A few weeks ago, as debate intensified over whether to bring down Buffalo's Skyway or leave it standing, I asked readers to offer a brief summary of their thoughts.
I received dozens upon dozens of replies, some even including hand-drawn maps or sketches. About 75% were in favor of saving the bridge, with many readers contending the highway priority ought to be repairing the community damage done by the Kensington and Scajaquada expressways. Still, you will find just about every imaginable viewpoint in the collection we offer here, lightly edited for clarity and space.
• • •
I grew up in Buffalo, but live in Texas (under protest). I get to see Buffalo from a distance in winter and up close in the summer. I bike ride the Olmsted, and I can see the treasures as well as the mistakes up close and personal. I find the uproar over the Skyway a distraction from the glaring mistakes and damage done by the Kensington and Scajaquada.
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We should prioritize fixing our mistakes before we venture into a debate on tearing down, cloud-parking or keeping the Skyway. Restoring Humboldt Parkway, reuniting the neighborhoods, and transforming the stagnant Scajaquada into a beautiful linear park connecting the Olmsted’s should easily top the agenda before attacking or defending a roadway that has stood the test of time and has done minimal damage compared to the Kensington and Scajaquada.
Fix the mistakes that are known; we shouldn’t waste our efforts on projects that have yet to show their value.
– James Campbell
• • •
Having three children under 8, leisure time is hard to find. However, one can pack a picnic lunch, load up the car and say: "Let’s go to the beach and play." The children know the route we take with the Skyway, and with shining, happy faces they feel the magic: Sparkling waters on the lake, majestic battleships in place, bird’s eye view of everything on the upswing.
Soon a picnic, playtime and fun, watching boats sail and fishermen casting a line, hoping for a win and getting a fish.
It’s not too difficult to get back home in the city. And the kids watching as we go upwards … they point to their Cheerios home and then watch the city appear looking elegant and classy, the way it’s always been … a beautifully lit city, welcoming one back home.
Gone now are the stresses of one’s day: Please stay, beloved Skyway.
– Debbie Popp
In the minority were readers who support demolishing the bridge, while others advocate keeping a piece of it as a recreational "CloudWalk."
• • •
The Skyway is an obsolete highway that takes up valuable waterfront land that could be better used. Just like the Robert Moses Parkway in Niagara Falls, there's no reason Buffalo needs an expressway near the waterfront, when there's an alternative highway (I-90) inland.
I also feel that preserving the Skyway as a CloudWalk is shortsighted and dangerous. It wasn't built for pedestrians, and it's located in an area that's frequently windy, rainy, snowy and cold. Everyone who's been to downtown Buffalo knows how gusty it can get, and people will be 100 feet up on a bridge. CloudWalk proponents aren't taking the climate and weather into consideration.
The liability insurance the state would have to pay to keep the Skyway in use for pedestrians, as well as maintenance costs, could be better spent on projects that correct Buffalo's past planning mistakes.
– Jeff Dahlberg
• • •
Buffalo is an Olmstedian city. One of the wisest decisions Buffalo leaders ever made was to invite Olmsted and Vaux, whose park and parkway system reinvented the city. One of the most foolish decisions Buffalo leaders ever made was to sacrifice that system for expressways. To undo that damage, we need to take the same systematic approach as Olmsted and Vaux. If we do, we can reinvent our city again.
But without comprehensive, systematic planning for our urban expressways we risk wasting billions on piecemeal, vanity projects like the recent Skyway proposals. Politicians shouldn’t be doing our planning, and we also can’t leave it to the transportation planners and engineers who built this problem. There is a vital role here for the UB Regional Institute, which led our most recent systematic planning efforts like Queen City Hub and One Region Forward.
Where to start? Our Olmstedian corridors, of course. Restore the Humboldt Parkway section of the 33 as the Restore Our Community Coalition has envisioned. Re-envision the Scajaquada Corridor as Buffalo’s version of Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace: our “Emerald Crescent.”
As for the 190, which cuts the city off from our waterfront, look to the west side of Manhattan. There, an elevated highway was replaced by a boulevard and a waterfront greenway. At the same time, rethink use of the Peace Bridge as a primary freight crossing, for which it was never intended.
Ironically, the lowest priority should be the Skyway. It’s actually the least problematic of all the urban highways, and has far less waterfront impact than a replacement “low-level” bridge with enormous ramps at the water’s edge. Plan its future along with the 190.
A century and a half ago Buffalo leaders remade their city by embracing the systematic planning of Olmsted and Vaux. Today’s leaders need their wisdom.
- Alan Oberst
• • •
The Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, wearing a facial mask, attended the insertion of the final 150-foot section of the 3,500-foot-long spine of the celebrated Morandi Bridge in Genoa (Buffalo News 4/29/20). The new bridge has solar panels.
The Morandi Bridge, designed by Renzo Piano (co-architect of the Pompidou Center in Paris) is very much like our Buffalo Skyway, according to famed architectural historian Dr. Frank R. Kowsky.
Why would Buffalo tear down a structure similar to what Italy is celebrating with the red, green, and white lights of the Italian national flag? Why not keep our beautiful Skyway and add solar panels?
– Bonnie Gordon Flickinger
• • •
I don't support the cost involved in tearing down the Skyway. It ain't that bad and some people like it.
– Ted Rumsey
• • •
I'm with those who think tearing it down would be a huge mistake. Whether it's ugly or beautiful, it works exactly as it was designed back in the 20th century. Wasting billions to fix what ain't broke, based on 21st century hindsight, to disfigure South Buffalo just to vaguely replicate what already exists is complete foolishness. This boondoggle includes seven new bridges and collateral damage to Tifft Nature Preserve. And for what? To liberate a few acres of waterfront for strictly seasonal recreation?
I agree with Stephanie Geter. If you're going to indulge in a boondoggle, cover the Kensington Expressway and restore the Hamlin Park neighborhood. At least that added acreage would function 24/7, 365 days a year.
– Michael Panaro
• • •
Rip it down!
The Skyway should NEVER be made into a trail. We don’t need more trails! Trails ruin neighborhoods.
- Karen Oesterle
• • •
Money should be spent on more important efforts that involve putting communities back together (the Scajaquada and Route 33) and fixing our potholed roads.
– Linda Grant
• • •
I believe the Skyway should be preserved in some form, not demolished, with the utmost attention being paid to local environmentally fragile sites and preserving and supplementing them. In the past, when driving through the city, approaching the Skyway … provided a breathtaking contrast, a panorama of Lake Erie and its Canadian shore, which was always breathtaking in its scope.
As you can see, I am in support of keeping part of the Skyway as part of a large hiking/biking/park, preserving the glorious panorama it offers. Equally important is the restoration of areas like the First Ward in the process.
– Brigitte Wagner-Ott
• • •
I've always been in favor of keeping that majestic, sweeping wave of architecture that highlights our downtown corridor. I love Brian Higgins but he's wrong on this issue.
I've often thought that if we could add a piece of art on part of the span like a buffalo or a native canoe or something really creative that would bring attention to our city such as the St. Louis Arch or the Seattle Tower.
I would also like to see unique light stanchions running down both sides of the structure. Something to really draw attention to our revitalized downtown.
– Dan McCue
• • •
A perspective for those who want to remove the Skyway:
Stand on the patio of the Hatch at Erie Basin Marina, and look up the Buffalo River as it flows south toward the Ohio Street lift bridge. There is the large grain elevator on the right and the graceful curve of Skyway joining it, framing the postcard-worthy scene. Now imagine no Skyway: an empty expanse of sky and one less memorable Buffalo view.
Then there are the millions of pubic dollars to demolish it, the millions more just spent to refurbish it, and then millions more for Southtowns access to the city. It is one more foolish idea to remove an iconic Buffalo structure and waste tons of money.
