We need to make Buffalo/Niagara region a priority to the President-elect (Ira: authority)

[FedupWNY]

For months on tv negociations for bail-outs headline the news stations, and then I received something in my email yesterday. I question if the government should be bailing out such big corporations that have mismanaged their money when the roadways which the automobiles driving on are in such disrepair?

President-elect Obama says he has a plan for fixing our weakened infrastructure, that is good news, if we can get the right support in making the Buffalo/Niagara region a priority.

Thousands of communters use the Grand Island bridges daily, though do they know what they're really driving on? Millions of dollars collected in toll, and the tolls keep increasing, do citizens really know what their money is being used for?

I've received written consent to use the follow pictures in helping to spread awareness of this serious issue. A clear message needs to be put out there that the infrastructure problems in this area is more important than the millions auto corporations are requesting. It has to be known that structural damage to the bridge supports, bridge bearings, sliding plates and most importantly, rust are all valid concerns.

In part, this was what was included in the email:

For decades the Thruway Authority has drilled into the population that they need the toll revenue to maintain the bridges, yet every single year the Thruway Authority has walked away from Grand Island Bridges with millions upon millions of our Toll dollars.

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More images can be found here: SouthBridgePiers

[cheese9988]

There was an article in the Democrat and Chronicle the other day about roadways across NY getting the funding needed for improvements. I don't remember the Grand Island Bridges mentioned. I'll see if I can find the article again.

[JustinH]

After that large bridge fell in Minnesota, channel 2 had a story on our bridges.

All of them scored excellent marks for structural soundness.

Just because it has some rust, does that make it not structurally sound? That metal takes an absolute beating in the winter time..

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by JustinH

After that large bridge fell in Minnesota, channel 2 had a story on our bridges.

All of them scored excellent marks for structural soundness.

Just because it has some rust, does that make it not structurally sound? That metal takes an absolute beating in the winter time..

All of them? Are you sure?

According to the NYSDOT latest Highway Bridge Data: October 30, 2008: South Grand Island bridge, built in 1963, was last inspected 11/30/2007, it's current status is "FO" with a condition rating of 3.828

“Functionally obsolete” refers to a bridge’s inability to meet current standards for managing the volume of traffic it carries, not its structural integrity.

Though, the pictures of crumbling concrete shows us there's a serious problem with the structure of the bridges, and having a condidtion rating of 3.828 highlites the seriousness of it's structural intergrity all the more.

[ckhthankgod]

I've always thought that there should be a program for vocational training, that would include such persons in a grand public works program someway. I think cities across the nation are suffering from infrastructure issues and this would also be a way to produce jobs.

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

I've always thought that there should be a program for vocational training, that would include such persons in a grand public works program someway. I think cities across the nation are suffering from infrastructure issues and this would also be a way to produce jobs.

There are plenty of skilled labor workers in NYS, it's a matter of opportunity means and money to have them employed.

[cheese9988]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

I've always thought that there should be a program for vocational training, that would include such persons in a grand public works program someway. I think cities across the nation are suffering from infrastructure issues and this would also be a way to produce jobs.

Doesn't BOCES provide that sort of thing, for adults and teenagers?

[ocean2026]

I think the political realities would not have it a big priority for Obama. NY isn't a swing state and Buffalo doesn't have much influence in DC.

Maybe a better way to go about it would be to get Obama to make historical preservation a high priority and Buffalo - Detroit and DC would be the prime places to get money to preserve all the great buildings. Unfortunately with all the money wasted by the last administration in Iraq and elsewhere, there probably aren't much funds to go around for projects like this.

[BuffaloTransplant]

Obama got his state votes and won't give a hoot about the area. NYC and the Gov. will get his bonus money..