Ugh. These damn entities are getting in the way of democracy. PBA, Thruway Authority, and the DOT all have plans contrary to the needs and voice of the public and yet all proceed as if they don't care.
The people do not want another highway on their waterfront! Higgins start acting like you're an elected official!
@urbanesque: The DOT is not an Authority. It's a state agency under Spitzer's jurisdiction.
Instead of pleas to Higgins, who is now a federal representative, people should be pleading with the local delegation in Albany, and also contacting Spitzer's WNY representative, Laura Monte, about this problem. There needs to be a rational discussion about this and the rest of the outer harbor projects - not anyone shoving something down somebody else's throats.
Also - there was a public comment period.
MRodgers...that is the point. Citizens having to file lawsuits to stop bad plans one after the other. We elect lawmakers to represent our needs and our voices. They have no right to turn over power and control to private developers, transportation authorities, bridge authorities or the Seneca Nation on our backs. The DOT is a no show, The PBA claims to be a 'Compact Entity', the Senecas are a soevreign nation, the Gov. is in Albany, Congressman Higgins is channeling the spirit world since they are the only ones who could possibly know what he is thinking and Lord Byron is to busy rehearsing for his second career singing with the Jimmy Tudini Orchestra. And you and me....well we just keep getting shut out and shot down from every plan we will eventually get taxed on. Thankfully, we are becoming an army of taxpaying voters being lead by honest visionaries like Mickey Kearns and other Common Council members who are drawing a line in the sand. Change is inevitable but growth is optional. The old way of doing business in this town must change or political life is gonna get very painful. P.S. Mr. Or Ms. Politician, we voted you in and we can vote you out.
Well we faced down the Thruway Authority
Well we faced down the state agency that said the Western Terminus of the Erie Canal stones would explode if they were unearthed and it was rewatered
Well we faced down the state agency to save the Richardson
We can face down the DOT!!!!
HOWEVER, THIS SHOULD BE A MANTRA .... A CALLING....FOR BUFFALONIANS AND WNYERS THAT ALBANY CANNOT CONTROL THE DICTATES OF OUR SUPPOSED REGIONAL AGENCIES AND PROJECTS. WE NEED TO BE DEMANDING LOCAL APPOINTMENTS AND LOCAL CONTROL OVER THE PRIORITIES OF OUR URBAN AND REGIONAL PROJECTS.
If DOT succeeds, name the piece of air-cooled excreta after Elliot Spitzer.
DOT, Thruway Authority, Public Bridge Authority, Water Authority, Power Authority, etc. They do not have the public interest in mind. We should have the option of voting on the leadership, projects, and expenditures for these authorities, in the same way that we vote on School District budgets and boards.
I truly hope that someone doesn't pull a trick to get this pushed through without approval or hearing. It has happened before.
The DOT plan would waste $55 million to basically make Furhmann Bouelvard two-way. We deserve better bang for our buck. Buffalo deserves to have this elevated highway removed, and that can be done now by simply switching to the Boulevard Alternative.
Congressman Higgins, step up the plate or step aside! You promised a removed Skyway. Are you now flip-flopping and taking the side of NYSDOT?
I can't understand why my comment get 1 star for 1) Trying to help get another BRO reader's blog out there; 2) Trying to support the Blvd. Alternative for Rte. 5. It would have been better with no stars. Thanks.
Again, this is far more important than the Gates circle condos, start up another petition BRO
I think the money should be spend on building things on the water front, and not on taking down the skyway.
Toronto, has something similar along the Lake. I think you need to have the highway to get people threw the area that want to. You wouldn't want to have to stop at red lights on 190, 33, etc. every block. The problem now is the one way Fuhrman and there just needs to be another bridge at Michigan or Erie.
Great article and summary, I think BRO since it has proven to be an effective means to get information out to the populace of Buffalo should make a habit of attending public meetings. I know it our responsibility to get involved and it would be beyond burdensome to try to attend everything but it is nice to be able to read what the politicians said or feel about certain projects. Especially when election time comes around.
