State urged to fund second Niagara Scenic Parkway roundabout
As state crews begin preliminary work on the first phase of the removal of the
Mayor
"There's a lot of different things we're trying to accomplish with the project," Dyster said.
"It's not really a parkway. It's a limited-access expressway, which means it's not very useful for the business districts outside the downtown," Dyster said.
Both the
"Routing that traffic through -- rather than around --
Dyster said they hope to include the roundabout in the Transportation Improvement Program. If included, Dyster said, the project would be eligible for federal funds and construction would begin within five years.
The chambers also endorsed state funding for several
Elsewhere in its 2019 state advocacy agenda, the partnership renews familiar positions of area chambers of commerce. The partnership calls for tax relief -- including making the property tax cap permanent -- and opposes any legislation that would impose additional mandates on employers, such as expanding paid family leave, on-call scheduling or expanding insurance mandates.
Naturally, the partnership opposes the New York Health Act, arguing its exorbitant costs would be too much for businesses and taxpayers to bear.
A 2018 study by the
"Employers within the region can only withstand so many tax increases, so much tax burden," Schuler said.
"They're all things that chip away at the economy and the business environment in
Niagara
"I think it's a great idea to help the shoreline, help the residents and businesses along that area," Schuler said.
Calls for a breakwater shielding
Horanburg said wave action and high water within -- rather than outside -- the harbor caused the most damage to
"I think (a breakwater) would have solved 90 percent of the problems that we had," Horanburg said.
Even with relatively normal water levels, Horanburg said, the wave actions interfere with boating at the harbor.
"The water is making it almost impossible to have any docks out because the water is too rough," Horanburg said.
In April,
The initial plans call for a 600-foot breakwater that would shield both the harbor and two, 900-foot-long federal piers, which were submerged under the high water in 2017. The breakwater's length, cost, position and materials will be determined by the study, which is expected to be completed by year's end, Horanburg said.
Local officials hope to secure state funding this year, so that once the study is complete, construction can get underway.
"We want to not only maintain the level of commercial activity there but better position the community to increase that economic opportunity," Loomis said.
Horanburg said he was encouraged by the endorsements. "I think this is the best opportunity we've ever had to get a breakwater built here," he said.
The partnership's 2019 advocacy agenda also called for:
--Eliminating the Scaffolding Law, which places full liability on employers for construction site accidents if there is any employer negligence at all, without taking into account any negligence on the part of the injured employee.
--Expediting border-crossings, including expanding staffing at the
--Investing more heavily in transportation infrastructure to fix deficient roads, highways and bridges.
--Expanding opportunities for workforce development and job-training.
___
(c)2019 the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
Visit the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) at www.niagara-gazette.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Chris Smith: Who’s most likely to save you from the next disaster? You
Residents Face New Risk After Wildfires: Insurers Dropping Their Homeowner Policies
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News