The Graffiti Bridge Boardwalk and, our two cents.

On the North side of The Graffiti Bridge on 17th Ave. is The Graffiti Bridge Boardwalk. The boardwalk surrounds a City of Pensacola filtration pond. This pond was built at considerable time and millions of tax dollars by the city. The problem now is maintaining the boardwalk.

The pond offers a natural habitat to some of the city's rarer animals. Alligators have been spotted, cutting through the murky waters. Feeding on fish and other pond dwellers.

Of course, a wide variety of coastal birds nest in the trees along the shores. Fishing, nesting and raising their young. There are also many different species of turtles.  Snapping turtles, Red and Yellow Cheek Sliders, and a huge 35-40 pound Soft Shell turtle live there.

 Even families of sea otters make their way from the bay, and come to the pond to nest and raise their young on the little island in the center of the pond.

Sadly the pond, while a beautiful wildlife sanctuary, is not very accessible to visitors. The boardwalk surrounding the pond has been very poorly maintained. There are several very hazardous places on the boardwalk, and these really need to be addressed.

Over the years last four years, The Graffiti Bridge has been documenting the artwork on the bridge.  One of the most common requests we get is the area around the bridge be better managed.

While The Graffiti Bridge does our part, picking up trash, and keeping the area fairly clean, we don't have the equipment or resources to fully maintain the entire area. There are basic facilities needed for even maintenance of a public area.

These facilities include but are not limited to a port-o-potty for the public use, and public trash cans, to encourage graffiti artists to properly dispose of their supplies. Just these basic maintenance steps would go a long way toward a beautiful facility that visitors will enjoy even more.

Untitled from TheGraffitiBridge on Vimeo.