Buffalo News Takes a Dim View of Council Action, Confuses Bridge Project with Plaza Project

knock down the house and build the bride already....The more reasons and opinions that I hear from the nimby's, the more and more i am convinced that this is the right project

Excellent article, Elena.

build the bridge, he decaying houses and area around this whole project are a detriment to the entire west side and the city. the burger king and gas station on porter were both robbed at gun point within the last 2 weeks. all of the blight and run down houses are an indirect cause of this and other crime in the area

build the bridge, improve front park and implement strategies to lessen the impact of all the trucks

At this point I dont know why the PBA doesnt just take its bridge north and over through Grand Island and leave Buffalo out of it. Should be plenty of room on the island and in the Tonawanda's along River Road to set up some freight and warehousing operations to complement the truck commerce. But if the bridge went north i'm sure it would start the us versus them city versus suburb debate all over again and once again alot of nothing would occur. It would be just like the Casino in Cheektowaga, no Buffalo, no no place because its not good in either and is hung by a lawsuit and bad economy even though we do have a second, third class casino already operating onsite that is expanding and somehow that is better than a higher quality facility. WNY seems to love constant infighting between all the little arbitrary municipal boundaries in towns and villages and cities. I've pretty well given up on the idea that anything will happen within the next 10 years. By then the Peace bridge will be well past its prime and WNY will continue to fight about it. I dont think its a good idea to mow down a historic neighborhood either but if people don't start coming to the table and negotiating with a drop dead start date in mind for construction instead of digging in then nothing will happen as usual.

For once I really hope nothing happens. I feel this whole build a new bridge & plaza issue should be dropped and keep status quo. PBA should should sell the houses they own and everyone should move on with their lives. The need for either of these is debatable at best and the money involved could be put to better use. There clearly is no great solution anyway, just lesser of two evils.

yet another ringing buffalo news endorsement of demolition by neglect.

I'm guessing tomorrow's Buffalo Factless News story (because that's all they are ... stories) will record that NYSDOT has apologized for the typo of including the "Peace Bridge Expansion Project" in the list of 'curtailed projects with uncertain funding' and that the Honduran Government's Committee for Democratic Reform has confirmed there will be shovels in the ground by April Fools Day 2030 and that the PBA's recently updated EIS (what do you mean you haven't seen a copy?) and upon opening day decades from now there will be an immediate increase of 31.287% more trucks crossing the new 'iconic' Peace Bridge with another 31.287% crossing the old bridge than there were pre-9/11 and you just watch out, because the all powerful Public Bridge Authority with GM Ron Rienas at the helm won't be stopped by a crazy bunch of preservationists, or a handful of self-absorbed neighborhood residents and certainly not the obstructionists on the Common Council because nothin', not no one can stand between the PBA and that duty free cash flow especially not even the tender lungs of 25,000 children who as Elena pointed out will be breathing in all the polluted benefits the truck plaza will be spreading around.

what about all the crack addicts? what are they going to do? where are they going go when its built? where is their voice in all of this? Typical America.

What is the big deal? If the PBA is going to buy the properry of those currently living in the neighborhood take the money and move to Clarence. Less crime, bigger back yards, better schools.

Elena, Every home shown in the picture is slated for seizure and demolition. Even the street itself will cease to exist. They will be replaced by the entrance to a 517 space parking garage across the street. Parking spaces that are needed for the mega-duty free adjacent to the garage. Do these houses look like slum property? Of course not. Neither were the houses on Busti until the PBA got their hands on them. Wake up people, no private or public interest group should have the right to illegally purchase private property for the sole purpose of slumming them so that someday they can use them for their own financial gain. OOOOH Wait-that is illegal- it's called Mission Creep- but since it's a powerfully rich public authority who is doing it, why enforce the law!