– Janet M. Goodsell
• • •
I am against any efforts to tear down this “signature” highway. I have sentimental reasons … since my dad first took us to visit the family in Jamestown using this new route right after it was completed.
But sentiment is not the dominant motivation for my opinion.
I am tired of Buffalo’s knee-jerk decisions to tear down the past with no real concern for what is about to be destroyed and no real plan for what will replace it.
I challenge anyone to get in their car and take both drives (on the Thruway or Skyway).
One takes us first eastward, through the back of suburbs with nary a naturally desirable view anywhere. Then we curve back westward and head into the city from behind. It’s a horrible bore.
The other takes us along the lake and then, on a sweeping and beautiful rise, it presents both our gorgeous Lake Erie (especially at sunset) to our left, and the magnificence of the city ahead of us.
It is a breathtaking ride if one considers the sights around us. Taking the Thruway … we see nothing but Buffalo’s backside as we approach from the I-90 then the I-190. There is simply no comparison.
Again, it is NOT about the extra time on the road…it is about the experience of the ride.
It just breaks my heart to think of losing another of Buffalo’s great assets.
– Peter Palmisano
• • •
I think tearing down existing structures which work well and are in good repair is wrong. At some point, experts say in 15 years, the Skyway will deteriorate beyond repair. Address it then.
For sure Humboldt Park was an asset unique to Buffalo and its loss was especially devastating to the surrounding neighborhood. Yet the expressway does provide necessary and convenient access to downtown for thousands every day. Removing it will not re-create the neighborhood, nor will the Skyway's removal inspire development of a "North End" or "Little Italy" type atmosphere that has been romanticized. We aren't all certified villagers who scorn suburbia and embrace the riding of bicycles as a humanitarian act!
We need practical solutions to real problems. Deteriorating roads, bridges, sewers, water lines are all major concerns, as well as crime, poverty, lack of jobs and quality education.
– Mike Zobel
• • •
Liked the CloudWalk idea, would like to know more.
I think it would be a unique view.
Have seen pictures of Humboldt Parkway before the Kensington; might cost too much to get that back.
– Edward Lutz
• • •
One concern I have with removal is how it impacts the alternate routes, such as the 190 South, 90, South Park, Abbott Road and Ohio Street. Skyway removal will have an impact on even those who don’t currently use it. On occasions when the Skyway is closed all of the other routes become heavily congested. Anyone who regularly uses the alternative routes should be just as concerned about impact on their daily commutes as those of us who live in the Southtowns.
A question I would like to see posed to planners is: Will the proposed alternatives be sufficient to handle all the displaced Skyway users in addition to the already existing traffic?
– Francis Norman
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I say the Skyway should stay. Let Higgins and all these politicians come live in the Southtowns and see if they want to drive the extra 20 minutes it will take to get downtown. They will never convince me that their way will be better.
Here is a suggestion: Build the "Southtowns connector" before you take down the bridge.
– Peter Comerate
• • •
The subject of whether to keep or do away with the Skyway ignites fierce yes-or-no emotion in Western New York, Kirst says.
I think the Skyway should go to open up our waterfront. The signature engineering landmark should be the peace bridge. The Mario Cuomo Bridge is a beautiful structure (where the Tappan Zee Bridge used to cross the Hudson) we need something like that here on our border. Take the Skyway down and make the border bridge a landmark.
– Roger Bingham Jr.
• • •
I find it hard to believe that after the money that went into the last two years of repairs, it just should be torn down. Second, I am a member of the China Light Yacht Club next to RCR marina off Fuhrmann Boulevard. Since I live in Kenmore, I had to take a roundabout way to get there while work was being done. It was a pain but something I could live with.
But what bothers me is if they tear it down, will that put our club in a situation where we might lose it? Our property is right under the bridge. We have a good thing there with good people that love to sail and have put a lot of work into it. If it came down to that, I'm definitely against the "tear down." Just my feeling.
– Jim Billoni
• • •
The arguments for tearing the Skyway down keep changing.
Fifteen years ago the Skyway was said to be a physical barrier to development of the Canalside area, “dividing” it, as if the Skyway it were a solid wall instead of a high, elevated roadway. It isn’t a wall, of course, and the site still feels quite open, even as parcels within it are developed.
Lately, we hear that the Skyway is inhibiting economic development by taking up valuable land. The ramps, for instance, are on land that ought to be covered with new buildings instead, which would add to the city’s tax base. That argument is undercut by Douglas Jemal’s soon-to-be-built apartments, which, some have said, will benefit from the cool, urban vibe of being inside the Skyway’s looped highway ramp.
We have heard the Skyway is physically obsolete, doesn’t meet modern engineering standards, and that it sometimes has to be closed when the weather is bad. Well, after the recent major repairs/maintenance, it is set to go for a few more decades. And ANY road in Western New York sometimes has to be shut down briefly. Shall we remove I-90 between Buffalo and Westfield?
Some have said the Skyway is ugly; some say the opposite. I would guess there were those who, in 1950, said Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Administration Building was ugly. In retrospect, was that a valid reason for tearing it down?
Meanwhile, the Erie Canal is a piece of obsolete, publicly funded infrastructure that once moved people and goods across the region. Today, however, the canal and its locks are revered, enjoyed, preserved. The popular new skating ponds at Canalside are basically a palimpsest of the canal’s Buffalo terminus.
So why are we vilifying the Skyway, another piece of transportation infrastructure which divides no neighborhood, is also a piece of Buffalo’s history, and still serves a useful purpose?
– William Faught
• • •
I love everything about the Skyway. I love its name and it is a beautiful piece of art, worth saving. Its sweeping curve gives drivers the most unobstructed, beautiful view of Lake Erie. It would be shameful to change it at all. We also don’t need the resulting environmental destruction of the sanctuary that Times Beach and Tifft Nature Preserve offer the public and wildlife. Let the land stay quiet in this crazy time and focus on mending the horror of the Kensington and Scajaquada.
– Susan Gurney
• • •
The Skyway is the most efficient way for those in the Southtowns to get to Buffalo. Creating a boulevard is not a solution. Rarely do people drive 55 on the Skyway and to ask them to go 40 is beyond ridiculous. Increasing commuting time for taxpayers in the Southtowns is unjust. It’s been said it only adds 10 minutes … let’s assume that’s true and the lights are never out of sync – which we all know is extremely unlikely, based on trips down Elmwood at rush hour.
That’s requiring the 46,000 commuters that use the Skyway daily to spend an additional 83 hours a year in their cars – effectively nullifying their vacation time. I’ll leave it to others to make the very valid arguments regarding environmental and cost issues. If this was the best route for the wealthier areas north of Buffalo, would we even be having this conversation?
– Laura Cabibi
• • •
It is difficult to believe anyone could think that Skyway traffic could be diverted to a 40 mile per hour boulevard through South Buffalo. It seems to me that those type of suggestions always come from people who don’t use the Skyway and don’t really realize the impact such a strategy would have on Southtowns commuters. You can’t divert rush hour traffic onto city streets without badly affecting thousands of people both in and south of the city.
– Richard Wachowiak
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Yes, I am "biased" in favor of not touching the Skyway because, well, I live in the Southtowns: Eden. I certainly suppose that anyone out there who has no "need" for something, such as a Piper Cub, couldn't care less about an airport! So I will even ignore that obvious point! (Except in one final statement.)
Therefore, my sincere question would be: Where will all those vehicles go? I understand approximately forty thousand, maybe more, cars & trucks use that bridge into & out of Buffalo on a daily basis. You mean to tell me a parkway going off-route thru South Buffalo is going to adequately handle that traffic? Throw-in a 40 mph speed limit ... AWFUL plan!! Not to mention, wrecking the natural habitat along the way, or at least some of it – scarce as it is! The Skyway was built for a reason .... and that reason still exists today!
