Future of the Gardiner Expressway - Nanos Research

Case StudiesDo NothingBuffalo Skyway / Route 5, Buffalo, NYBackgroundOngoing improvement studies to Route 5, alimited access highway on Buffalo’s south side,have prompted city and state leaders to callfor removal of the Buffalo Skyway.The Buffalo Skyway was constructed in 1966.The elevated structure is 360 meters tall (110feet). It approaches downtown Buffalo fromthe south, crossing from the Outer Harborover the Buffalo River. Route 5 is a gradeseparatedhighway to the south and is the onlyhighway that connects to the Skyway. Route 5extends south 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) throughthe Outer Harbor, a manufacturing district onLake Erie.The New York State Department ofTransportation (NYSDOT) undertook studiesin 2006 to improve Outer Harbor access andpotentially replace Route 5 with a boulevard.The studies did not consider alternatives forthe Skyway. Yet because the Skyway is anextension of Route 5, its future is contingenton the EIS outcome.Buffalo’s Mayor and the local Congressmanboth support study of the Skyway’s demolition.They cite another NYSDOT “managementstudy” that shows long-term Skywaymaintenance – ranging from 50 to 75 years –would cost more than demolition. However,the Route 5 EIS recommends a design thatprovides no new bridges over the Buffalo River.Because the Skyway provides the onlyaccess from Route 5 into downtown, therecommended design for Route 5 rules outfuture removal of the Skyway.Urban DesignThe Skyway decreases access to a plannedwaterfront pedestrian and bicycle greenwayand places an urban eyesore on views of LakeErie and the Buffalo skyline. The Skywayis closed frequently due to snow and autoaccidents.Yet its most significant measure may beopportunity cost. Redevelopment of 25 acresof land reclaimed from Skyway demolitionThe Skyway is 360 meters (110 feet) tall.46Future of the Gardiner Expressway