SANDPOINT — After the recent closure of the Long Bridge pedestrian path, local nonprofit Project 7B has launched a community a public survey to understand how the path was used and what the community prefers as a solution.

“A survey is a way of collecting information in a less biased way so we can share that with the ITD, instead of predetermining what the demand is,” said Project 7B board member Susan Drumheller.

Since no official study has been conducted on the pathway’s impact, the group has taken initiative to gather its own data.

Survey questions ask whether citizens used the path and how frequently they used it during the warmer and colder months. Preliminary results show that 30% of surveyors use the path multiple times per week and 21% use the path weekly during warmer months with roughly 10% of respondents answering that they don't use the bridge.

The survey can be accessed through the link shorturl.at/ZlGDc and will be available for the community until July. 7.

Officials are also seeking feedback from individuals who face transportation or accessibility challenges due to the closure, including those without access to a vehicle or those who rely on wheelchair-accessible trails.

Katie Botkin, executive director of Project 7B, said that surveyors who are reliant on wheelchairs and bikes have said there isn’t another option to get to Sandpoint.

One of the survey questions asks if the SPOT bus across the bridge works as an effective temporary solution.

“The majority of people did not think that was a great solution that worked for them,” said Botkin.

The biggest proposed solution by respondents has been that they would like the bridge to be fixed as soon as possible, according to Botkin.

One commenter noted that the bridge “feels like the heart of the area — the water and boats passing below, trains and cars bustling back and forth on each side, eagles and airplanes soaring overhead, the sunlight tracking through the sky. I love the energy and connection I feel when standing on the bridge, and it inspires me to be part of this community.”

“All of the feedback that we’re seeing is highlighting how important this path is to the community,” said Botkin.

She said she has noticed from her time with Project 7B that officials are responsive to public opinion.

“If you’re creating a space for the community, the community needs to vocalize what they want,” Botkin said.

Project 7B plans to present their survey results to the Idaho Transportation Department in July.

“The goal, number one, is to gather information to see what the community actually wants and then to present what the community wants to the ITD so that they are informed and make informed decisions about that path,” Botkin said.