And now that Southtowns point. When it was completed, my father worked at Greyhound, in the shadow of City Hall on Court Street. When he first was able to jump on the new, grand bridge, we thought he had died and gone to Heaven!! He was sooooo happy ... Enough said.
KEEP THE SKYWAY
– Carl Modica
• • •
Proposals to tear down or close this iconic feature of Buffalo are boneheaded. My wife and I live in North Buffalo. Without the Skyway, it would be a tedious, energy-wasting, stop-and-go drive through downtown to get to the Outer Harbor or anywhere else on Lake Erie. Look at, REALLY LOOK AT, Derek Gee's photo on the front page of the Buffalo News a few days ago:
That beautiful midcentury space-age structure with its late art deco piers, wending its way through Buffalo's industrial landscape, is a treasure, providing one of the great pleasurable drives, helping make Buffalo the city that prides itself on being able to get you anywhere within 20 minutes. It is not, like the Scajaquada or Kensington expressways, a mistaken-taking of parkland. It is a celebration of Buffalo's harbor and industrial heritage.
Why throw that away? Remember what a bad idea it was to tear down Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin Building? Let's not destroy Buffalo trying to turn it into someplace else.
– John Schimminger
• • •
There is a growing movement to SAVE THE SKYWAY because it is important to our transportation infrastructure. There are many other projects this money could be used for in our beautiful city. New York State just spent millions fixing the Skyway within the past few years. Why tear down a perfectly functional, signature bridge? There are plenty of other projects that ought to be funded instead.
I live in the Erie Basin Marina; I use the Skyway often. It is so convenient to go to the Southtowns in less than 20 minutes. It will take a much longer commute to get to the Southtowns and people will think twice regarding going to restaurants and shopping in Hamburg. It will be much easier to just keep going north on the I-190. If you knock this down our city will be divided and many businesses, potentially vulnerable ones, will be hurt.
When the Skyway was closed for repairs in each direction a few years ago, the traffic was terrible on the side roads. Tearing down the Skyway would make this temporary inconvenience a more permanent burden. Tearing down the Skyway is not the answer.
The views that we see coming in and leaving our city via the Skyway are beautiful and unique. Don't you want visitors to see a breathtaking view of our spectacular city? I know I do!
– Vicky Glamuzina
• • •
The Skyway is unique to Buffalo. Once gone, it can't be replaced. It is not a barrier – I can walk under it! It provides shade at Canalside. I would like pedestrian access to get up high to view the city and the lake. Perhaps close it to traffic on weekends. We should wait to see if traffic patterns change after the pandemic. An at-grade highway is a barrier. We don't need another barrier to the waterfront. Concrete is bad for the environment.
– Carol Fortman
• • •
The Skyway should not be destroyed by land-greedy developers. This is the main reason why there is a private push to destroy a beautiful work that blends perfectly with the magnificent view of Lake Erie. How many trek to the Erie Basin Marina to view the lake, even if it offers a limited view. Not many can afford the million-dollar housing along the waterfront shores built across the marina. Buffalo should not become a millionaire-row objective along our waterfront, leaving Canalside a tiny crumb to be enjoyed by the majority of citizens.
– Patricia Butler
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I want to save the Skyway. To me it is beautiful, graceful and artistic. If looking at it from the ground at Canalside, it is possible to orient yourself based on its support structure and it's curvature. It appears to "hover" in the air and yet I know that it is a safe and reliable roadway.
Over the last almost 50 years I have seldom worried about my husband's round trip into his Buffalo office from Hamburg. It's not just a safe and efficient way to get into the city but it is also free. That is a difference-maker for some people. Plus, there is that view! Where else would we be able to embrace all that is Buffalo in a single turn of the head?
We need to have a conversation about it's future. A conversation is important. No one wants to feel as if they are being railroaded.
– Linda Priselac
• • •
“Enjoy the view from up top” would likely be a one-and-done visit. Planning for a future with climate change can’t involve people getting blown off the Skyway. WNY needs to stop making stupid, thoughtless decisions. Take it down and restore what’s been broken.
– Beverly O’Connor
• • •
My take on the issue to the tune of “My Way,” famously sung by Frank Sinatra.
I concur with Rachele Schneekloth of the "Skyway Club" and Frank Kowski – keep the Skyway, open it up on summer Sundays for bikers and walkers, appreciate its brutal elegance year round.
Let’s keep the Skyway
The plan that I most fear
And which could be the very worst thing
My friends, I’ll say it here
If it comes down, we’ll end up hurting
I’ve crossed it many times
I’ve fallen for this way-up highway
But let’s not lose our view
Let’s keep the Skyway
Regrets, we’ll have a slew
Unless this gets our full attention,
Let’s do what we must do
And not pave roads with good intention.
These plans to tear it down
Say that it’s just another byway
But let’s not lose our view
Let’s keep the Skyway
Yes, in these times, you sure could say
To take it down, would clear the way
For brand new things to make us shout
About how nice to be without
That albatross we had to cross –
What was it called? Oh yeah – the Skyway
Our city almost died
We’ve had buzzkill, our share of losing
But now, let’s not deny
What is to come is of our choosing
To think we’ve got a chance
To proudly say it’s here to stay
And yes, we’ll keep our view –
If we keep our Skyway
For what are we now, what have we got
If not our past, then we’ve got naught
To save the things we really prize
And show the world that we got wise
Let’s see it through, let’s keep our view
Let’s keep the Skyway
– Mitch Flynn
• • •
I am a proponent of removing the Skyway and have to say, keeping it because of the view is the weakest reason to keep it! While I think the CloudWalk idea is intriguing, my idea is to remove it completely and build a tower like the Eiffel Tower, which Tokyo did with Tokyo Tower in 1958 at a cost of $8.4 million, which is $77 million in today’s dollars. And since the Eiffel Tower is named after the engineer who designed it, I wouldn’t mind if it was called Jemal Tower or Pegula Tower ;)
– Dan Gigante
• • •
This goes along with the axiom "if it ain't broke don't fix it.” The Skyway works perfectly well for our city. It is a glorious gateway into our city and beyond to our outer harbor and waterfront. It does not impede anything; it is functional and beautiful and necessary. Why are we even considering tearing it down?
Our state and city do not need to spend foolish money on something that would cost much more to replace than to keep and maintain. We just spent 50 million to rehab the Skyway. There is just no good reason to tear it down. There are many good reasons to KEEP the Skyway!!
Forty thousand commuters use it daily, it links directly to our downtown and southern and northern suburbs; it provides beautiful vistas of our waterfront and easy access to it. It is a grand statement for our city. It does not impede any needed development in our great city. Please keep our Buffalo Skyway.
– Sally Ferrigno
• • •
I am opposed to removing the Skyway for many reasons, the most significant being the resulting devastation to South Buffalo neighborhoods by the construction of a corridor to accommodate the nearly 10,000 vehicles a day that will be rerouted through these city streets. Did we learn nothing from the disaster caused by the Kensington? The new 40 mph corridor will separate neighborhoods, plummet property values, and likely significantly increase traffic fatalities. Even the 198 has a speed limit of just 30 mph!
Further, about 9 to 10 acres of wetlands will be destroyed by this venture. This is a fragile ecosystem that will be destroyed by the new roadway. What about the city’s Green Code? It seems the city gives variances like "Tic Tacs," and never follows its own zoning ordinances.
Finally, the Skyway serves its purpose just fine as is, and the astronomical cost to remove and replace the Skyway is outrageous.
– Linda Suchocki
• • •
Remember the Signature Bridge? The one that was supposed to replace the Peace Bridge? Look where that went. I don't believe for one minute that the alternative routes will accommodate the traffic, and I don't believe for one second that the work to build the alternative routes will ever get done, leaving a great big mess for the daily commuters. I've driven the alternative when I had to work at two years worth of Irish Festivals in late August and it was a cluster. Something will come up, most likely environmental impact issues regarding the Tifft property, that will drag this thing out forever.
