Purple People Bridge: Do you care?

That's what operators of the Ohio River span that links Newport with Cincinnati want to know. They've posted a survey at www.purplepeoplebridge.com and hope you will fill it out, even if you've never walked on the pedestrian bridge.

"We're trying to find out how people use the bridge, and what's their perception of the bridge," said Lisa Raterman, a member of a publicity committee for the span that once was the drab, rusting L&N Bridge, which once carried railroads and automobiles.

"As we look at the future, and the need probably in two years to repaint the bridge, we'll have to look at funding of the bridge, and so we need to understand the public's perception of it."

The cost of the repainting job - its lavender coats are starting to fade - is estimated to be $600,000.