This morning an impressive group of urban activists and community leaders came together as the Buffalo Waterfront Coalition to announce their opposition to current NYS Department of Transportation plans for Route 5 and Fuhrman Boulevard. Members of the coalition cried out for The Boulevard Alternative – a plan that would see that section of roadway downgraded to an at-grade boulevard. Among these groups present: The Baird Foundation, Buffalo First, Buffalo Preservation Board, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Elmwood Village Association, Greater Buffalo Building Owners and Managers Association, Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier, The League of Women Voters (Buffalo/Niagara), The New Millennium Group of WNY, Partners for a Livable WNY, Preservation Coalition of Erie County, Sierra Club (Niagara Group), and The Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo.
There was also a healthy contingent of politicians who came to show their support for The Boulevard Alternative. Common Council President, David Franczyk said it best when he commented on this upcoming Halloween and the scary thought of resurrecting the ghost of Robert Moses. Village of Hamburg Board Member Michael Cerrone hit a homerun with his sentiments stating that this plan was outrageously outdated, and that the DOT should know better than to continue to destroy our waterfront with their current plans (Supported by Higgins and Spitzer) and to be announced tomorrow at Dug’s Dive). Council Member Micky Kearns and Michael LoCurto voiced their concerns and disbelief that in this day and age Buffalo is still faced with these types of planning decisions.
All of this on the heels of the Buffalo Common Council’s unanimous decision in favor of the Boulevard Alternative. Other members of the growing faction of boulevard supporters include Harvey Garrett, Councilmember Richard Fontana, Andrea Haxton Lackawanna Councilwoman , Congress for New Urbanism, and Smart Mobility. This podcast is led off by Common Council President, David Franczyk. Do yourself a favor and pay close attention to what Village of Hamburg Board Member Michael Cerrone has to say about the DOT – he hits the nail on the head.
Bill Zimmermann
Bill runs Seven Seas Sailing school, and is a staunch waterfront activist. He is also heavily involved with preserving, maintaining, and promoting the South Buffalo Lighthouse. When Bill first started writing for Buffalo Rising, he wrote an article a day for 365 days - each article coincided with a significant historic event that happened in Buffalo on that same day.