With regards to the waterfront: Isn't there a great big expanse of waterfront property all along the lake south of the city? Why does it have to be right where the Skyway sits? Not nearly the same acreage as what exists just south of all this.
Lastly, I lived the Urban Renewal debacle in the City of Tonawanda, where my grandmother's restaurant was taken away from her by the powers that be along with a lot of other businesses and properties so a new and improved city could be built. Was it? Nope, unless you count the Tops where the city incinerator used to sit and the strip plaza where the restaurant used to sit. She got almost nothing for the property after years of fighting the city.
My point is, these things NEVER go according to plan, and I don't see any of this coming to any sort of positive conclusion.
The Skyway is a magnificent structure with an amazing view and serves a very important purpose. I think it should be considered as part of a whole along with the 190. I can see maybe reconfiguring the interchange at the Buffalo end in order to free up some property, but to get rid of the bridge in its entirety? For what reason?
– Bill Richau
• • •
The Skyway, as a part of Buffalo’s waterfront, is integral to the appeal and beauty of the city. It’s as iconic as the waterfront itself.
– Ed Lesniak Jr.
• • •
Keep the Skyway! Tearing it down would destroy Canalside and the Outer Harbor recreational areas. It took so long for Buffalo to utilize its beautiful waterfront and dismantling the Skyway would only facilitate unwanted high rise buildings. It is a needless waste of money that politicians seem so anxious to use even if it’s not needed …. such as the Metro or the unneeded roundabouts! Have to grab free money: spend it returning Humboldt Parkway to a parkway again!
– Peg Crane
• • •
I cannot see any reason for removing the Skyway. It was repaired about two years ago. It makes our city unique! Is there any logical reason for removing it? I wish someone would answer that question. I have not seen any politician, or anyone, for that matter, give a good reason for removing it. And the one-half billion dollars proposed for the project is a major slap in the face to thousands of Western New Yorkers.
Just imagine how much good that could do for our city and area! And also that "cloud" suggestion for leaving one half of the Skyway in place is the biggest joke! Who thinks of these things anyway?
– Claudia O'Dee
• • •
Let me begin by saying I am a pontist. A lover of bridges. All bridges. I have lived my whole life in the good old 716 and traversed the Skyway in all seasons and at all times of the day and night. Regardless, if I am heading into the city or back to the suburbs I find delight in the view offered to me by my bridge.
When heading downtown I never tire of the sight of the beautiful church spires, the resolute profile of City Hall, and the concrete monoliths called grain elevators that supported my ancestors who left Ireland to make Buffalo their home.
Often these days, I return from the city and head south with one of my grandsons. His name is Jack Gerken and at the tender age of 4 he makes some astute observations. As we begin our ascent, he announces, we are climbing the Skyway. There is always a thrill in his voice at his first glimpse of water and he tells me; "There it is Nanni! Our Ocean! Lake Erie!" The weather determines if our discussion will be of men fishing or ice or boats or waves crashing the breakwall. The time of day will have us discussing morning fog or sunsets and moon glow.
Bridges join and connect. They span obstacles and they provide a path so we can make our way more easily. I do not know how they are built. I don't understand the physics of compression, force, or how to channel a load. I am a traveler that appreciates what a bridge offers whether it is a view, or a memory or just the beauty of the bridge itself.
I realize my obsession with this particular bridge is sentimental. I would be sad to see the Skyway go. I am a lover of bridges. And so is Jack.
– Kathleen Gerken
• • •
We have traveled the Skyway extensively, as we have relatives that live in the Hamburg area and mention to each other how beautiful the scenery is, no matter the time of year. For us coming from Niagara Falls, it is convenient and quicker for us to use the Skyway.
The time spent on this issue should be redirected to matters of more importance such as opening the Canadian border so families that have been separated for over a year may be be reunited!
– Sam and Carolee Messina
• • •
I support keeping the Skyway. Why? Let me count the ways …
It works.
It affords drivers and riders majestic views on every trip.
It has architectural and functional beauty.
I live in Lake View and can drive to Buffalo easily and quickly.
The alternative routes used during the recent Skyway repair were a nightmare, congested, long delays, poor signage and more.
We just spent a ton of money to fix up the Skyway and it’s now a dream drive.
The Skyway is Buffalo, past and present. It’s iconic.
Would these would-be “talent strategists” be in favor of removing the Brooklyn Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge because they are “pulling us backward?” I’d hate to see these guys go to Europe.
We can’t afford to demolish the Skyway. It’s like our historic majestic grain elevators.
If you want ugly, go for that half-Skyway, destination nowhere.
– Leona Rockwood
• • •
Great article on Skyway and Humboldt Parkway. This pandemic is teaching us to slow down and appreciate what we have. Buffalo has the beauty of Olmsted’s parkways and an engineering marvel, the Skyway.
Let’s make Humboldt Parkway again. Most would not mind a little longer commute to be driving down a beautiful tree-lined boulevard. It would be really nice to run out of Delaware Park, down Humboldt Parkway, and end up at Martin Luther King Park.
The Skyway is beautiful and functional. Why change it?
– Tom Steffan
• • •
The Skyway is a historical part of Buffalo, as well as beautiful and breathtaking. Removing it would be disrespectful to the innovative people who designed and created this work of art. Buffalo has demolished too many pieces of history already.
Removal would also be detrimental to the thousands of Southtowns commuters who use it on a daily basis; the alternate routes suggested to handle both car and truck traffic would quickly be overwhelmed. The neighborhoods around these routes would also suffer. Instead of providing easy access to Buffalo, the alternate routes could deter travelers.
I drove daily on the Skyway, and enjoyed the experience and the view. There is nothing to match the smell of baking Cheerios in the morning to put you in a good mood. Let's not sacrifice a unique part of Buffalo.
– Barbara Ozark
• • •
From a distance the Skyway is a beautiful structure. Rather than complete removal I very much favor the CloudWalk, which preserves the sweeping curve for viewing and recreation purposes with substantial cost saving by only removing the downtown portion that negatively impacts Canalside and preventing the wasting of the money recently spent repairing it.
Having said that I believe the first priority for the city would be rerouting I-190 where it cuts off several miles of river waterfront from the city. Riverside would truly be Riverside again, public access to the river restored and undoubtedly new development would substantially increase city tax revenue.
– F. James Ginnane
• • •
That is a spectacular view from the Skyway in a car. And the view is so easy to access.
Drive down the road and ENJOY THE VIEW. No better view in Buffalo. MY neighborhood has few trees and I stare at buildings most of day. The view from the Skyway on a daily basis is my antidepressant. How will we apologize to future generations of Buffalonians that we lost the billion-dollar view to development?
Save Skyway from the developers ... A CloudWalk is not enough. If we ever had to build the Skyway in today’s world it would never get done because of the high cost.
Buffalo has very few beautiful views as that from the Skyway.
– Mark Tederous
• • •
I find it stunning that there is any discussion regarding spending $600 million for tearing down the Skyway, a perfectly good bridge that offers the most beautiful views of any road in New York State. A complete waste of government funds when Western New York’s other roads and bridges are crumbling and many neighborhoods need investment.
I would, however, favor restoring the Parkway and replacing the Scajaquada Expressway that ruined a nice neighborhood.
– Thomas Metzen
• • •
The Skyway should stay as is; it is the best way for residents of the Southtowns to get into downtown for workers and sports venues, and for dining and the most important Shea's. We have a subway that goes nowhere and the loss of driving on Main Street killed all of the businesses to make it a ghost town. My other thought about making it a observation deck: Climbing all those stairs will be difficult for the elderly, and once you've seen it the thrill is gone.
– Dan Badaszewski
• • •
My opinion: Let it be!
I have not heard of a valid reason for a tear-down! Let's make the Skyway a Buffalo nighttime attraction with rope lights, all the colors of the rainbow, stretching the whole span on the outside of the top guard railings.
