Peace Bridge Expansion Project: Good for the local economy?

Why the Peace Bridge expansion can help stimulate growth for the Buffalo/Niagara Region

By Valerie Nicholas

    To understand the current issues with the Peace Bridge Expansion Project, one must know the history of the bridge all together.  In 1927, the present day Peace Bridge was built to celebrate 100 years of long standing friendship of travel and trade between the United States of America and Canada.  Since then, traffic has significantly increased due to the increase in population, and demand in manufactured goods.  The original plan to expand the Peace Bridge was proposed in 1967, with the idea of not to build another bridge, but to widen the existing bridge to five or six lanes.  However, it took six years for authorities to decline the project, claiming that traffic would not increase like they were projecting, and that the cost would be more than needed to spend.
    Again in 1992, the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (PBA) proposed a plan to build a three-lane companion bridge and make building adjustments to the U.S. Plaza, which serves as the sight for any operations the U.S. Customs officials are required to carry out.  This plan was designed and fully permitted and ready for construction to begin in the spring of 1999.  However, in 2000 the project was halted due to the City of Buffalo’s refusal to grant the PBA the land needed to follow through with the major project.  Other concerns included air quality, demands that the new bridge design be changed to a more environmentally and wildlife friendly, as well as many others.
    Even though the terrorism attacks of September 11, 2001 put a damper on recreational travel, the need to improve border functionality, capacity, and security remained.  There is still a necessity to alter the present U.S. Plaza in some way.  In December 2004, Deputy Prime Minister McLellan and Homeland Security Secretary Ridge signed framework to put into place a pre-border clearance that would move all U.S. primary and secondary operations for both commercial and passenger traffic from Buffalo, NY to Fort Erie, Ontario.  This would create a shared border management instead of a plaza improvement.  Once again however, this proposition was shut down and the PBA was back at square one.  In April of 2007, Homeland Security advised the Canadian government that the negotiations for this pre-border clearance had reached a dead-end and could not continue forward with the project because it’s security and law enforcement authorities could not operate their duties correctly in Canada with out violating the Canadian Charter of Rights.  For an example, Canadian officials only fingerprint people when they are getting interrogated or arrested, whereas the United States has the authority to fingerprint anyone they please for any reason.
    In September 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability office confirmed that negotiations had indeed been terminated.  With yet another set back, in August 2009, the Secretary of Homeland Security confirmed that the plan for a pre-border clearance or “Shared Border Management” would no longer be pursued; sending them to the present day option and choice of building a companion bridge and rebuilding and adding on to the existing U.S. Plaza area.
    A lot of people claim that this option is not the friendliest to the Buffalo waterfront neighborhood.  If they continue with this plan, the PBA is forced to demolish over 128 homes and 10 businesses.  What are they planning on doing to accommodate these homeowners and business owners?  And now that the designs are out, available for the public to see, how long will it take to construct something like this?
    According to the General Manager of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, Rob Rienas, this project will not be completed until 2018.  With February 22, 2010 being the deadline for public comments, the preferred bridge design will be included in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which will then be submitted to the Town of Fort Erie and City of Buffalo for approval.  It will also be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration for the Record of Decision.  When approved, property will be acquired first, as well as the detailed engineering and design.  The shortest project to be completed would be the Riverwalk extension; proposed to be completed by 2011.  The plaza construction is projected to take longer than the bridge and will be started first.
    As for the homes and businesses needed to be demolished, they will be bought at market value, based on two appraisals.  All moving, legal fees, closing costs will be covered and occupants will have help finding homes worth slightly more than the homes they are giving up.  This leaves us to the most important question: How will this benefit the Buffalo and Fort Erie communities?  By constructing a second bridge, it will free up traffic coming in and going out.  This will in turn reduce the emissions caused by idling and parked cars that sit and wait to pass through the customs booths.  This new bridge design will also help NEXUS and FAST operate more freely and efficiently like they are meant to be.
    Regardless of the downfalls of this project, there are great benefits for the people, economy, as well as the environment of the City of Buffalo and the Town of Fort Erie; something that will help prosper this great, beautiful city.