If you’ve ever driven across the General Chappie James Memorial Bridge, or Pensacola Bay Bridge, known locally as the Three-Mile Bridge, to or from Gulf Breeze, you may have found yourself speeding past the occasional solitary walker, runner, or cyclist. But the pedestrian paths, thoughtfully included on both sides by the people who built the bridge, don’t get nearly as much use as they could.
A new and fast-growing group is aiming to change all that. BridgeWalk Pensacola began life on December 28 and has hit the ground running, no pun intended, with nearly 400 members holding regular hikes from Pensacola to Gulf Breeze and back again. The walks are on the multi-use path which provides accessibility that “caters to all outdoor enthusiasts,” according to Visit Pensacola.
The first of these seven-mile strolls attracted more than fifty adults, children, and dogs. The group was started by Pensacola resident Phil Goddard.
“I’ve hiked the bridge regularly with a friend since it opened to pedestrians two years ago,’ he says. ‘It’s been a great opportunity to stretch our legs and gossip, and if the conversation runs out of steam we just enjoy the dolphins and the pelicans and the sunsets,” he says.
‘I never tire of the journey: it’s a beautiful bridge with a stunning view, and I thought it would be nice to share it with other people. I had this vision, probably not very realistic, of pedestrians streaming back and forth across the bridge in similar numbers to cars.’
Phil is no stranger to long treks on foot: he hails from London but ended up living in this country after completing an epic 3,091-mile walk from New York to Los Angeles. On the way he met his now wife, Pam, and the two lived in New Orleans for many years before moving to Pensacola in 2019.
“I’d always lived in very walkable places before I came here,” he says. “I wasn’t looking forward to the car-dependent sprawl of Pensacola, but I soon learned that there are plenty of pedestrian-friendly places if you look hard enough. Starting BridgeWalk Pensacola has been a delight because it’s brought all my fellow walkers out of the woodwork. I’ve already met a ton of really interesting and like-minded people.”
The hikes start in the parking lot of the Pensacola Visitor Center. Some participants walk only part of the way, and people go at their own pace so there’s no pressure to keep up. The walks are usually timed to finish at sunset – the bridge being arguably the best place in town to watch the sun dip into the sea – but members are also encouraged to schedule events of their own whenever they like.
“We have three rules,” Phil says, “Always have a conversation with at least one stranger, don’t talk politics, and have fun. If your New Year’s resolution was to get more exercise and make more friends, I can’t imagine a better way to achieve it.”
For Bridgewalker Tracy Browne, walking the bridge was deeper than a resolution. “It’s been two years since (my sister) Karen passed and January 19 was her birthday. I used to be a very active Mom and life happened. My husband is in the Air Force. We moved here four years ago. I went straight to work after my daughter left for college. I just haven’t felt myself and when I saw this group had a walk on Karen’s birthday, it was a sign for me to get up and out. Life is too short. She passed from organ failure. I told my husband I felt like she was with us on that bridge,” Tracy Browne shared of her introduction to the group.
The day after their walk, Tracy’s husband texted her that he was so glad they did the walk. “We plan to do it again,” Tracy said.
The Brownes aren’t the only ones who plan to do it again. Since its inception less than one month ago, BridgeWalk Pensacola has quickly grown to 480 members.
To join BridgeWalk Pensacola, click here.
One of the first group walks for BridgeWalk Pensacola.