– Peter Hurtubise
• • •
Keep the Skyway. Why are politicians constantly trying to change things without first asking their constituents (the people) what THEY want?
– Sandra Empl
• • •
The Skyway should be left alone. Recently millions of dollars have been spent on it for repairs. It is a major arterial for Southtowns commuters; tearing it down would cause a nightmare for people trying to get to the city. The old adage applies: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
– Marcia Amadori Crosby
• • •
Unless it is in danger of collapsing, keep the Skyway and use those federal funds for other projects to continue the resurgence of Buffalo. Whether entering or leaving downtown, the Skyway offers one of the best views in WNY. Add some ribbon lighting to enhance its nighttime appearance (the old Peace Bridge sure looks nice at night). Think outside the box by adding a zip line along the edge the whole length of the Skyway: A nice summer attraction like they have in Niagara Falls, Ont.
– Wayne Zielinski
• • •
The plan for the demolition is very ill-conceived. It takes no account of the intrinsic value of tourism in Buffalo, nor how residents of the area view the bridge.
We moved to Orchard Park in 1998 and I worked in downtown Buffalo for those years. Most every drive to work I made was over the Skyway. Seeing the breadth of the lake, as well as the surrounding area each morning and evening, gave me great peace as well as awe at this architectural marvel that allowed such a view. Imagine what a first-timer to the area feels!
We moved to Florida in 2004, but returned to Orchard Park this past September. I looked forward to once more driving the Skyway and again, the same feelings returned. To hear of plans to dismantle this gem is extremely sad to me. Why build a 40 mph thoroughfare through South Buffalo? We already have one in place and it is magnificent.
– Darlene Kane
• • •
I live in Eden. I am definitely opposed to tearing down the Skyway. Doing that would make commuting from the Southtowns the nightmare it was before the Skyway was built. The Skyway harms no neighborhoods and provides a stunning view of the lakefront. It is definitely an asset for Buffalo.
I was born and raised in Chicago where the lakefront has been protected with no commercial development. Buffalo is finally getting better at that. Don’t reverse the progress that has been made by tearing down the Skyway. I am old enough to remember Humboldt Parkway and the beautiful neighborhood that it was. The Kensington was definitely a mistake that needs to be corrected.
– Joan Staby
• • •
Brian Higgins among others has declared the Skyway to be “structurally obsolete.” What exactly does this mean? I am a retired structural engineer and I feel that it might be referring to the metallurgical fatigue life of the steel girders, but I have never read any authentic explanation. Can you find out what the Department of Transportation's opinion of the life expectancy is for the steel structure? That may be the nail in the coffin everyone is looking for.
– Peter Grace
• • •
There are some that are opposed to the Skyway being transformed. I am not one of those. What a marvelous idea to provide access to the fantastic views that the bridge has to offer by turning it into a pedestrian walkway with green space, shops and restaurants. It allows all neighborhood communities to enjoy a view they currently may not have. It would join neighborhoods the same way as reverting the Kensington Expressway back into a parkway.
I am all for moving forward and can see the vision presented. I was a child of the ’70s and came down to the Elmwood area on my 18th birthday and saw the potential of this now marvelous neighborhood. Let’s not make this decision take 43 years to come to fruition.
– Bill Lovern
• • •
For 20 years I lived in Derby and worked downtown. Took the Skyway thousands of times. One late summer day when leaving work on the outbound Skyway two bikers with out of state plates were right in front of me. At the top of the Skyway one of them takes both hands off his bike and spread his arms out in front of him. I initially thought “great place to show off clown” but then realized this was his physical manifestation of awe in seeing (probably for the first time) beautiful Lake Erie open up in front of him as he crested the Skyway.
It reminded me that the view, which I had taken for granted having seen it every day for years, is awe-inspiring – especially if you’ve never seen it before. Would be a shame to lose it.
– Gregory P. Krull
• • •
It works! Besides being one of the most beautiful drives in the area, most important, it does the job of moving traffic out of the city to the Southtowns and beyond. What will be the alternative? No one seems to be giving us a clear answer to that. What will work better? A parkway? We were told it would only add five minutes to the drive. What a joke!
Can't help to believe that it's a political decision. Gee, why would I think that? Leave the Skyway alone!
– Pat Arendt
• • •
When it comes to the Skyway, I support the CloudWalk proposal. This visionary plan deserves close scrutiny. Retaining the portion of the iconic Skyway from the KeyBank Center to the Outer Harbor would also address serious concerns that precious and essential wetlands not be harmed.
As for Higgins’ and Kennedy’s support for a reduced speed at-grade parkway – good luck with that. Motorists refuse to abide by the reduced speed limit now on Route 198. It is not working. Speeding at-grade on a “boulevard” would be even worse.
We need to rethink our car-centric mentality. We need active transportation systems – biking, walking, hiking, sightseeing, wheelchair-rolling, stroller-pushing, public-friendly pathways that are environmentally and socially just. We can think big and reimagine on a large scale. Give the CloudWalk due consideration. Retain a part of the Skyway and make it accessible for PEOPLE.
– Sharon Murphy
• • •
Just read your article on the Skyway. I say keep all or part of it as a “CloudWalk.” It would enhance Canalside and the Outer Harbor.
– Bill Lickfield
• • •
Yes! Finally people arguing to keep the Skyway. Now that it’s a point of pride for pols determined to remove it, they will never back down. But consider: Many of us who use it as a scenic commute to the Southtowns will never have that beautiful view of the city again! Use it! Picture an elevated bike path, zip lines, stairways and observation decks on the tallest supports. Put the money where it should go – removing or burying Route 33.
– Tony Duggan
• • •
The Skyway – Tear it down. Fill in the Kensington. Remove the Thruway. Close the Airport. Unplug the internet. Return to the halcyon days of horse and buggy.
OR
Recognize that change always marches forward. Utilize the massive infrastructure proposal to build what can be, not what once was. Embrace the future in a way that 50 years forward, next generations marvel at what was created when we had the opportunity.
This message was generated and sent on technology once not even imagined – but sure, a carrier pigeon would get the job done...
– Michael Chavanne
• • •
This is the first time ever I have had input on anything in Western New York. I’m 55 and have lived in North Buffalo or Kenmore my whole life. Taking down the Skyway is a big mistake. It's an easy way to the Southtowns and Outer Harbor. It’s already there – build around it! Any other roads built will ruin those neighborhoods they pass through; a 40 mph road to get south will become a speed trap; look at 198 now. No one drives 30 on there and if you do you are in the way.
I also hate how many think the bridge should be used as a viewing point; doesn't that defeat the purpose of taking it down? Build a separate walking path and attach it to the Skyway if that’s what we want – much cheaper. But keep in mind it will become a suicide jump for people, unfortunately.
– Tom Foley
• • •
A functional highway in and out of downtown. Breathtaking views. A living component to Canalside. A modern component to Old Buffalo.
Taking it down and rerouting traffic will harm Times Beach and Tifft Nature Preserve.
CloudWalk will only be for a relatively few people. All can drive or ride the Skyway.
– Miriam Haefner
• • •
The Skyway should stay for all of the reasons described by the advocates cited in your article. It is a fine example of period transportation infrastructure that happens to be beautiful, especially where it towers over Canalside and gracefully sweeps to the south. I’d hate to lose that view from the ground.
It is also a remarkably democratic vantage point for a gorgeous bird's-eye view of Lake Erie that is otherwise enjoyed solely by office workers and wealthy renters or condo owners in downtown Buffalo’s taller buildings.
We already miss the real Father Baker Bridge. Remove the Skyway in furtherance of yet another odd attempt to reduce architectural density and suburbanize the urban environment, and we will regret the loss.
Not to mention the traffic problems that would result from losing the Skyway and the effect that might have on downtown business.
