Willow Glen Resident

News

Messy pigeon problem to be fixed

By Mayra Flores De Marcotte

Funding for the much-needed pigeon abatement under the Bird Avenue Caltrain bridge was approved by San Jose City Council, but residents think there is still more work to be done.

"When you abate pigeons from one bridge, they just go to another one. We need to have abatement at all our bridges in order to make this work. Either that or we need more falcons," said Gardner resident Kevin Christman, referring to the pigeon's natural predator.

There are three bridges in the Gardner district: at Prevost Street and Delmas and Bird avenues.

On May 8, city council approved a transfer of $8,000 from the redevelopment agency to the department of transportation for the Greater Gardner pigeon abatement project.

The project consists of cleaning up bird waste built up on the edges underneath the Caltrain railroad bridge, installation of wire mesh to close the openings, and installation of spikes on edges to deter birds from landing underneath the bridge.

"This is a pretty old bridge," said Mansour Malek, department of transportation construction manager. "It's a Caltrain bridge, but because the neighborhood complained, we coordinated with them and they had no objection."

The Prevost and Delmas bridge underpasses both had wire mesh installed to deter pigeons from nesting there as part of a San Jose Community Action and Pride grant the Greater Gardner Coalition received in 2002.

Two years later, passing trucks twice ripped the wire mesh within a period of four months.

The coalition, made up of three neighborhoods including Gardner, North Willow Glen and Gregory Plaza, identified pigeon abatement as a top priority for the neighborhoods.

The next step, Malek, said is to find a place on the construction crew's schedule and purchase the necessary materials.

All work will be done within a month.

"With this approval, we get our foot in the door," Christman said.