Is it possible to start thinking outside the box and coming up with more creative solutions that would allow the preservation of historic structures and moving forward the plaza project. Other cities have moved historic properties to other sites. If the poorest city in the country, Detroit, could move historic structures for a stadium, why can't NYSDOT and the City of Buffalo take time to examine the feasibility of moving the historic structures that stand in the way of the project. There are numerous vacant lots scattered throughout Westside and Eastside that could benefit from creative infill.

a quick review of the wonderful benefits of new road construction:

the 198, the 33, route 5 and the 190 all have had disastrous effects on adjacent neighborhoods decades after they have been built. why would anyone consider following those successes with a truck plaza for a crossing with diminishing traffic? its just nuts.

hell - im betting for the price of that bridge, there could easily be regularly scheduled TO-BFLO rail service with new stations and equipment.

They're not really separate projects -- where do you think the new bridge is supposed to land?

the area is a waste land what is the solution if this project is permanently canceled?

I'm amazed how insensitive some of these comments are. For many a home is more than just a structure, it is a place shaped by years of hard work and dedication. It is a place of memories sometimes over generations. The idea that we should forcibly remove anyone from their home for the expansion of a truck plaza is despicable.
A truck plaza will provide NO benefit to this neighborhood or to our city. We in Buffalo are too often expected to sacrifice our quality of life for "the benefit of the region". Can anyone give an example where one of our neighbors have sacrificed anything for the good of the region?

What does anyone expect from a paper published in Omaha?

I don't know what all the fuss is about. Buffalo needs this giant waterfront truck parking lot to generate jobs. Buffalo will be a leader in using its waterfront for this purpose. What other city would have the forethought to dedicate waterfront property to truck parking. Buffalo can be a leader in this kind of planning!

Who in their right mind chooses a historic waterfront neighborhood to truck parking?

Personally I like the made-up asthma issue the best. But why stop there? Looking at crime statistics reveals a high crime and drug arrest rate per capita in the surrounding zip. Why not blame the bridge on that as well. Then move on to obesity, etc.

Elena you are NIMBYs NIMBY. Bring back Zimmermann, at least he got funnier with his comments as he got drunker.

As someone who has called for the disolution of City Hall, I have to say I am impressed with the cc's stance here. In fact stuff like this justifies keeping city goverment imo. I have a hard time believing C Collins or the majority of the county leg. would have the vision and courage to stick up for this neighborhood.

Thank you Elana for a great article!

Thanks Elena for another good piece. Thank goodness we don't have to rely on the Buffalo News for all of the views. I am counting the days to when the News closes. Their allegiance to this Public Authority and politicizing views demonstrates the impact of this one newspaper town.
I also have renewed faith in our local government who are willing to stand up for what is right for our community. Bravo to the council for having the guts to stand up to the PBA and to preserve a piece of Buffalo's history.

Nice article. The News is wrong again.

BTW. The News Editorial is not an "op-ed" piece.
Op-ed refers to articles that are "opposite" the editorial page, and usually written by people that are not part of the Editorial Board.

if we know that transportation, especially shipping/trucking, will increase by having a new bridgee and check station, then we should certainly go through with it. that said, is there a reason the weigh station can't be on the canadian side? do we need one on both sides? can we divert the traffic somewhere else or is that not feasible? if it leads to buffalo becoming a larger shipping route, and draws buisness from detroit bridges and northern NY then this is a smart business move. if not a new bridge is only for esthetics and self image for the city...

KarlMalone, Speaking of air pollution - you're comments are toxic and uncalled for. Glad I'm not sharing neighborhood space with you bud!

A few points:

1. RE: is this two projects (bridge and plaza) or one project? The neighbors are wrong. The PBA was the first to claim that these are two distinct projects. They were all set, ready to commence construction of the companion bridge when they were stopped at the last minute only by a successful environmental lawsuit which said: "These are NOT two separate projects, but rather one combined project, albeit implemented in separate stages." That is settled law. The courts are the ones who determined that this is one project, not two. That battle is over.

