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NEWS & LINKS
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BRIDGE NEWS
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NFBC Summer Border Travel Tips - Commission offers guidance to motorists regarding smoother Can-Am travel
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May 15, 2013... – Today the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) officially welcomed the summer travel season by offering some friendly advice and tips to motorists regarding Can-Am border transit:
Enroll in NEXUS and ExpressPass to help substantially expedite your border crossing experience.
Visit niagarafallsbridges.com on your web-enabled mobile device, follow @NiagaraBridges on Twitter, or call 1-800-715-6722 to obtain updated wait times for Niagara Region international crossings, including the Rainbow, Whirlpool, and Lewiston-Queenston bridges.
Prior to arriving at the border have proper identification ready to present to Customs officers. Such documents include: NEXUS Cards, FAST Cards, Enhanced Driver’s licenses, Enhanced Non-Driver Identification, Permanent Resident Cards, Passports, and U.S. Passport Cards for travelers 16 years of age and older, and birth certificates, naturalization certificates, or Canadian citizenship cards which are acceptable forms of identification for most children 15 years of age and younger. For more information, visit http://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/cross-us-borders and http://cbsa.gc.ca/security-securite/admiss-eng.html.
If traveling with children less than 16 years of age who are not part of your immediate family, obtain and carry a parental note of permission regarding cross-border travel. The note should include each child’s parental contact information and telephone numbers.
Other than essential luggage or vacation supplies, empty your trunk before the trip. Additional belongings in your car may add time to your crossing, as customs agents may perform a visual inspection of the belongings in your car.
Turn off radios and cell phones when approaching Customs inspection booths and speaking with officers.
Remember to roll down the driver and rear passenger windows, remove sunglasses, and make eye contact with Customs officers.
Be sure to declare all fruits, vegetables, plants and plant products, animals, birds, eggs, meat and meat products, as well as items acquired for personal use.
Be patient. Approach inspection booths slowly and follow signage instructions.
Do not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
For more detailed questions, travelers can contact the Canadian Border Services Agency at 1-905-994-6330 or www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at 1-877-227-5511 or www.cbp.gov.
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TRAFFIC ADVISORY AND PUBLIC NOTICE – QUEENSTON PLAZA -Construction activity to result in lane closures
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May 6, 2013... Today the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) announced upcoming summer construction activity that will result in a series of lane closures within the Queenston Plaza. Such closures will commence in early-May and conclude in late-August. Motorists and commercial carriers are asked to take note of these scheduled closure dates (available below), which are now available online at www.niagarafallsbridges.com.
Lane Closures, Route Schedule, and Other Traffic Information:
• During May and June, up to four (4) auto Customs Primary Inspection Lanes will be closed due to plaza construction.
• During July and August, two (2) auto Customs Primary Inspection Lanes will be closed due to plaza construction.
• On the evenings of August 26th, August 27th, and August 28th (between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.), all auto traffic
will be routed through adjacent commercial Cusotms Primary Inspection Lanes.
• Motorists and commercial carriers should anticipate traffic barrier placements and reduced speeds within the Queenston Plaza
during these times.
• The Queenston Plaza Duty Free Store will remain fully open.
• Closure dates and times are subject to change.
This construction activity includes the final set of enhancements to the state-of-the-art Queenston Plaza facility, and is designed to increase security and facilitate the flow of traffic and commerce between Canada and the United States at the Lewiston Queenston Bridge crossing.
The NFBC appreciates the patience and understanding of all motorists, passengers, and commercial carriers during the scheduled lane closure times.
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NIAGARA FALLS BRIDGE COMMISSION ELECTS 2013 OFFICERS
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Thomas G. Pryce is elected Chair
January 31, 2013....At its Annual General Meeting, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC), the bi-national entity that owns and operates the Rainbow, Whirlpool Rapids and Lewiston-Queenston Bridges between Canada and the United States, elected its slate of officers for 2013. Thomas G. Pryce, NY, was elected Chairperson, and Ernest K. Smith, ON, was elected Vice-Chairperson. Kathleen L. Neville, NY, was elected Secretary, and Kenneth E. Loucks, ON, was elected Treasurer. Frank Soda, NY, Janice A. Thomson, ON, Russell G. Quarantello, NY, and Michael J. Goodale, ON, comprise the rest of the NFBC board.
