Buffalo Rising Online

Its about time! A bridge like this will open the outer harbor to future development. Why would this take 5 years!?

We need it asap.

Gaustad,

Nothing in Buffalo happens ASAP. Need you be reminded of the Peace Bridge replacement/companion bridge mess. Politicians have been holding the bridge hostage for how long? 10 years?

Buffalo politics have not evolved since the 50's. I think it's the only political system besides maybe Detroit that's stuck in the 50's. It's a shame the absolute disservice the politicians do for their constituents. We're serving them, they're not serving the community.

It will be a good study but they should remember there are other plans in the works in this area and they shouldn't develop their ideas in a vacuum as if nothing else around them is going to happen. I.E. Erie Street.. They should look at the City's Waterfront Plan.. Yes they DO HAVE ONE and build their Erie Option around that. Making the street do that annoying curve in the opposite direction would be counter to what the Erie Street Node plan is all about.

The peace bridge was delayed because it was hugely controversial. Did we really need another bridge? Did it really have to be parallel to the Peace Bridge? Could it be at the Railroad Crossing or Tonawanda or Grand Island? Did it need to be a signature bridge? Did it need a big mamba jamba plaza complex that demolished the surrounding neighborhood? What was the integration to Olmsteds Front Park and the Niagara Expressway.

No, boys and girls, the Peace Bridge is an entirely different animal to 1 or 2 lift bridges to connect the Inner/Outer Harbor. There is nothing in the Inner/Outer Harbor except General Mills at the Michigan Crossing.

I think that the Erie Street Bridge obviously gets the first priority, since it connects downtown and Furhmann Boulevard. (There is no chance to an at grade Route5 or removal of the skyway without this lift bridge)

The Erie Street Lift Bridge is also a strong reason to close the Erie Street access to the Niagara Expressway for Virginia Street off Niagara and the church street exit to the skyway.

Is there a possibility for a 2nd lift bridge? Yes, but I would not put it at Main or Pearl.

I think every possibility has to be given to reconstructing the DL&W Passenger Concourse and creating an integrated wharf district from Erie Street to Michigan Street. The DL&W is a wonderful opportunity to attract Great Lakes Cruise Ships to Buffalo. No the trains will not run back to the DL&W but light rail to the airport, UB and Niagara Falls would more than return the DL&W back to its original purpose. (which is why I think a lift bridge and Main or Pearl would obstruct that purpose plus I dont think there is enough traffic on Main and Pearl for such a bridge)

That leaves Michigan which I support and Ganson which I support, especially Ganson because again it acts as a bypass (just like the Tifft Street Connector) removing any justification for an elevated expressway for Route5 and for a skyway, as well as removing the church street access ramp to the skyway.

There is also one other justification for a ganson site for a lift bridge. Why? Everyone knows I hate the Elm/Oak Arteriole and would like to see it moved further away like Jefferson/Hamburg or Fillmore/Smith. Well a Ganson Bridge would be a huge step to connecting Hamburg to the Inner/Outer Harbor and creating a North/South Corridor from the Kensington to I-190 to the Larking District to the Inner/Outer Harbor....something we dont have with Elm/Oak because the DL&W is in the way.

I believe there should be 2 bridges. One at Erie St. and the other connecting Michigan Ave. What is the need to have one bridge at one end if you can't cross at the other? Plus the Michigan Ave. bridge should be replaced anyhow, there was a bridge there - how long ago? All I know is that there should be 2 bridges in both directions.

I agree with Joshua.. Downtown needs to have multiple points of access. Otherwise you are just asking for all sorts of traffic and bottlenecks, Give people options and let the street grid on the other side of the River handle the load. A bridge at Michigan would allow commuters who are traveling to the northern side of the downtown the easiest and fastest route and those coming to the waterfront or western side of downtown could use Main \ Erie street.

Multiple bridges would be needed during service and maintenance periods also.

5 years? Good luck with that. The public complaint program, I mean participation program, will bog down this process like everyone other project. Throw in the need to include the Corps of Engineers, DEC and other outside agencies and this project should take a minimum of 10 years.

Then, the state will create another Authority to oversee operations and maintenance, they'll need a multi-million dollar office building adjacent ot the bridge and an annual operating budget of $10 million and as taxpayers, we'll never have any control over the "authority," just like the Peace Bridge Authority; Power Authority, Erie County Water Authority, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, and all the other authorities created under NYS law that shields them from the public eye and affords them the ability to skirt budgeting processes.

NYS is a joke. And WNY has no one to blame but itself for our current situation.

Um, just wanted to remind everyone that there is already a bridge at Ohio Street. At least 1/2 of Ohio Street from Michigan to the outer harbor is newly paved and very nice. Yes this is an industrial waste land, but so are most of the connection suggestions provided here. I ride my bike over this all of the time. People complain that this is TOO FAR? Makes no sense to me, from Elmwood and Allen to Dug's Dive it is 4 MILES!! I'm all for more connections, don't get me wrong, but we could simply put some more money into the one that we have and make it better ascetically and maybe functionally too. It's likely that this would be MUCH less money then building 1 or 2 new bridges.

111INBlo, walking across the buffalo river will be an important aspect of a new bridge and is not served by existing bridges. My vote is for the Erie Street connection. You can connect directly into the heart of downtown.