That being said, it is nice to see them come to such a strong decision, and one that actually is backed up by the public. Too bad I think Byron is still quiet on the subject. Higgins are you still whistling "the get it done tune?" I think it does speak wonders that the NYSDOT doesn't think of itself as answerable to the public. These authorities really have gotten a bit overzealous or power hungry. The one council member got it right when he said.. you are not urban planners you are traffic experts.. So why are they in charge of some of the largest Urban Planning decisions in the county or state. Ridiculous, all of it!!!
Scully, folks in Toronto are desperately trying to find ways to take down the Gardiner Expressway, and have already taken down large portions of it north of downtown.
Okay, let me get this straight. There are lawsuits vs. the casino, the Gates Condos, and many others. So, why can't the city put a lawsuit out to block this BS?
Sign the petition for the Blvd alternative at: http://whynotbuffalo.blogspot.com/ --- the link from the blog is: http://www.petitiononline.com/blvd4buf/petition.html
Does anyone know what the options are?
There is a trend on BRO to post what is wrong or what the author does not like but a plan of attack is almost always missing. I am all for standing up to the DOT on this one.
Does anyone know what can be done to prevent the DOT from ignoring the city like they did tonight?
Excellent now we finally have a petition! Everybody sign it please!!!!!!
SonnyDayz - I sort of figured that, sometimes I get a bit upset over little petty things like those stars. Anyways, I appreciate you replying to my comment.
This is so ridiculous. Spitizer said so himself that the leaders of our government need to listen to their people, even if it is against their own views. Like he has already came forward and changed his mind about the driver's license plan, leaders can do the same thing for this. We have been vocal and spoke out already, with the backing of our local politicians. No excuses for this. We don't need some extra environmental survey or anything like that. Any chance we can get another petition online here to stop this monstrosity? It's a shame that the DOT has too many cowards that none of them wanted to show up for the meeting
Joshua, you are absolutely right. There are trolls out there who attempt to difuse a righteous uprising by playing with the stars (rating system) but we all know that the ratings aren't important. What is important is the context of the comments and yours are solid, man.
Basically, not demolishing the Skyway is going to be a huge mistake. The Skyway must come down.
This is how it now, unfortunately. Remember when the citizens had a voice and were listened to? Remember when politicians said "for the people"? Isn't that what our Government/ Country was based upon?
This is a joke, it's the same old sh*t isn't it. What do we do? Stand in the way so they can't do this? A Petition? Call, email, write to the Governor or others? We could do that all day everyday, but will it work? Who is FINALLY gonna listen to our voice's and make a difference?
Wait a minute...I think my computer's broken. This was actually a meeting discussing tearing down the current elevated highway, right? Because there's been a lot of talk about tearing down that ugly f&^%#*g thing. Your article is talking about the possibility of putting ANOTHER elevated highway up. That's gotta be a glitch.
Wait another minute...now I get it. This is a grand conspiracy to prevent the Skyway from being torn down. Some will argue that we should tear the Skyway down, others will argue that we should put another Skyway up, and the compromise will be to do nothing. Brilliant!
Please show me where the petition to stop this madness is, so I can sign it.
Spitzer may well be key to halting this but he won't stick his neck out until Higgins does. Since Higgins campaigned on the promise to remove the Skyway, I urge everyone to tell him that he is smart about removing the skyway and that building the boulevard will help him do exactly that.
I emailed Governor Spitzer. Ultimately, he is the one able to put a stop to this.
http://www.ny.gov/governor/contact/index.html
Oh and where's Byron Brown?
The DOT is spending 55 million on a half baked plan on our waterfront and you're mum!
If the dot can forward with a plan and a strategy for taking down the skyway and explained how what they are doing makes sense to meet that end sometime within the next 5 years or so then fine.
but they won't because they don't have a plan and they can't create a plan as it would contradict what they are about to spend $55 million on. idiots.
New and improved! It's Skyway Lite! And for a mere $55 million- that's just pennies a day for people who have to deal with the hideous piece of condensed fecal matter for the rest of their lives. Get this route reclassified as a city street and get the State out of this sad state of affairs!
Current situation: Highway with a frontage road on our waterfront that has been blocking development and reducing property values for decades.
$55 million later....
A rebuilt highway and a frontage road. Simply visionary Mr. Higgins.
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