Is Ala Pono a bridge too far? That is at the center of a debate, underway for three years, about the planned pedestrian bridge over the Ala Wai Canal, crossing at the start of University Avenue.

The simple answer would appear to be no. In a city where enabling multimodal transportation options is a goal, there is ample reason for a pedestrian bridge, even one that also could, in an emergency, admit a first-response vehicle.

All the same, it’s wise that the city Department of Transportation Services is making a last effort to hear out the concerns, whether it’s related to design or impact on the community, so that the best possible form of the bridge can be finalized.

There are now two public workshops slated, at 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, followed by a second at 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Ala Wai Elementary School. The city will present a variety of bridge types, with the aim of gauging a full public critique on its look and function.

The $63.3 million project is initially funded in part with a $25 million federal grant. Overall project costs are to be 80% funded by federal monies, 20% by local funds. The design proposed as the preferred alternative is an eye-popping 18-story-tall bridge. The scale of this bridge is a large part of the critique and it is unusual in an urban skyline that invariably is far more conventional.

However, an iconic structure could be an attractive departure from the norm. There is a lot to appreciate about the basic concept: The suspension-bridge appearance is, from some angles, suggestive of a sailboat, a tribute to the Pacific navigators that brought Hawaii its indigenous population.

What the public also needs to hear are details about the execution plan, with construction expected to take three years to complete. A scrupulous procurement process is essential to finding the contracting team best equipped to realize the vision. Idealized artist’s renderings aren’t always borne out.

The city has projected that a new bridge will allow more than 3,000 people to walk or bike to work or, for example, to the University of Hawaii. Walking and cycling should be encouraged, for transit routines or pleasure, on any day. Beyond that, during an impending natural disaster or other emergency, the roads are likely to be clogged with car traffic, so cycling would be an important option.

Advocates for the bridge such as Waikiki Neighborhood Board member Jeffrey Merz should take the opportunity to make the case for the project. Merz, for example, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the bridge would encourage transportation in and out of Waikiki other than by car.

He’s right. At this stage, though, neighbors of the bridge also deserve an explanation of how such a major project will deliver improvements for their own community, as well as access to and from the Waikiki resort district.

The upgrades should accommodate existing uses, such as the community gardens and the Waikiki Surf Club’s canoe halau, including the historic koa canoe within. Plans do include a commitment to relocate one of the docks used by paddling clubs.

Some residents on the Moiliili side have raised concerns about crime, but the plans also would add lighting among safety measures. There will be temporary rerouting of the park path during construction, but that’s a safety improvement as well.

City planners do need to make a comprehensive record of any complaints and counterproposals made at the workshops, and to keep an open mind about proposed changes to address those concerns. It should not be too late to make some modifications.

But the residents in opposition should hear out the points made by those who have long studied the issue. Rather than push for unproductive delays, they should keep an open mind, too.