If we look at Buffalo’s Waterfront, be it on the Niagara River or Lake Erie, transportation infrastructure has created far more long term problems for the city than the value of any of the short term problem-solving fixes that these infrastructures were created for. The I - 190 hampers comprehensive development and redevelopment along the Niagara River. The overhead ramps that carry the 198 onto the I - 190 are hideous eyesores that no one would ever want to live near. In order to get into Waterfront Village, everyone has to pass under another hideous overhang. The Skyway hampers development on the Downtown and near Downtown Lakefront. Development along the Outer Harbor Lakeside is extremely hampered by having only Tiffit St and Ohio St as its access roads off Fuhrman Blvd. Further, the New York State DOT seems determined to make access to this area even more difficult with its plans to turn Route 5 into an expressway. Let's be realistic; Highway Infrastructure has almost been the only development along Buffalo's Waterfront since 1950 and this infrastructure takes people away from the waterfront, not to it. In the decades long discussions and fantasy inducing charettes about a new Peace Bridge, everyone has talked about the need for a new bridge because of increased traffic. However, it’s not increased automobile traffic that we're talking about here, it is increased truck traffic. Anyone who has sat in a 3 hour traffic jam on the QEW in the Summer watching truck conveys up on the bridge crossing into the USA knows this. In previous BRO posts and comments on Peace Bridge truck traffic, posters have argued about the value of a separate trucks only bridge at the crossing where the International Railroad Bridge is. My preference is for a trucks only tunnel at or near this location t inducing fumes that are hat would bring traffic to the surface where the Tee To Green facility was in Black Rock. In addition, this tunnel would not be built or controlled by the same folks who control the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit because a monopoly in truck entrance access at the Canadian border would be a very bad reality. The tunnel would also have, as many other tunnels do, an air filtration system that would reduce the truck exhaust pollution that has created the high incidence of asthma on the West side. I personally do not know Harvey Garrett or for that matter, Aaron Brantley, David Torke, Michele Johnson, Chris Byrd, Marilyn Rodgers or many of the other Citizen Advocates that Buffalo has but I do know and admire their work and efforts. They do not do their work for just themselves. They do it for Buffalo and they are more interested in making Buffalo a great place to live in than advancing any personal agenda that most of the area's politicians are only interested in.

buffalo needs this truck plaza like it needed the 33 replacing Humboldt Parkway. I am sure they argued how critical that plan was for the economic well-being of the city.

Is there any study documentation on how much the truck traffic adds currently to the area and realistic projections on what a bigger plaza would add? Are there studies showing how much Detroit is booming because of trucks crossing bridges? Or do they go right on through to elsewhere in the county? The auto industry is pry the only big source there and even now most of it is outside of the City of Detroit.

Yes buffalo was built on trasportaion, but it was on modes that required interaction and exchage with each other. Rail, Shipping, Canal, etc required the off loading of goods. At times is then made sense to process them here at the same time to save money and be more efficient

Trucking is totally different. A single truck can drive from anywhere right on to its destination. There is no need to interact/transfer the goods and hence no need to become more effcient by processing them here. Until truking becomes prohibitly expensive, this is the way it will remain.

This plaza makes us a doormat not a destination. Moving trucks up through lewiston etc on a dedicated bridge or shared larger plaza would make Buffalo/WNY just as accesible and still allow them to drive right through like they currently do, probably even easier. Leave the Peace Bridge and a smaller plaza for autos/tourists/etc. Give them a grand park like entrance into Buffalo, not a 45 acre truck jammed concrete plaza. But then again, we have separate birdges competing for the same traffic to support their existance instead of being one system to efficiently move traffic across the border.

"Why do you keep comparing Buffalo to Detroit? Are they our goal?"

no...they our our anti-goal. we get cries of "Detroit is getting the growth in crossings" A lot of good it is doing them. And the Ambassador lands down in a wasteland south of the Downtown Detroit. I don't see explosive growth around the Ambassador whenever I cross.

Want the expanded crossing for trucks at the mouth of the Niagara river to do Buffalo some good? Tack a $50 or something onto each truck crossing etc to go to the city. While we are at it, Niagara Falls is missing out. Lets expand the plaza there into the park so Niagara Falls can also reap all the benefits of Semis driving thru it.

