (City of Portland and Metro) commitments. This crowdfund campaign will help us close the final gap. It is our chance to ensure funding to build the Footbridge in 2018. We want to engage the whole community--everyone who knows and loves the Wildwood Trail--to be part of this beautiful enhancement and and major safety improvement.
When will the Footbridge be built?
We anticipate construction will begin in early 2018 and complete the bridge by year end. But we need your help now to make sure that we'll all be safely crossing Burnside on the Wildwood Trail next year!
What will the Footbridge look like?
The Footbridge - as designed by Ed Carpenter, a Pacific Northwest artist specializing in large-scale public installations - is meant to mirror the natural elements around it, both blending in and connecting to its surroundings. The design draws upon the sword ferns and other flora you see along the Wildwood Trail and it curves over West Burnside, continuing the path of the trail. The Footbridge will be 18 feet high and 190 feet long.
Video by: Meredith Lawrence
Music: "Happy Place," "Piano Magic," and "Free Flowing" by Bruce Zimmerman.
Your contribution to this crowdfunding campaign goes to the Portland Parks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.