NIAGARA FALLS – New York State will grant Niagara Falls its decades-old wish of removing the Robert Moses Parkway along the upper Niagara Gorge.
State officials for the first time agreed this afternoon to tear out the four-lane highway – which separates pedestrians from unparalleled views of the gorge – and replace it with a true low-speed park road like that in Niagara Falls, Ont.
That two-lane road will be set back hundreds of yards from the rim of the gorge, allowing for the restoration of native plantings and the construction of a new multi-use hiking trail for the growing eco-tourism industry.
Plans call for the Moses to be ripped out from downtown Niagara Falls to Findlay Drive in the city’s North End, and potentially all the way to Lewiston, although the latter part has yet to be determined.
The move would also connect city streets – currently walled off by fences and guardrails – to the breathtaking but largely untapped asset that is the gorge.
New construction – which would not begin for at least two years – would also create a new tourism “node” along the upper gorge corridor by integrating existing attractions with the hiking, biking, fishing, zip-lining and cross-country skiing opportunities afforded by the new trail.
Work will begin immediately on design and engineering work for the portion of the Moses south of Findlay Drive within the city. As that process moves forward, more public input will be gathered on the more controversial stretch between the Niagara Falls city line and Lewiston.
Environmentalists want that portion of the parkway to be completely removed in favor of a pedestrian trail and restored greenery, while business interests in Lewiston and residents in the city’s DeVeaux neighborhood say at least some part of the little-used road should remain.
Depending on which option is selected, the entire project could cost between $30 million and $50 million. Federal officials are attempting to corral funds for the project, which would be completed in four years in a best-case scenario.
An open house with State Parks officials will be held until 7 p.m. at the Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St., to discuss the designs.
More details about the plan can also be found at blogs.buffalonews.com/niagara_views/.
email: cspecht@buffnews.com
State officials for the first time agreed this afternoon to tear out the four-lane highway – which separates pedestrians from unparalleled views of the gorge – and replace it with a true low-speed park road like that in Niagara Falls, Ont.
That two-lane road will be set back hundreds of yards from the rim of the gorge, allowing for the restoration of native plantings and the construction of a new multi-use hiking trail for the growing eco-tourism industry.
Plans call for the Moses to be ripped out from downtown Niagara Falls to Findlay Drive in the city’s North End, and potentially all the way to Lewiston, although the latter part has yet to be determined.
The move would also connect city streets – currently walled off by fences and guardrails – to the breathtaking but largely untapped asset that is the gorge.
New construction – which would not begin for at least two years – would also create a new tourism “node” along the upper gorge corridor by integrating existing attractions with the hiking, biking, fishing, zip-lining and cross-country skiing opportunities afforded by the new trail.
Work will begin immediately on design and engineering work for the portion of the Moses south of Findlay Drive within the city. As that process moves forward, more public input will be gathered on the more controversial stretch between the Niagara Falls city line and Lewiston.
Environmentalists want that portion of the parkway to be completely removed in favor of a pedestrian trail and restored greenery, while business interests in Lewiston and residents in the city’s DeVeaux neighborhood say at least some part of the little-used road should remain.
Depending on which option is selected, the entire project could cost between $30 million and $50 million. Federal officials are attempting to corral funds for the project, which would be completed in four years in a best-case scenario.
An open house with State Parks officials will be held until 7 p.m. at the Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St., to discuss the designs.
More details about the plan can also be found at blogs.buffalonews.com/niagara_views/.
email: cspecht@buffnews.com