Welcome to the Public Information Meeting for the New York Gateway Project. This introductory presentation will give you some of the basic information on the project including: • where we are in the process of the engineering and environmental analysis • what improvements are included with the project • And some of the benefits of these improvements After this presentation, please take your time and review the displays in the back of the meeting room and ask our staff any questions you have about the project. 1
This project is one of several initiatives proposed by Governor Cuomo for the Western New York Area. It is fully funded and is intended to be completed within the next couple of years. Other initiatives on the Governor’s list include the Canalside Project, the Outer Harbor Development and the redevelopment in Downtown Niagara Falls Development and the redevelopment in Downtown Niagara Falls. 2
The project is following the traditional environmental review process established through the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA. As you can see we are currently in the process of developing the draft environmental impact statement and will be having a public hearing in December. You will have another opportunity to review what is proposed and provide input at the public hearing public hearing. The final environmental impact statement and the record of decision will be prepared and completed in the spring of next year, with construction to begin in the summer. 3
The improvements planned for this project include construction of new ramps to and from h i l d f hi j i l d i f d f the existing peace Bridge Plaza. The new ramp from the plaza is called Ramp D and will take you directly off the plaza and onto the northbound thruway. The new ramp to the plaza is called Ramp PN and will take you from Porter Avenue to the Plaza Plaza. The combination of these two new ramps will allow us to remove Baird Drive from Front Park. In conjunction with the new ramps will be improvements to the Shoreline Trail also known as the Riverwalk. The project will also include the replacement of the existing deteriorated Porter Ave. bridge over the thruway and with the removal of Baird Drive, and the replacement of the Porter Ave bridge, improvements will be made to the existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities within Front Park and along Porter Avenue. 4
As noted earlier the construction of the two new ramps will allow the removal of Baird Drive from Front Park. The benefits of removing the road from the park include: • The removal of all vehicles coming through Front Park to get to the Plaza which is about 440 per hour. • The removal of all vehicles coming from the Plaza area through Front Park to Porter Ave. which is about 300 per hour. • It allows for expanded use of soccer fields by neighborhood children in Front Park and adds 4.3 additional acres of contiguous park area. 5
It increases the safety for children playing and citizens walking or biking within Front Park. Elimination of the traffic signal at the north end of Baird Drive at its intersection with Ramp A into the Plaza allows unimpeded flow onto the Peace Bridge. And the reconnection of the pathways within Front Park, without any crossing of busy roads, reduces the possibility for pedestrian and vehicle conflicts. 6
Besides the removal of Baird Drive, the benefits of building Ramp D also include: • The reduction in crisscrossing traffic within the Plaza. • All traffic from Canada will exit the Plaza at one location. • There will be much less confusion for travelers leaving the Plaza. • There will also be better security on the plaza with only one point of ingress and egress • And it will provide for a safer work environment for plaza operators. 7
There are also other benefits of building Ramp PN as well including: • All Canada bound traffic will enter the plaza at one location via Ramp A • This will allow for the removal of the Baird Drive traffic signal and result less idling vehicles. 8
Along with construction of the new ramps, improvements will be made to the existing Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Removal of Baird Drive will result in a safer use of pathways within Front Park. Also, all pedestrians would travel on a new wide multi ‐ use pathway along the south side of Porter Ave and away from the ramps along the north side of Porter Porter Ave and away from the ramps along the north side of Porter. This would also provide for a safer pathway to LaSalle Park . 9
As noted before the project will include the replacement of the Porter Ave. Bridge over the thruway This allows for the multiuse pathway across the south side of the bridge to LaSalle Park. It allows for a narrower roadway (2 or 3 lanes wide) over the bridge It will combines construction of two separate projects It will combines construction of two separate projects And it allows for the widening of the ramps and shoulders on the thruway under the bridge. 10
As a result of the construction of Ramp D to the northbound thruway, the Shoreline Trail, or Riverwalk will be improved. The current Shoreline Trail travels along and passes under the thruway. With the relocation of the trail to stay above the thruway it will provide unobstructed panoramic views to the lake and river via a new overlook panoramic views to the lake and river via a new overlook It provides a better user experience. It eliminates the current underpass at the thruway. And it adds 700 feet of pathway along the water front 11
This concludes our presentation. We encourage you to review the exhibits here today and give us your thoughts via comment sheets that can be filled out and dropped off here today or mailed to the Department of Transportation. You can also email your comments and visit the project website for more information on You can also email your comments and visit the project website for more information on the project. These addresses are on the comment sheet that is available at the registration table. 12
Thank you for you attention and again we encourage you to review the displays here today and ask our staff any questions you may have about the project. Please remember you will have another opportunity to review the progress on the project and give us your comments during the Public Hearing coming up in December. 13
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