There majority of truck crossings thru the Niagara Region should be thru an empty area with room to expand with minimal residents near by to inhale the diesel fumes and get to look at a 45 acre concrete plaza. These are massive $$$$ projects with 100 year plus lifetimes. It's one thing to desire a signature span over the merging of the Niagara River and Lake Erie, a 45 acre concrete plaza is a whole other level of debatable economic value (to anyone but the bridge authority) and total destruction of what Olmsted called the most beautiful part of our waterfront. Why do we continue to promote development that further cuts us off from our waterfront while whining nothing is being done to benefit it?

No Detroit is not our goal lol that is exactly my point. The comparison is that they have the new bridge and has it done wonders for their economy? I think not. Buffalo needs to think towards our future. If we need a bridge to canada that bad because of our location and the constantly increasing flow of goods and people then lets build it but lets build it right. The Ambassador group wants to put their own money into developing a span in the intl railroad bridge corridor. Lets restore our waterfront instead of plundering it like we have n the past. This new plaza and bridge with destroy this neighborhood end of story. It will not bring jobs and economic development any more than restoring front park and the prospect hill neighborhood will. We need to stop letting these unelected officials dictate our future. We have a world class historical park, neighborhood and bridge that we should be showcasing to the world.

MJW said: "Doormat not destination"- absolutely correct. There is no benefit of trucks passing thru, unless you're collection tolls of course.

All four bridges should be under the same control, using all four to fill the needs of the region. Like all our little local gov'ts infighting and having to do everything themselves and us feeling the tax burden and crap development that results, we have 4 bridges seemingly doing the same.

Why can't the lewiston bridge have a companion span to divert truck traffic around the city? Leave the peace bridge a single span for auto/tourists etc. and reduce/beautify the plaza in the city accordingly.

Suggestion to the Public Bridge Authority (PBA): you want to get this project done correctly? satisfy the community? prevent future delays because of law suits caused by your negligence?

STOP focusing on the MONEY! Let go of the existing cash-cow, obsolete bridge, money from the tolls, pennies from a duty free shop on the US side and take a holistic approach:

1) Shared Border Management - no other way around it. We know the PBA pulled the plug on this - ask Ron Rienas who put a deadline on that initiative - the US-Canadian government or the Public Bridge Authority? (Answer: the governments had ZERO to do with this.) The bigger the plaza, the more money the PBA get's to spend and more incentives and corruption associated with those contracts.

2) Stop segmenting the projects by forcing two bridges into an over-sized plaza with a large duty free shop and parking lot. Get rid of the expensive, maintenance heavy, cost prohibitive Peace Bridge and build one bridge, with six-eight lanes. Nonsense trying to maintain two and force them into a neighborhood with limited space! That cash cow must come to an end.

3) Get out of Front Park all together and leave the Columbus Park-Prospect Hill neighborhood alone.

The Public Bridge Authority has done nothing but force this project down our throats. They haven't done anything to compromise. They could have done the right thing ten years ago but the PBA chose this path: not the people!

I cannot disagree with you more Buffalo NY. Detroit has how many bridges that have no delays is their economy booming. We have the oppurtunity to build a bridge just a mile down river why arent we putting pressure on our officials to take that route instead of duplicating or building a bridge in this neighborhood?

First, I dont agree with the above statements at all.....the best border crossing possible is between Grand Island and Canada. Plus its right off the Youngmann so trucks coming from the Thruway dont have to clog up I-190 going south or clog up the scajaquada or clog up the Kensington.

Second, there is absolutely no reason that the plaza cannot be two decks with a building on the top. Trucks on ground level would be an advantage because it would allow weather protected technologies like radar, x-ray, radioactive detectors, high tech sniffers for explosives or drugs, etc to spead thru truck traffic.

