Congressman Higgins, Tear Down The Skyway
Posted in Buffalo, The Skyway on Dec 8th, 2008
Brian Higgins, according to Buffalo Rising, say eliminating the Skyway “makes sense” financially.
On the basis of a newly-released New York State Department of Transportation study, Congressman Brian Higgins said, “This report, completed in October of this year, confirms what many in this community have argued for some time – maintaining the Skyway comes at a much higher price to this region than demolishing it will.”
Bridge rehab costs, projected to be $125 million over the next 75 years, coupled with a reduced average daily traffic volume led Higgins to make this claim. Preliminary estimates place the cost of Skyway demolition between $30 and $40 million.
The report, released by the NYSDOT, was called for by Higgins in August of 2007. The “New York State Route 5 Buffalo Skyway Management Study” outlines maintainance costs along with bridge usage.
Higgins surmised, “If we don’t pay the price to demolish this 52 year-old structure, this community will pay the price in terms of lost development opportunity and future maintenance expenses for years to come.”
I am all for removing the Skyway. I drive over it every day on my way to work. I just wish Brian Higgins was a bit wore serious about getting rid of it. Right now, he hasn’t convinced me he is interested in doing anything but talk about getting rid of it. This summer, he said that for ”the next five or 10 years, the Skyway will continue to be subject to debate,” despite the fact that for years he has argued that the bridge wasn’t safe.
If the safety of his constituents wasn’t a good enough reason to move with haste to tear down the Skyway, are really expected to believe saving taxpayer dollars will motivate Higgins?
