Future of the Gardiner Expressway - Nanos Research

would return US $47.5 million. Altogether,an at-grade configuration would open up77 acres to redevelopment, much of whichwould be sold by NYSDOT. In addition, theat-grade alternative makes redevelopment ofBuffalo’s Inner Harbor waterfront area complex.Similarly, Route 5, in its present configuration,reduces potential Outer Harbor development.The broad benefits from replacing Route 5and the Skyway with at-grade roads are publicwaterfront connections and new developmentopportunities. Urban design considerations,however, are for the most part absentfrom the NYSDOT EIS. The recommendedalternative, for example, leaves in place thehighway embankment, a significant physicaland visual barrier. The alternative alsorecommends expanding a parallel serviceroad – Furhmann Boulevard. Doing so usesland for infrastructure and offers minimal newwaterfront access.ProcessNYSDOT evaluated four alternatives forRoute 5: no action; modifying ramps andinterchanges; replacement with a six-laneboulevard; and a hybrid of the modify andboulevard alternatives.The selection of the second alternative –modify – appears most directly based on cost.All four alternatives scored roughly equalwhen evaluated against quantitative andqualitative objectives. These ranged from levelof-serviceand travel time to waterfront accessand neighborhood impact. Yet the secondalternative’s estimated cost was US $95.1million, whereas the boulevard’s was US $124million.Despite NYSDOT’s recommendation to retainthe Skyway and Route 5, several public andprivate waterfront developments are planned.The “Greenbelt” project will spend US $14million to improve 2 kilometers (1.25 miles)of Lake Erie Shoreline. A 12.5-acre, US $53million redevelopment project was recentlycompleted in Buffalo’s Inner Harbor. Another$100 million of other cultural and civicimprovements for the waterfront are alsoplanned.While the Mayor and Congressman supportfurther study for Skyway demolition, decisionmakingauthority rests with NYSDOT.LESSONS of the buffalo skyway• At-grade alternative offers opportunity for state to recapture valueof public infrastructure investment by selling land reclaimedthrough highway removal.• Current NYSDOT recommendation uses waterfront land forinfrastructure development and fragments existing developmentparcels.View of Skyway facing south.Route 5 is a significant barrier to the Outer Harbor.SECTION V: Case studies 47