Third, cars flagged could be redirected to those special drive thru's on the ground floor

SORRY BUT I THINK OUR PROBLEM IS TRYING TO SQUEEZE THE NEED FOR TWO BRIDGES INTO ONE BRIDGE. EXPAND THE PEACE BRIDGE, MINIMIZE THE PLAZA THEN BUILD A 2ND BRIDGE IN GRAND ISLAND.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this momentous designation. If only we can get our elected leaders to understand the stupidity of this expansion. If we need a new bridge let the ambassador group build one for trucks down the river and let the peace bridge be a pedestrian/automobile only crossing. Why are we letting an unelected corrupt entity such as the pba decide open future for generations to come. This area and much of the west side can thrive once niagara street is turned into an at grade highway. Niagara street has the potential to be the next elmwood village if the right decisions are made. Many of the factories are perfect candidates for loft conversions and if every street terminated at the water instead of the ugly 190 we could see a revival of this once grand street. Alos on another topic doesnt the city already have a master plan?

look at the above picture..that complex of buildings to the east of 6th Street (Busti) could be built on top of the truck plaza

and to be honest they could just as easily put the truck plaza on a first floor and a car plaza on a top deck

Im sorry but I look at this map and it is just beyond me why the Bridge Authority cannot find a workable solution without demolishing all those homes.

Lastly, Buffalo and Canada really need to be thinking about a bridge idea from Canada to Grand Island which would make a perfect location for a trucking only bridge.

I'm all for preserving historic neighborhoods but I dont see anyway around this. In the end, a peace bridge expansion is the best thing from Buffalo. yes, that neighborhood is beautiful but millions of dollars a year are bypassing the city of Buffalo because of the excessive delays at the bridge. It's either we demolish this neighborhood or we don't get a new bridge, what do you want? Do you want to sit around for 20 more years waiting for the "perfect plan". no matter where they build the bridge, there is going to be a downside to the propossal...

EAM - I live right off Massachuetts Avenue - so don't tell me I don't have a clue about the neighborhood. I exit at the Peace Bridge every day and take Massachuetts up to 19th Street.

Surpirse - its meeee Baby! Now some optimism from Gaustad:

Buffalo has some great projects in the works.

1.) Dulski - great project, good press

2.) Court House - great design

3.) New Condos on Water Front! Very cool

4.) Several new lofts built downtown - Webb is my fav!

5.) Club 31 almost finished - more 5 star dining downtown

6.) Peace Bridge looks like it will finally get done, somewhere

7.) Blue Cross building - done, even if ugly

8.) Aud coming down soon, finally

9.) Prop Values def gone up on west side - huge

10.) Statler will be stabilized for a flip, someone will take this project, it makes sense

Reality:

[expletive deleted] Bashar Issa - he is young and dumb. the sooner he leaves the better. The project has been started, it makes sense, and someone will finish it. We can force him into leaving with violations, law suits, etc.

Although people have said I am negative, this is the first time in my life I have seen cranes dowtown- it really looks like something is happening in Buffalo, especially as the rest of the world gets slammed on real estate.

We are moving in the right directions, finally, and that is important. momentum will pick up, it just takes a catalyst.

God Bless you all, we are in this together and Buffalo will prevail. If it is the last thing I do, I will make sure Buffalo rises again!

I am skeptical about the likelihood of saving the Columbus Hill-Prospect Park neighborhood from the proposed expansion. It is good for big business, especially with the increasing number of Canadian visitors, and it appears the government has abandoned the idea to use the truck plaza on the Fort Erie side for US customs. It is too bad, it seems there is plenty of room on the Canadian side and no houses to demolish.

Good luck.

There goes all that spinoff from increased truck traffic we were hoping for....I'm predicting one gas station will close along with one Timmy Ho's within the next three months. Damn you obstructionists!!!!

I drive through that neighborhood every day...I say carpet bomb the whole crime-ridden area!

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Someone stepping in the way of a construction process. Let selfishness prevail over the needs of the many. Someone's garden will almost always be trampled while they reconstruct the house.