Doesnt General Mills own that tip of land at the split? Do they have any say in this if a bridge is going to be built on their land?

LOL....5 years?????????????????????? bet it takes even longer should it even GET done

Tunnels would have the same or similar problems as the skyway. The lead time needed to get up to or below grade would mean people need to back track to go places in the outer and inner harbor. Tunnels take up way too much real estate and require too much money for a city like Buffalo to Maintain. We just need a good solid lift bridge in any of these locations. They are beautiful structures and who doesn't like to watch them go up and down.

Ohio St is functional but you need to go out of your way and then come all the way back to get to Times Beach of the Light House. I walked from Erie Basin Marina to the Lighthouse... it took 3 HOURS... not exactly good or even functional unless you have a car or are in good shape and can bike it.. People need to be able to flow simply and efficiently between both sides of the river if we want to fully capitalize on our waterfront and inner harbor investments.

In the short term for pedestrian access, you could have small flat barges(10x20) ferry people and/or their bikes back and forth, but I don't even know what the demand is for this today as the Coast Guard fortress is still sitting on the prime property and the rest of the outer harbor except for the bike bath does not leave you with much reason to cross in the first place(as it is today).

That being said as much as this seems like another gold mine for consultants, engineers and architects which ends up going nowhere, now seems like as good a time as any to give it their best try to get this bridge built.

The key item that must be considered is that the bridges are pedestrian & bike friendly. A second item is that the area around the lighthouse must be public space. Why have a bridge that crosses into nothing, what good is that for people to walk around. It is good for vehicular access but not for pedestrians.

So, why is adding this road to the waterfront a good idea? I thought we were opposed to building roads on our waterfront?

what?

we are opposed to limited access highways. nice oversimplification though.

As described in various posts and press conferences featuring Julie O'Neill and the Riverkeeper organization, use of waterfront property for the purpose of automobile traffic is a bad idea. So, why should we build out more roadway capacity and encourage more traffic to the outer harbor?

you and pundit. hilarious.

that was sarcasm by the way.

BuffaloGeek.. nice try but we are not trying to add a road.. just a bridge to connect to the roads we already have.

Since it looks like we're eternally stuck with the Skyway, how about building a bridge that compliments it (I don't dare say "twin")? If it follows the same lines as the Skyway at a lower level it would soften the Skyways appearance from the North. Use the same bond money to improve the lightening and overall appearance of the Skyway by changing it from an eyesore to aesthetically pleasing.

Finally! But please fast track this study!

nyc et al,

I agree that it would be nice to be able to walk from Erie Basin to the Outer Harbor. I'm not sure if any of these bridge locations other then the 'A' location really help with that. I know you didn't say it had to be from Erie Basin, but really that is the only place that makes sense. The foot of Main? There is no ped traffic now and nothing there for anyone to want to go to. The foot of Michigan and the Ganson street are the same (D & E) as Main, nothing else to be there for, no ped traffic now, but they are even further away. Ganson street is especially silly if you are really looking for ped traffice to cross the bridge. You would have to cross the Michigan street bridge, then walk all the way down the super industrialized and ugly Ganson street to jump over the bridge.

I do support A & B, don't get me wrong. I'm just not completely convinced that it is needed. I really don't think that you need to be in GREAT SHAPE to bike over Ohio street right now:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Erie+St+%26+Marine+Dr,+Buffalo,+NY+14202&daddr=Fuhrmann+Blvd+%26+Ohio+St,+Buffalo,+Erie,+New+York+14203,+United+States&hl=en&geocode=&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=42.86639,-78.873216&sspn=0.04542,0.084801&ie=UTF8&z=13

Google shows that it is 2 miles from The Naval park to Dugg's Dive. If we would just invest a small amount of money and striped Ohio Street with a nice bike lane it would make it even nicer.

Maybe 5 years is a good time frame, it will give us time to get the land by the lighthouse straightened out, since you can't do anything at that end of the outer harbor anyway!

Right but it is 4.5 miles to Time Beach, the nature preserve. A B or C would all dramatically improve access to the northern end of the outer harbor. And certainly the time timing would work in our favor as the time to study and build a bridge would line up with the time needed to condense the coast guard station. either way anything is 5 - 10 years off at least.. but if we start now that isn't bad.. waiting 10 years and THEN starting the process is the problem. I am glad this study is going through and hope that it comes out with some good viable options.

Right but it is 4.5 miles to Time Beach, the nature preserve. A B or C would all dramatically improve access to the northern end of the outer harbor. And certainly the time timing would work in our favor as the time to study and build a bridge would line up with the time needed to condense the coast guard station. either way anything is 5 - 10 years off at least.. but if we start now that isn't bad.. waiting 10 years and THEN starting the process is the problem. I am glad this study is going through and hope that it comes out with some good viable options.

Also remember no one lives at the Erie Basin Marina and most people need to ride to get there. and go to anywhere on the outer harbor is tacking on at least another 4 miles round trip and more like 8 if you go anywhere but Dugs dive. So while I don't mind.. i have very few friends that have the capacity or will to do that... (another whole story there I am sure)

Personally, I like the Skyway. A vote on the new bridge, assuming I have one, would be to construct two. One at Point A and one at Point E.