It's a good thing, too. Why? Because without that lawsuit the other bridge would have been built already and that bridge would have driven plaza layout further into The Front. Once the bridge is in place, then options for the plaza are dramatically limited.

2. The land upon which sits the plaza and admin buildings is Buffalo's only elevated waterfront, 60' above the River. Spectacular views are blocked by administration buildings and toll booths and ramps. When the bridge was first built, Fort Porter still stood. There were two toll booths and they connected to Busti. Over the decades, the bridge (and then the 190) took more and more and more, eventually swallowing all of the Fort Porter site.

There was a reason that Buffalo's military defense was situated here. There's a reason Frederick Law Olmsted considered The Front Buffalo's parks' crown jewel (not Delaware). The views are unparalleled. You can see for miles out across the lake and at least a mile down the river. It's breathtaking, but completely obscured by the plaza infrastructure.

I, for one, would be much happier reclaiming that lost park land, even at the cost of some of the tired neighborhood to the north is lost. Keep the nicer neighborhood south of Vermont. Save the better homes in the targeted area by relocating them. In exchange, restore, as best we can, the site of Fort Porter. It's Buffalo's most impressive waterfront view and no one knows about it.

3. I would love to see the International Railway Bridge site developed for the other bridge. I realize many in Black Rock objected, but although I live in Black Rock I think it's the best site. I love its potential for multi-modal transportation. And the land lies fallow now.

I would direct you to the GBNRTC website newsletters which intern get much of their information from their parent the NYSDOT. They placed 3 bridges at the end of their lifespan. One was the Lift Bridge at the end of Furhmann Boulevard called the Ohio Street Lift Bridge. Another was the International Railroad Bridge. I forget the third.

Thats all I will say.

"I, for one, would be much happier reclaiming that lost park land, even at the cost of some of the tired neighborhood to the north is lost. Keep the nicer neighborhood south of Vermont. Save the better homes in the targeted area by relocating them. In exchange, restore, as best we can, the site of Fort Porter. It's Buffalo's most impressive waterfront view and no one knows about it."

B.- Your're a family man and a compassionate man. This must be seen in it's entirety which includes the castrophic impact on human health and the environment. Demolishing homes will not change air pollutuion. Neither will moving any of the homes. The neighborhoods left behind will suffer daily from increased pollution from the trucks. That has been the whole purpose behind the campaign to move the trucks.

The logical solution is to address the source of pollution, mitigate it and move it away from humans. Let's get our priorities straight - nothing is valued more than a human life. No one should have to pick their poison based on where they chose to live. A diesel fueled operation does not belong in a densely populated urban district where 25,000 children under the age of 18 live.

Let's not lose sight of doing what's right for people.

Where in Black Rock do you live, to favor this truck plaza?
I live near amherst/military. All our neighbors now share in the plume of the thruway exhaust and no one favors additional truck plaza exhaust.

State SEQR laws and past rulings dictate that the entire known scope of a project (property) must be considered at once.

Lewiston connects to the 190 which runs right into Buffalo. Buffalo need not be the truck parking lot for the rest of the county/state/country.

The biggest issue is that the Peace bridge is controlled by one entity while the other 3 are controlled by another. Just like our local governments it gives us overlap and fighting over monetary scraps instead of trying to work and grow together. We have 4 bridges which can handle the capacity. They should be ran and funded as one machine. This way the PBA would not be fighting for the truck funds and trying to build its own truck lot. They would share in it anyways.

The PBA gets more toll money and Buffalo losses a neighborhood and more waterfront.

Again, Diesel truck plazas are not compatible with densely populated neighborhoods. Doesn't matter if it is at the Peace Bridge, Black Rock, or anywhere else people live. No citizen should be subjected to dangerous levels of air pollution for the convenience and profits of trucking interests or the PBA. This isn't about being a NIMBY or whining about traffic or noise, its about protecting the health of our families from a very real and serious threat.