"marketrate: So are you saying that houses in Buffalo are more important than houses in Grand Island? Wouldn't this require the replacement of the Grand Island bridges to take on the extra traffic? What about the ice in the river that dams up to the southern end of the Island? What about the property values in the rich suburb of Grand Island, I would guess that there is a greater occupancy and value of the houses on Grand Island, and it is a more desirable place to live. Why ruin it with another bridge when the city is under populated and already dirty?

my arent you egalitarian and concerned for grand islanders...but check a google satellite map and you will see that the houses on west grand island are only on the road that runs the periphery....there are few interior neighborhoods so there isnt the density on grand island that there is on the westside. Thus they can put the plaza on the interior which is now mostly forest...leave many of the homes with waterfront views intact and everyone is happy.

The way I see it, you (we) have two clear cut option.

Option 1: Move the Peace Bridge up the Niagara River, to a place that is less disruptive to the surrounding neighborhoods, and that can accomodate an expanded international border crossing that is so desperately needed. The downside here is that we do not continue to use the current Peace Bridge, and have to construct a brand new signature bridge.. Preservationalists don't like this plan because it does not retain the existing Peace Bridge.

Option 2: Expand the Peace Bridge at it's current location, and eliminate some of the Columbus Park/Prospect Hill neighborhood. This is a less expensive option that will keep SOME preservationalists happy by retaining the existing Peace Bridge, and building a signature companion bridge. Other preservationalists, on the other hand, will be unhappy and unsatisfied that part of their neighborhood will be displaced.

The reality here is that, as a region, we NEED an expanded border crossing. Our economy needs it, and psychologically speaking, we need it to regain that "can do" that's missing and holding us all back as a whole. So, please, choose and option.

The way I see it, there is no way to please everyone here. There usually isn't, so why do we, collectively as a region, keep on trying to? At this point, we are paralyzed, and nothing is getting done. And old boss of mine told me not to complain about a problem unless I had a solution. It seems to me that everyones likes to complain, without any realistic solutions in hand. Someone is going to have to ask the hard question...what is more important...the old Peace Bridge, or part of the Columbus Park' Prospect Hill neighborhood.

At this point, I don't care what option is chosen...just decide something and do it. Let's get this done, so we can move on to the next obstacle that's holding this region back!

Ha...the staements between my 1st comment and this one pretty much prove that you can't please anyone...period. Just do SOMETHING, and do it now.

Citysportbuffalo wrote: "1) Shared Border Management - no other way around it. We know the PBA pulled the plug on this - ask Ron Rienas who put a deadline on that initiative - the US-Canadian government or the Public Bridge Authority? (Answer: the governments had ZERO to do with this.) The bigger the plaza, the more money the PBA get's to spend and more incentives and corruption associated with those contracts."

Do you (or anyone else) have documentation on the PBA being responsible for Shared Border Management being dropped? This is the first time I've heard this accusation. It seems like a rather major omission from everything I've read if true.

The preservation argument at this point is simply pathetic.

Construction Buffalo Style: put the shovel in ground, form the ad hoc hippie group, submit the lawsuit, ad infinitum. If this doesn't work unionize. Pathetic....

amen rb66

Whenever you build a bridge someone is going to be unhappy. Whenever a large infrastructure development is enacted, a fight is to be had. So having people against the project for whatever reason they deem morally just, is to be expected and “part of the process.”

We just need our politicians to show enough courage and backbone to do what is right for the community, and not the vocal minority against our City’s future. Will our politicians let us the people down and stop this project. We will be watching…

EAM: Hit Perry with your legal arguements you so sweetly articulate. "The law says no briges, ever." I think it is right after the eminent domain section.

I think they should definitely add another crossing somewhere else in the region. Let some other community reap the benefits.

And whoever said the PBA killed Shared Border Management is either an idiot, or a huge Bush supporter.

Shared border Management was not shot down by the Peace bridge authority. It was shot down by the US Dept of Homeland Security. The Canadian and US Govts could not reach an agreement on allowing US Agents to pursue a suspect into the rest of Canada from the Shared Inspection Area.

Are we still talking about building a bridge? OMG, What a joke!