If we are faced with an either/or proposition between restoring Humboldt Parkway to its original, surface-level design, or leveling the Skyway, the choice is even easier: restore Humboldt Parkway; remove the gash that divides a beautiful, historic residential neighborhood, and keep the Skyway in the sky.
– Mike Reville
• • •
The commute without the Skyway will DEFINITELY take longer. The view of Lake Erie is unmatched from anywhere else. Take a video of the ride overlooking the lake from the Skyway and then take the same video of the ride at ground level. At the round level ride all you will see is the view of the breakwall.
The Skyway’s view is a great first impression for anyone traveling into Buffalo, and leaves one with a warm lasting memory when traveling out. It is a great asset to Buffalo, not a hindrance to the city.
– Tim Walsh
• • •
Just read your article and admit to being persuaded by previous arguments to remove it, but after reading about the environmental impact of moving it and the idea of opening it to walkers and cyclists I’m against replacing it. I think the money would be better spent on neighborhoods ripped apart by Route 198 and Route 33.
It just makes more sense to leave something so unique and beautiful. I’m excited that our country is going to finally invest in infrastructure projects that will improve our quality of life. I think removing lead pipes to ensure safe drinking water and rebuilding decimated neighborhoods is a far better way to spend money than taking down a scenic skyway.
– Sue Tomkins
• • •
The Skyway has always been a joy for me to travel, sometimes in a car, sometimes on a motorcycle. As the driver of both it was a fun, easy ride. As a passenger I delighted in the spectacular views of ... everything! The water, the boats, the ships being unloaded at the massive grain elevators (what do they do with all that sand?), the sunsets, SIGH.
Did I stress a little when the Skyway was closed and an alternate winter route home needs to be used? YES! But, I’m a Southtowns gal and winter challenges are acknowledged, dealt with, then forgotten.
Please do not discard this fabulous piece of history. At least let part of it become a viewing point for us to walk, pause and remember.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer an opinion. Tho’ a kid at the time, I remember the devastating building of the Kensington Expressway and continue to mourn the loss of the Parkway and all those beautiful trees.
– Miriam Oster
Syracuse announcement adds fuel to already intense debate in Buffalo about the nature, function and consequences of the Scajaquada and Kensington expressways and, more immediately, the Skyway.
• • •
I recently moved to the Seneca One apartments, after 59 years of suburban and small city living (Lockport and Hamburg). I have a bird's-eye view of the Skyway, Canalside, Lake Erie and more.
My vote is to take down the Skyway. I understand why some would prefer to keep it, but I feel the long-term pros of removal outweigh the cons. If we're going to spend time, money and effort in developing the Canalside and downtown area, one of the biggest improvements to be made is removing those ugly highway supports that degrade the entire area down there.
My daily view – and yes, many people live down here and more are coming.
– David Fiegl
• • •
For the cost of removing it, we could probably pave every road in the city of Buffalo, which would be a much better use of the money. We just spent (millions) to refurbish the structure and it’s good for several decades. We have a lot more pressing infrastructure issues to solve than removing this bridge just because it’s become some sort of hobby horse for a segment of the area’s population.
– Michael DeWitt
• • •
It’s not about efficient transportation, but politics and ideology. The impacted minority should have a conversation with the power brokers. Wouldn’t it be pretty to think so.
– Mark Twichell
• • •
Not only is the Skyway beautiful and iconic, but it is efficient and much appreciated by Southtowns residents, especially after experiencing the surface road delays and rush-hour nightmares during its repairs and upgrades in recent years.
The Skyway is to the Southtowns what Routes 290, 990 and 400 are to the north and east suburbs of Buffalo. Propose abolishing those routes to those residents and commuters and they might see it our way.
– Kristine Ward
• • •
Rip it down!
The Skyway should NEVER be made into a trail. We don’t need more trails! Trails ruin neighborhoods.
– Karen Oesterle
• • •
Beautify the waterfront … take down the Skyway.
– Jonathan Jiuditta
• • •
Stephanie Geter is spot on. It was white privilege that decimated the Humboldt neighborhood so that those in the white suburbs could get to work faster. Parks definitely are important but people are way more important and deserve our first consideration. And taking down the Skyway is a solution looking for a problem.
– Steven Biltekoff
• • •
I have lived in the Buffalo area for my 51 years. I have worked and attended events in the city and lived in the Southtowns (Hamburg and Orchard Park) for 38 of those years, and used the Skyway as my main artery for travel to and from work and events. Normal long-term average commute for this ride is 22-35 minutes.
My suggestions are to improve the safety and reliability of the Skyway by considering the following:
• Add a cantilevered bike/walking trail along the lake side. This would turn an old roadway into a signature piece for the city.
• We could have events like the Skyway marathon, or the Skyway Bike Race – any time we want.
• People would walk the route just to see the city and the lake from that vantage point. Days like the Fourth of July and during concerts at Canalside it would likely be packed.
• Add a cover to the skyway (potentially including the walkway) to eliminate or reduce future maintenance costs.
For storm events, or after large sporting events, and in the case of emergencies requiring evacuation of the city, consider using all four lanes for outbound traffic. The more this option was utilized, the better it would be in emergency situations. People would expect it and variable signage (electric signs that could be controlled remotely) would make this a simple transition, like the Peace Bridge.
– Larry Cobado
• • •
I think driving on the Skyway and glimpsing the beautiful Niagara River is a breathtaking view and one of the unique highlights (to me) of living in Buffalo. I think more focus should be placed on what is underneath the Skyway … and the idea to "cut away" part of the Skyway is not the way to go either … not only will it look stupid, but who could utilize it? Only fit bicyclists and walkers … not small children, older adults and/or those who have disabilities.
There is so much derelict land and building on the lower East Side – regenerate that area, stay away from building (and ruining) the waterfront and Skyway; already too much commercial development is taking place down in that area.
– Kate Soudant
• • •
I have lived in Buffalo all my life, the past 30 years in the heart of downtown. In my humble opinion the Skyway should stay, because first of all they just put millions of dollars repairing it but most of all because it is a major thoroughfare from downtown to the Southtowns. It’s not only a beautiful view to appreciate the lake and boats enjoying it in the summer, but all the ice in the winter months.
– John Gerling
• • •
I grew up in South Buffalo and remember the scary rides across the Skyway no matter which way one was going, and believe it is a true icon of the city. You knew a snowstorm was going to be bad when the Buffalo Police Department would close the entrance to it at the foot of downtown.
It gives the city character, and if it needed to be removed it should have been done years ago. I have not lived in Buffalo in 40 years, but it will always be home and someday I will retire there and hope to see the Skyway still standing, so I can take one of scary car rides across it one more time.
– Christopher Jones
• • •
It's easy for people that don't use the Skyway daily to say "tear it down!" It will be a nightmare for us Southtowners. I can't imagine the vocal opposition if the issue was tearing out the river section of the I-190. Really, that section from Tonawanda all the way to Route 5 would be a better candidate for removal. But NO! Thousands of Northtowners use it daily. We can't do that. It would cause too much traffic on Niagara, Elmwood, etc. Brian Higgins does not care about our commute. Talk about forgetting where you came from. The Washington elite …
– Scott Semrau
The plan calls for re-creating the historic Canal District by bringing back a neighborhood with small-scale apartments and other structures.
• • •
I am a longtime Hamburg resident who supports the removal of the Skyway but opposes the proposed 40 mph boulevard. There is no reason for this highway to be downgraded to a boulevard because it is slated to run along a former rail corridor and though a heavily industrialized area. There are no recreational opportunities in this corridor, but there are plenty along the waterfront.
It may be the case that the expressway alternative is more expensive, but I believe this would be the preferred option among area residents, whether they live in the Southtowns or in the city and Northtowns. Therefore, I would support the 55 mph proposal as it maintains the current level of service without slowdowns.
