BRIDGES OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

Bob is a professional geologist with degrees from Beloit College and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and additional graduate study at Cornell University. He has more than 36 years of professional experience as a petroleum geologist and environmental geochemist, and has spent most of the past 20 years serving as an environmental planner managing Environmental Impact Statement projects. He served as lead author for some of the earliest Environmental Impact Statements for solar power plants, and has also supported nuclear, wind power, transportation, and pipeline projects.

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From 2013 to 2022, Bob hiked across and photographed more than 650 bridges throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, studying the manner in which people use bridges, besides the obvious use of getting to the other side. He wrote the Bridgespotting books to serve as a travel guide for other travelers interested in learning about the history and development of their next vacation or business meeting destination, and to provide a resource to communities constructing new bridges or developing options to rehabilitate their old, obsolete bridges.

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In 2023, Bob turned his attention to the bridges of his hometown of Washington, D.C., and was shocked to find how they had changed in recent years. The historical bridges were still there, and still told the story of the foundation and growth of the city, its industries, and its neighborhoods. However, where the District had previously been dominated by unattractive, mid-century interstate highway bridges, it was now improving the aesthetics, environment, walkability, and recreational attractions of its waterfronts with new works of public art, each with wide, safe sidewalks connecting regional bike trails.

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Bob is a contributor of bridge photos and documentation to the historicbridges.org website, having contributed many of their Central Maryland bridges, a few key bridges in New England, and photo-documentation of Iron Bridge in the United Kingdom. He is also active in the Vermont Covered Bridge Society. Recently retired, he lives on a pond in Columbia, Maryland.