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Thread: Transportation bill has big bucks for waterfront

  1. #16
    Member citymouse's Avatar
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    Originally posted by John B
    [B]Dispersing traffic over the Buffalo River with four river crossings makes sense to me. ]

    Especially in the Winter.
    Higgins, like all of us working stiffs in South Buffalo has traveled over that bridge in bad weather and knows what an inconvienience it is when it goes down.
    He is pushing the right buttons here.
    "If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."

    By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.

  2. #17
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    Hearings focus on Southtowns Connector

    Improved waterfront, traffic vie for attention

    By JANICE L. HABUDA
    News Staff Reporter
    8/12/2005

    Two public hearings were held this week on the state Department of Transportation's proposals for the Southtowns Connector, which would improve access to Buffalo's outer harbor and the traffic flow between the city and the Southtowns.

    "Most people are saying, "OK, let's just do it,' " Paul Tronolone, supervising urban planner with Parsons Brinckerhoff, said before Thursday night's hearing in Lackawanna.

    But those who spoke afterward weren't as magnanimous.

    As was done Wednesday in downtown Buffalo, several DOT officials were present from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday in the Lackawanna Senior Center. Easels lining the room and tables off to one side bore dozens of photographs, maps and drawings of the proposals.

    In simplest terms, the improvement alternative - at $138.4 million - would keep Route 5 and Furhmann Boulevard as separate, but simplified roadways; the boulevard alternative - at $144.1 million - would convert Route 5 and Fuhrmann into a single, six-lane roadway; and the hybrid alternative - at $151.9 million - would use a combination of approaches from the two others.

    All include reconstruction of Ohio Street, a new arterial road to connect the Niagara Thruway to Tifft Street through the former LTV/Republic Steel brownfields site, and an additional traffic lane on the lake side of Route 5.

    The affected area is bordered by the Niagara Thruway to the north, Milestrip Road to the south, the mainline Thruway to the east and Lake Erie to the west.

    Tronolone related a story about a motorist who was trying to reach the NFTA Boat Harbor who wound up downtown in front of the old Memorial Auditorium.

    "This is just a typical story we've heard time and time again - that the configuration of access along Route 5 is confusing and discourages people from coming to the waterfront," Tronolone said.

    The improvement alternative would eliminate the Route 5 overpass at Ridge Road and replace it with a conventional intersection with traffic signal.

    "This would open up access and development in the City of Lackawanna," Tronolone said. "This was cited as an important feature by Buffalo and Lackawanna officials during the design process."

    Lackawanna Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. confirmed that during the public comment phase of Thursday's session.

    "My interest is self-serving; I'm here for the City of Lackawanna," Polanski said. The Ridge Road bridge "has been an item that has not served our community well at all."

    "When I look at this, Lackawanna is probably the easiest part of the project because other than taking down the Ridge Road bridge, there's not much more to do."

    Jim Rudnicki of Blasdell characterized the proposals as being more about traffic flow than waterfront development.

    "We don't have the correct infrastructure for . . . proper waterfront development," he said. "The options you see here tonight do not address the major problem with the infrastructure - the Skyway."

    The alternatives "don't do anything about that but dress it up. They don't take it out," he said.

    While the Skyway remains a fixture in the DOT's plans, Rep. Brian M. Higgins, D-Buffalo, is seeking federal money to remove it, describing it as "the major obstacle" to developing the outer harbor.

    Higgins also has been working to obtain federal money to begin work on the Southtowns Connector.

    One woman had questions about how businesses on Ohio Street would be affected and how many jobs were involved. When pressed by DOT officials for a comment about the proposals, she said: "I would like all of our questions answered and published publicly."

    The public comment period on the proposals ends Aug. 31. The preferred alternative will be determined later this year or in early 2006, and work could start in 2007.

  3. #18
    Member granpabob's Avatar
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    we have a twenty page forum where everyone seems to think we have to many roads and too much exspense. and then this one where it seems we want to spend more money. make up your minds people .do we spend less or more.
    our population is shinking we should down size our spending not increase it. if you want the skyway removed do it .maybe traffic going through south buffalo's streets would help the area return to its past glory. more traffic means more customers. so what if it takes ten minutes more to get down town we still have almost no congestion on our streets.
    the skyway by passes entire portions of the city that badly need the business. another huge highway blocking the water front is not what we need.
    One good thing about growing old is your secrets are safe with your friends they can't remember them either

  4. #19
    Member speaker's Avatar
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    Originally posted by granpabob
    .
    the skyway by passes entire portions of the city that badly need the business. another huge highway blocking the water front is not what we need.
    Hooray, grandpa, glad you said it. At least the skyway allows people to move about freely on the ground level. A huge highway just creates heavy traffic with pollution and accidents--and I can just hear people in twenty years saying "let's get this up and out of the way like other cities do"

  5. #20
    Member SolarEclipse's Avatar
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    Originally posted by speaker
    Hooray, grandpa, glad you said it. At least the skyway allows people to move about freely on the ground level. A huge highway just creates heavy traffic with pollution and accidents--and I can just hear people in twenty years saying "let's get this up and out of the way like other cities do"
    That's what I always thought too. And the other thing I don't understand is the complaint from Lackawanna's mayor about Ridge Road. They have their own exit... and actually if you're heading north, you never actually get on the skyway if you're going to Ridge. How does turning that into at-grade intersection help things? You might get a few extra confused people to take a wrong turn down Ridge and discover the hidden beauty of Lackawanna?

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