– Dwayne Marsh
• • •
Want something that is an example of modern engineering? Replace the Skyway and add Metrorail to it:
From the foot of the Skyway in Buffalo to the Lackawanna city line is a 4.13 mile x 400 ft wide Skyway/Elevated Rt. 5/Fuhrman Blvd stretch that cannot be developed in any manner. That is just about 200 acres off the tax rolls. Suburban commuters drive all the way up to Ridge Road in Lackawanna, enduring 45 mph traffic and stoplights. They do not need an expressway the final 4.13 miles into downtown. Time to do what is best for Buffalo and not the rush-in, rush-out commuter who made a personal choice to live where they do.
– Mike Wrona
• • •
Most important, what is needed is a good Southtowns connector! Everything else Higgins, Cuomo, Kennedy and others propose is sleight of hand and a distraction to what is needed. These elected prestidigitators would have you believe a half-torn down bridge to be the eighth wonder of the world. They point out that the Skyway has to close three or four times a year whereas a 130-foot high observation deck would only close once a year (from September to May).
Think about it: How often would you go up there? How often do us locals visit Niagara Falls, or any "destination" within a 100-mile radius?
Maybe if they want to improve traffic flow out of downtown they could use the railroad right of ways stretching out both south and east of the city.
– Charles McMahon
• • •
Call me easy, but not much beats the cheap thrill of a ride on the Skyway. Any time of day, any time of year, the bird's eye view of the waterfront and downtown Buffalo always delivers a supreme rush.
My Skyway travels conjure golden memories of being perched atop the late beloved Comet coaster in its Crystal Beach heyday. In that split second between ascent and descent, you get one chance to take it all in. That view, only ever available at that one time in that one place, a moment to savor for a lifetime.
Oh, and we can experience that every day, for free? Yes, we must tear that down!
If providing that thrill was its only function, the Skyway could never be functionally obsolete. Happily, the Skyway also functions to efficiently deliver thousands of people daily from the Outer Harbor to Buffalo and back.
Last year, I attended a public showing of Skyway alternatives. Honestly, it seemed to me that options focused on the forgone conclusion the Skyway will be replaced. Unacceptable.
Like the Comet, the loss of the Skyway would be much lamented by this cheap-thrill seeker.
– Marty Walters
• • •
I am a retired process engineer who has been trying to get the Skyway removed for over 25 years. About three years ago I spoke at a meeting of the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council about the need to find a feasible alternative to the Skyway before removing it.
Since the Department of Transportation couldn’t find a feasible plan, I gave them one. My plan headed inland at Tifft Street, headed north behind Tifft Nature Preserve, crossed the railroad tracks near the water tower then crossed the river just east of the railroad bridge. It passed under the South Park bridge and tied into the I-190 at the Hamburg Street interchange.
Many months later, public presentations were held, supposedly 28 possible suggestions were evaluated (mine NOT included). I recall that the current DOT plan appeared already favored, as it was presented on its own individual poster; all the others were grouped onto two more posters. No public discussion was allowed.
Fast forward to April 2 when The News published the revised plan. Earlier the DOT had suggested “two” alternatives of the same route, a path to the Tesla plant’s back door. I think they are required to give the public more than one choice. The “boulevard” option was now selected (mainly because an expressway wasn’t really possible due to lack of room for ramps at the Tesla plant and in South Buffalo).
The goal of “helping to eliminate commercial traffic problems in the RiverBend area” had been added to the goals of removing the Skyway and finding a feasible alternative. Since 95% of the morning traffic heads to either the 190 N, Delaware or the Elm/Oak arterial, the connection to the 190 should be as close to downtown as possible. The Path to Tesla ties into the 190 two miles east of Hamburg Street!
There already exists good connections to the 190 via South Park to Smith Street or Lee to Elk to Smith Street for the Tesla plant. The DOT plan is therefore just a way to use Skyway removal as an excuse to get a quick connection to Route 5 west. Note here that about five hundred FEET of road would connect Abby Street to Rittling Boulevard, and hence to Tifft and Route 5. The excuse I got from the regional DOT director was that that neighborhood east of Abby Street would get too much noise. In that case let Elon Musk (net worth increased by $150 billion in the past year) build his own private road (about 2500 feet) west of Abby Street to connect up to Rittling Boulevard.
Other than a lift bridge over the Buffalo River (an almost exact replica of what would be needed was built over the Genesee River in 2004 at a cost of $80 million including the approaches) there are no special requirements for my plan. It is cheaper (cost maybe $300 million versus $550 million) faster and much simpler than the DOT plan. If the RR’s cooperate the South Park Bridge would require little or no modifications. The 190 bridge would require none. The plan would be for a four-lane 50 mph expressway with shoulders and a bike path from the South Park bridge all the way to the Outer Harbor.
The current DOT plan would be another HUGE infrastructure mistake.
– Jim Rudnicki
• • •
As a Southtowns resident who travels Route 5 into the city, I strongly feel the Skyway should be left alone! Once a new four-lane roadway is built to replace it – then and only then – they can remove it, but not any sooner!
Millions of dollars were just spent on repair. Why is everyone in such a hurry to tear it down?
– David Leising
• • •
This is Buffalo's only chance to actually have a "signature span" since the new Niagara River bridge was killed due to environmental concerns.
From my casual observation, Brian Higgins seems to be the only advocate for removal of the Skyway. Can't we find other projects to keep him busy?
– Jon Louis Wilson
• • •
I am opposed to the tearing down of the Buffalo Skyway for the same reasons that Jay Burney of the Times Beach Nature Preserve has expressed:
"Vehicular alternatives to the Skyway, as presented now, will harm precious wetlands, put environmental stress on the fragile Tifft Nature Preserve, and lead to new construction injurious to the ‘critical ecological resource' at the Outer Harbor." I would also add subjectively that it would harm the Outer Harbor Bicycle Trail.
– Rev. Howard Warner III
• • •
Absent from the decision-making process is geographic pressure. In other communities that removed highway barriers, there was neighborhood pressure to connect the neighborhood to the resource on the other side. What is on the "other side" of the Skyway? A very small piece of land that supports a very large sailboat marina and a sand dock, then the Buffalo River and a landscape of industrial uses, or postindustrial uses, and various downtown institutions. Hardly a residential neighborhood in sight, until you get to the other side of the Buffalo River.
The transportation service provided by the Skyway in its current configuration far outweighs any upside to its removal in the hope that it will finally allow the kind of popular geographic the removal proponents believe in. Does the removal plan include the relocation of the marina (to where?) and the development of an exclusive strip of waterfront townhomes and condos? Again, the trade-off comes at a great expense without much "access" benefit to the public median. But maybe, that is the objective: What can we do to support the growth of the affluent white-collar population in the city of Buffalo?
– Andy Giarrizzo
• • •
Set aside for the moment that for all of us from Chautauqua County and the Southtowns, it’s the easiest, most direct route to downtown Buffalo. More importantly, it is the one roadway that allows one to see and answer the whys about Buffalo and WNY.
With out-of-town visitors, I always take the Skyway. Where else can you see that the city sits at the nexus of one of the Great Lakes and the river connection to the last of the Great Lakes in the chain?
If you know your history, you can visualize why the area was settled, and fought over with our now-closest friends on the other side of the water. Driving south, one captures the magnificent view of the rounded curvature of Lake Erie as its stretch eastward ends; the hills to the south; cottage lands running southwest along the shore.
And down below, the industrial remnants of what was once a vibrant economic engine; steel plants along the shore; grain mills along canals; a working port. There is no other structure so evocative of the history.
– Jeff Passafaro
• • •
My vote is to keep this iconic bridge standing.
– John Ciccone
• • •
Like most commuters from the Southtowns, we love the Skyway and had to suffer when going downtown after 9 a.m. when they repaired it. We were Rep. Higgins supporters but can no longer complain to him because he no longer represents the Southtowns. If he did, I believe his position might be different. We also believe the money would be better spent in the city and not wasted tearing down our recently rebuilt Skyway.
