Staff Reports
The debate goes on. Should that part of the Robert Moses Parkway along the rim of the Niagara River gorge stay or be removed?
Consider some questions. When the parkway was constructed, why was it placed so close to the river in the City of Niagara Falls, yet mostly far from the river from the city to Lake Ontario?
Is the view of the upper river so much better than that of the lower river? Certainly not.
Why don’t people living north of the city demand that the parkway be moved close to the river? That would surely provide a spectacular view and shorten the time to travel from the city to Lewiston and Youngstown.
Would the people living north of the city want to preserve access to the river and the natural scenery? Probably.
Residents of Niagara Falls would also like access to the river and natural scenery. They would also prefer traffic in the city, not around it.
When the popular summer concerts are held at Artpark, traffic increases considerably in and around the Village of Lewiston, including residential streets and roads. Isn’t that hazardous?
Some residents in the DeVeaux section of Niagara Falls are concerned about an increase in traffic on Lewiston Road if the parkway is removed The increase there will probably be much less than that in Lewiston during the concerts.
Lewiston Road provides pleasant views of DeVeaux Woods State Park, the gorge, the Niagara Power Project and Niagara University. There is also easy access to Whirlpool State Park and Devil’s Hole State Park.
There are other ways to go to places north of the city. The I-190 connects with the parkway in Lewiston. Hyde Park Boulevard connects with Lewiston Road by Niagara University. Military Road connects with the parkway and Lewiston Road just south of the escarpment.
The parkway along the gorge should be removed. There shouldn’t be a four-lane street or highway by the gorge. Access to the gorge should be made from the city. The city would prosper and visitors would be pleased.
The gorge rim should become an extension of t he Olmsted Reserve established by the falls in 1885.
Paul Gromosiak
Niagara Falls
