After reading the letter from the Niagara Heritage Partnership concerning, ways to revitalize Main Street and the parkway sections of the city, I decided to do two things I hadn't done in some time: drive the Robert Moses from Lewiston to the falls and go up Main Street.

So, on a Friday, at rush hour I drove up the parkway. There was one other car headed to the falls for most of the way. Headed down to Lewiston, there were a few more. As I passed the Power Vista, I noticed much more traffic on route 104. Also, I noticed no designating where Main Street was. If I hadn't been familiar with the area, I would have missed the exit. The parkway serves to divert traffic from Main Street. The section of Main Street near the Whirlpool Bridge is just awful. It resembles more of a ghost town than part of an international city. Though my examples are anecdotal, they served to confirm to me what I have sensed for some time now: That section of the Robert Moses is a waste, both aesthetically and functionally, and has had an effect in the disintegration of Main Street.

And so, after checking these things out, I believe that the Niagara Heritage I Partnership's idea of redeveloping Main Street, in conjunction with removing that section of the parkway, has significant merit. Granted, at present, there aren’t many reasons to want to go to Main Street, which is why I think it is essential that both things occur.