– George Pfahler
The boulevard plan calls for at-grade and elevated roads, seven new bridges, and the removal of three bridges along a 2.6-mile stretch from Route 5/Tifft Street to a new on-ramp at Seneca Street.
• • •
I am vehemently opposed to removing the Skyway for the following reasons:
1. The Skyway has been a part of my life since my first job in downtown Buffalo in 1969. I travel it sometimes daily and the efficiency and beautiful views are breathtaking.
2. The Buffalo Skyway/Fuhrman Boulevard complex is an extremely efficient highway corridor that acts more like an Interstate Highway than an Urban Roadway. Everyday, 22,000 vehicles head north into the city of Buffalo and 22,000 vehicles go out of the city towards points south.
3. New York State just spent $30 million dollars and two years of construction to rehab the bridge which will make it good for many years. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!
4. Buffalo’s Lakeside Commerce Park continues to grow and to add many additional trucks that use this highway daily.
5. Town of Hamburg has recently approved the Amazon Warehouse Project, just south of the Skyway, which with the recently completed FedEx Project will generate considerable truck traffic.
6. While Congressman Higgins and Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation believe that by removing the Skyway they can open up development on the Outer Harbor, many environmental groups oppose any development on the Outer Harbor as evidenced by the public outcry over the now abandoned Freezer Queen redevelopment project proposed by developer Gerald Buchheit (known as Queen City Landing).
7. As a young man, I witnessed the landfilling and garbage disposal (burning) of acres of land on the Outer Harbor west of Fuhrman Boulevard. This land is contaminated and structurally unstable and thus not suitable for development.
8. Congressman Higgins is often quoted as saying the Skyway is “functionally obsolete and structurally deficient" and that it could not be built by today’s standards. Ninety-five percent of all bridges in New York State could not be built under today’s standards.
9. Representatives of Tifft Nature Preserve and other environmental activists state that the proposed alignment for the relocated Route 5 adjacent to the Nature Preserve would have adverse environmental effects on it.
10. If anyone thinks that by pushing the existing traffic onto city streets (even with synchronized signalization) will help to revitalize those sections of the city, they’re dreaming. Just look at the Hamlet of Woodlawn. No one stops there. People are trying to get from their homes to their jobs and back in the evenings ASAP!
11. Finally, to pay for the design, acquisition of right-of-way, construction and add potential time delays when we have a perfectly good highway into the city is just ridiculous.
– Michael Sendor
• • •
We've seen a few costly mistakes in my lifetime, such as closing Main Street. Lately, we've seen proposals to cut the Skyway in half and make it a "CloudWalk" to building a tunnel to putting the Comet on top.
I suggest we cover the Skyway with glass panels so to keep it open 365 days – 24/7. Just think – no plowing, no salt, no police to sit at either end when closed and no wind WIND blowing us from lane to lane.
"Save Our Skyway" by building a Sky-Tube. Please, let's not make another mistake.
– Leon J. Colucci
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Previous to the Skyway's opening, reaching downtown Buffalo with its stores, government and insurance offices was a 25-minute ride on a bus possible with traffic lights at Gate One of Bethlehem Steel, Hanna Blast Furnaces, the Union Ship Canal Bridge, the Tifft Street traffic light, the Ohio Street traffic lights, the Ganson Street traffic light the Louisiana Street bridge with its hourly ship closures and more traffic lights in Buffalo. The 7-minute drive with the Skyway route was heaven. Whoever tears it down will be faced with shame forever.
– James Drozdowski Sr.
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I believe the Skyway is a beautiful, curving piece of architecture. Stand at Canalside and look up and appreciate its beauty. I don't understand where the preservationists are when you need them.
I did not live in Buffalo when it was built, but from knowledge in Rochester, many of the ironworkers who worked on bridge projects were Native Americans. This is a tribute to their hard work and dedication.
The Skyway is not the ugly part. It is the 190 section by the waterfront. That section could be spruced up, paved and even have artwork or murals to improve the appearance.
This route does not divide any neighborhoods and provides easy access for commuters from the Southtowns. I commuted it for 30 years. It was a safe, efficient way to reach downtown.
– Judy Powers
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Money should be spent on more important efforts that involve putting communities back together (such as the Scajaquada and Route 33) and fixing our potholed roads.
– Linda Grant
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I am vehemently opposed to getting rid of the Skyway. Let’s not make yet another mistake such as the location of the University of Buffalo and the Bills stadium – plus Routes 198 and 33 and closing Main Street to traffic to name a few!
The advantages of keeping the Skyway far outweigh the advantages of tearing it down. I usually agree with big thinking, but not on this issue.
– Charlotte “Sunny” Davis
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To the politicians and developers who want to remove the Skyway: Do NOT remove the Skyway.
This is the main thoroughfare for traffic (46,000 and counting per day) to and from the city.
It is the fastest and most efficient way to move vehicles. As more and more projects and events are moved downtown, the number of vehicles coming and going are only going to increase. Then the special events will create an even bigger logjam.
Trying to route traffic through side streets instead will cause increased pollution from residents as well as pedestrian injuries and death. There simply have been no viable alternatives offered. Then the costs – an estimated $500 million … $500 million! For something not only unnecessary, but causing problems?
Use the money to improve infrastructure, so when it rains sewage doesn’t flow into water – and clean up pollution that’s already there.
– Frances Parisi
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As a Southtowns resident who travels Route 5 into the city, I strongly feel the Skyway should be left alone! Once a new four-lane roadway is built to replace it then and only then, they can remove it, but not any sooner!
Millions of dollars were just spent on repair. Why is everyone in such a hurry to tear it down?
David Leising
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Politicians with no engineering background should never be involved with deciding road construction.
Politicians always lack details:
Before the Skyway can be removed, the Niagara Thruway must be widened to accept increased traffic. a bridge over the Buffalo river must be built. This part is really out there.
Politicians always underestimate costs:
No right of way has been purchased. Cleanup of railroad property is in the mix.
Other Dreams: Channeling traffic through South Park and Seneca streets? Two-lane city streets with on-street parking?
Dumping traffic on Tifft Street after you ride on this new boulevard? Then where do you go? back to Route 5. Is Tifft going to be repaired? South Park and Seneca streets are a mess, too.
Coordinating signals is another major expense.
Time to trash this idea and fix what you have.
John Duengfelder Jr.
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The Skyway should stay in some format — it helps to make Buffalo unique.
Robert Fitzgerald
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I live in Eden. I am definitely opposed to tearing down the Skyway. Doing that would make commuting from the Southtowns the nightmare it was before the Skyway was built. The Skyway harms no neighborhoods and provides a stunning view of the lakefront. It is definitely an asset for Buffalo.
I was born and raised in Chicago where the lakefront has been protected with no commercial development. Buffalo is finally getting better at that. Don’t reverse the progress that has been made by tearing down the skyway. I am old enough to remember Humboldt Parkway and the beautiful neighborhood that it was. The Kensington was definitely a mistake that needs to be corrected.
- Joan Staby
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I support keeping the Skyway. Why? Let me count the ways…
It works.
It affords drivers and riders majestic views on every trip.
It has architectural and functional beauty.
I live in Lake View and can drive to Buffalo easily and quickly.
The alternative routes used during the recent Skyway repair were a nightmare, congested, long delays, poor signage and more.
We just spent a ton of $ to fix up the Skyway and it’s now a dream drive.
The Skyway is Buffalo, past and present. It’s iconic.
Would these would be “talent strategists” be in favor of removing the Brooklyn Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge because they are “pulling us backward?” I’d hate to see these guys go to Europe.
If you want ugly, go for that half-Skyway, destination nowhere.
- Leona Rockwood