The Skyway vs. the rest of Buffalo
By: CindyK. There’s much hype and political propaganda about the idea of tearing the Skyway down. Politicians are using the idea as campaigning stepping-stones for themselves or others. In my thinking, it’s but one roadway in the City, and I wondered much about the rest of the streets around Buffalo. Or even just my area of South Buffalo.
I can’t see the investing of billions of dollars to take care of a perfectly good piece of infrastructure as the streets throughout the City of Buffalo continue to be neglected over the years. My fight for Seneca Street is just the tip of the iceberg, you could say. For anyone, even the politicians who want the skyway torn down, I ask that you take a good, long look around your own neighborhood and consider which would be a more benefiting priority…. the Skyway or the rest of the City of Buffalo?
Would taking down one perfectly sound bridge help the city more than the fixing of our streets first?
While these pictures aren’t all, it’s a good enough example in asking our elected leaders to take priority over the areas of which they are elected into. I’m sharing with you the neighborhood in South Buffalo, from Indian Church to Mineral Springs, and from Frank St. to North Legion (without reposting any pictures of Seneca Street, which is center-parallel with Frank & N. Legion)
From your own neighborhood or looking at these pictures, I wonder what part of infrastructure is really more important to a political agenda on “commitment to the City” and “working together with the people of Buffalo”… And providing our city with the best possible services to the neighborhoods, all of the neighborhoods, not just the areas that would help a congressman get re-elected.
Imagine having no skyway, but the same neglected streets which get worse after every winter.
How much federal money would it take to redo every street in the city first before thinking of spending all of our hard-earned taxes on just one road?
Maybe the mayor shuld have the driver of his city owned car that he needs 24/7 drive him to check these streets out. They really make people want to invest in the neighborhood.
Comment by chili willie — August 27, 2008 @ 7:57 am
Everyone sees the Skyway. Bitching about it is trendy, and you can use words like waterfront access. The streets are a quality of life issue that does not get the attention it deserves.
Hell, Niagara Falls has more problems than Buffalo, and they were able to patch up Buffalo Avenue. Why can’t our city follow that lead?
Comment by Pauldub — September 1, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
That’s what I don’t understand, “waterfront access”… how are we to have any kind of access in walking to the waterfront, and trying to cross 4 lanes of heavy traffic because cars, trucks, etc. have been brought to ground level?
I just don’t know how people can subcribe to the idea of tearing down a perfectly sound roadway when so many other areas lack decent infrastructure.
Paul, my dear friend, the City of Buffalo (it seems) is one huuuuge “patch job”
it’s time our politicians put aside their “pie in the sky” ideals until the rest of their districts are of good quality living conditions. To put it mildly, we’re like starved dogs begging for scraps off the (politcal) dinner table, yet these people still expect us to give them our votes come election day. 
What good will it do anyone if the waterfront is pristine while the rest of Buffalo looks like shit?
Comment by Cindyk — September 1, 2008 @ 6:24 pm