The Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge, AKA IBOB, is a seasonal bridge across the mouth of the Irondequoit Bay.  It is the only bikeable route directly between Webster and Irondequoit.

Unfortunately the bridge is seasonal in nature and doesn't support cycling needs very well.

For years I have advocated among RBC members for a better solution at the mouth of the Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge.  As far as I'm concerned the following should happen:

1. In the near-term, simply adjust the schedule so it can be used more days of the year.

2. Explore better solutions for a bridge that works 24/7/365 for cyclists, pedestrians, boating traffic, and hopefully road traffic as well.

Does anyone have any feedback they would like to share regarding the IBOB?

I agree except on the funding issue...  Of course funds are always limited but I think there's enough to justify improvements at the outlet.

This area has poured plenty of funding into many projects near the shore of Lake Ontario.  For example Lake Road in Webster, Sandbar Park, the existing IBOB, the boat launches, the beach and paths at Durand Beach, the Harbor in Charlotte, the Fast Ferry, the O'Rourke bridge...  There seems to be plenty of funds, if the people controlling funds want to spend it on improving our bridge(s) at the outlet.

The problems seem to me to be decisions that favor boating interests over the pedestrian / cyclist and the motorists that want to utilize the bridge(s) at the Outlet.  Those decisions resulted in a "compromise" that created the current seasonal IBOB bridge that is heavily slanted to boating interests.  Unfortunately the existing IBOB does not serve boating very well when it is used, it is too low.  The IBOB should have been built at a more-appropriate height to accommodate the Coast Guard and Sheriff's boats along with more pleasure boats.  The decisions ignored the fact that people cruising along the shore with their boats and docking in Irondequoit Bay would want to utilize the bridge during boating season.

The main question in my mind is how high do the outlet bridges need to be?  They surely don't need to be "open to the sky".

On the Lake Champlain causeway, there’s a bike ferry across the gap where one bridge was removed for boat passage.  It’s run by the advocacy group and there’s a nominal charge for use.  But their situation is different, the causeway is a major cycling destination with a lot of bike traffic.  Never say never, but I doubt that a ferry would get used much at our bay outlet.