The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world, and at just under 1,600 feet, held the record for the longest suspension bridge in the world, for 20 years, until 1903. Many bridges from around the time the Brooklyn Bridge was built have not survived the years, but the Brooklyn Bridge did, because Washington Roebling, the designer of the bridge, made the bridge six times stronger than he thought that it needed to be, with three separate forms of support. As a result, it has been able to withstand extremely heavy traffic, such as after the attacks of September 11th, 2001, when the subway system was shut town, and people resorted to other means of transportation, leading to a flood of people using the bridge.
The bridge has three traffic lanes heading in both directions, but in between the automobile lanes, it also has an elevated bicycle and pedestrian path, used by 7,000 people daily. Brooklyn Bridge is a great place to take an early morning walk, with a great view of New York City.
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