Schumer: Tear out Parkway, but just southern portion

Standing on a small strip of grass between the Robert Moses Parkway and the Fourth Street off-ramp, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer emphatically demanded a stretch of the waterfront highway be ripped out on Monday.

He later clarified, however, that just because he’d come to Western New York in an effort to get the project “fast tracked,” Schumer's only intent on eliminating the southern portion of the road.

Hesaid he has no plans to intervene in the fight over the northern portion of the highway, which links Niagara Falls to Lewiston and Youngstown.

“I’ll leave that up to the local folks. When the local folks determine that’s something is good and needed, and the facts bear that out, my job is to bring federal dollars,” Schumer said. “As I understand it, the northern part has a lot of support and some opposition and if the community becomes united in what to do there, I’d work to get federal funding there, too.”

Making Schumer’s comments poignant, a pair of stern opponents stood behind him – Niagara County legislator and former Village of Lewiston Mayor Richard Soluri, an advocate for keeping northern stretch of the parkway in tact; and Bob Baxter of the Niagara Heritage Partnership, who has long pleaded for full removal of the section.

While Schumer stayed out of the fray in terms of the northern stretch of highway, he called on Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to help in what’s expected to be a $15 million demolition on the southern stretch.

With Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster at his side, Schumer outlined a plan that could free the space along the water, allowing more access from the nearby Buffalo Avenue Heritage District Revitalization Strategy.

According to Schumer, the plan to fast track the project would mean it could take “months rather than years” to get started. He also added that funding for transportation projects, like another that he also announced on Monday that will get the City of Buffalo $15 million to help the reconversion of Main Street to allow vehicle traffic, is part of a strategy that links transportation to economic development.

“Right now, the Robert Moses Parkway stands like a Berlin Wall with the waterfront on one side and the city on the other,” Schumer said. “Today, our message to the feds is clear: Mr. Transportation Secretary, tear down this road.”