Here is an idea to completely transform our border from the dreadfully boring and pathetic to something architecturally significant. This project could eventually save the whales, but right now what i want to focus on is the straining statement we make as a community by allowing such a lack of ingenuity. Those inspection offices could go in the guinness book of world records for most terrorist captured, but this is still an awful reason to demolish so many homes. This region made its mark with the erie canal and anytime i see a transportation center, i am instantly reminded of our great ancestors who traveled the locks. I would like to see them figure out a way to build inspection offices over the 190 and rail lines(sound proofing would be crucial). The placement would be ultra dynamic and a sure fireway to sell the region.The statement would not be "cheap America". They have to make the most of this space and that is why everyone has the problem, though my entrails don't stretch far enough to support the ambassador bridge, i do like the idea of saving houses.

It just seems like a waste to deny our bridge a tight looking dynamism. The offices would enhance the appeal of the bridge by allowing the government some breathtaking oversight. Perhaps a start to the end of the peace bridges and its crop circle design?

downtown junkie - detroit has a tunnel and a bridge and yes there are delays there and no their economy is not booming. The red wings are not selling out because laid-off autoworkers would rather put food on their table than watch their top notch division leading hockey team.

Again, Citysportsbuffalo, you wrote "Ron Rienas, in fact, did impose a premature deadline on Shared Border Management. This will come out in court."

Do you have any information to back this statement up? You are the only person I've seen making this accusation. Where did you come by this information? Where is it documented?

somewhereGreen: Yes. This information exists but I cannot release my source via buffalorising.

Therefore, go talk with Ron Rienas (with lie dectors, of course) or wait for the unfortunate lawsuits.

and with the personal services industry already booming on Niagara street....can anyone say ""lot lizard haven" if this truck plaza ever gets built.....yowza!!!!

If I'm reading the Draft Environmental Assessment correctly, I see a some ways in Alternative 1B to mitigate an awful lot of the destruction of the subject neighbourhood.

First, I'd suggest the duty free be moved to Canada. This will reduce the footprint by at least a third, maybe more. Everyone who stops at duty free is going over the bridge anway, There's existing commercial space on the QEW about a mile up the road and there is plenty of available space -- both greenfield and brownfield -- available for development. There may be ownership and staffing issues involved, I don't know. If there are, they ought to be more surmountable than the obstacles to Shared Border Management.

Second, it seems to me the construction of a Visitor's Centre (the most northerly structure), is a nice big favour for the City of Buffalo (the municipality). Do the people of Buffalo want a Visitor Centre? Do they want it there? Personally, I think a centre like that would work better south of the bridge and perhaps could be built as an enhancement to Front Park or the Harbour. Most of the tourists from the U.S. will be coming in from the south, and most of the tourists from Canada will be heading south. From a certain perspective, it could be considered a reclamation of the waterfront.

Third, that parking garage is huge!

Fourth, I think primary and secondary commercial inspection should happen in Canada. Again, there is land available. I suspect that all the infrastructure requirements of commercial inspection can be met without increasing the plaza footprint in Fort Erie.

These are some of the things that jump out at me.

So are you saying that houses in Buffalo are more important than houses in Grand Island? Wouldn't this require the replacement of the Grand Island bridges to take on the extra traffic? What about the ice in the river that dams up to the southern end of the Island? What about the property values in the rich suburb of Grand Island, I would guess that there is a greater occupancy and value of the houses on Grand Island, and it is a more desirable place to live. Why ruin it with another bridge when the city is under populated and already dirty?

So are you saying that houses in Buffalo are more important than houses in Grand Island? Wouldn't this require the replacement of the Grand Island bridges to take on the extra traffic? What about the ice in the river that dams up to the southern end of the Island? What about the property values in the rich suburb of Grand Island, I would guess that there is a greater occupancy and value of the houses on Grand Island, and it is a more desirable place to live. Why ruin it with another bridge when the city is under populated and already dirty?

Novisiblemeansofsupport, JohnnyWalker,

You have no clue what you're talking about. The PBA, filled with oh so much credibility, (wasn't that deck going to fall off like 10 years ago?) wants you to believe they had nothing to do with the death of Shared Border Management. But the truth is:

Ron Rienas, in fact, did impose a premature deadline on Shared Border Management. This will come out in court.

Again, the whole issue is sad: the PBA could have done the right thing 10-15 years ago. Instead, they chose the path of MOST resistance and that's why they're stuck in mud.

Welcome to B-u-f-f-a-woh everyone!