U.S. Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the Governor of the State of New York, and Canadian Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the Premier of the Province of Ontario. All officers hold their respective office for one year until the next annual meeting, unless the Commission deems a change is necessary.
Thomas G. Pryce, a Youngstown, NY resident, was appointed to the Commission in January 2008. He recently retired from the position of Business Manager and Financial Secretary of Iron Workers Local 9, Niagara Falls, NY. He serves as a Trustee for the Iron Workers District Council of Western New York Pension, Welfare and Annuity Funds. A graduate of Plattsburgh State, Mr. Pryce served 12 years as a member and officer of the Lewiston-Porter Board of Education, and sits on several charitable and community development boards.
Appointed to the Commission in November 2009, Mr. Smith, a resident of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is retired from Canada Immigration after more than 31 years of service with experience in such areas as enforcement, operations and intelligence. Since retiring, Mr. Smith has been contracted by the International Region of Citizenship & Immigration Canada to work as a visa officer in England, Hong Kong, Trinidad, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Mr. Smith holds a B.A. from Waterloo Lutheran University (now Wilfrid Laurier University) in Ontario, and a Masters degree from Niagara University in New York State.
Kathleen Neville, a resident of Wilson, NY, was appointed to the Commission in March 2012. A public relations professional, Ms. Neville previously served as senior vice president at Hill and Knowlton Public Relations International in New York City and as a senior consultant at Ketchum Public Relations in Washington, D.C. She is a former executive director of Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo and the author of several non-fiction books and articles on conduct in today’s workplaces and schools. The former television and radio broadcaster obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the Rochester Institute of Technology and received a graduate teaching fellowship in English/Communications from Niagara University.
Dr. Loucks, a resident of Sauble Beach, ON, and formerly of St. Catharines, ON, was appointed to the Commission in April 2006, and served as Chairperson in 2010. Dr. Loucks is Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Business, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, and the holder of HBA, MBA and PhD degrees from the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario. His career in education encompasses appointments at two secondary schools and three universities in Ontario and two adjunct appointments in Australia. He is a specialist in entrepreneurship and business strategy. Throughout his career, Dr. Loucks has maintained an active management consulting practice. He has served as well as a consultant to bilateral and multilateral development agencies in small enterprise creation and economic development programming with assignments in over 30 countries. During his career he has served on numerous public and private sector boards and commissions.
Appointed to the Commission in March 2012, Mr. Soda retired in 2010 after a 41-year teaching career. He resides in Niagara Falls, NY, and holds a BA and MA from Niagara University and an MS from Buffalo State College. He taught at Niagara Falls High School for 23 years and is also an adjunct at Erie Community College and Niagara University. A former Niagara Falls City Council member, twice, he also served on the Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency.
Ms. Thomson, a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, was appointed to the Commission in April 2006 and has previously served as Secretary, following two years as Chairperson (2007 and 2008). She was actively involved in the recent reconstruction of the Queenston Plaza, serving as liaison between the Board of Commissioners and the Design and Construction Team. She presently occupies the position of Executive Director of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau, and previously held executive management positions at the national offices of Jaguar Canada and BMW Canada over an 18-year period. Ms. Thomson also serves as Chair of the Niagara Parks Commission, a board member of the Niagara Foundation and Project Niagara (Toronto Symphony-National Arts Centre), and serves on many tourism-related committees within Niagara.
Mr. Quarantello was appointed to the Commission in March 2012 and resides in Lewiston, NY. He currently serves as the Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #237. Mr. Quarantello is a master electrician who has worked for numerous electric contractors over the years, including the Carborundum Co., Viatran Corp., and the U.S. Small Business Administration. He was elected to his position as the union local’s principal officer in 2007.
Appointed to the NFBC in August 2008, Mr. Goodale most recently served as Chairperson. Mr. Goodale, a Grimsby, ON, resident, is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services Division and Chief Administrative Officer for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Mr. Goodale has worked in the Ontario Public Service for over 30 years in a variety of progressively responsible positions with the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Finance. A graduate of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Mr. Goodale holds a combined honours degree in Economics and Urban Geography.
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NFBC Issues Rules for Rainbow Bridge Friday -Wallenda walk traffic stresses bridges over the Niagara
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June 13, 2012...The Rainbow Bridge, the closest international crossing to Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk across the Niagara River Gorge Friday, will be open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic as usual, but cannot be used as a viewing platform.
Pedestrians will not be able to use the bridge, one of three operated by the bi-national Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, as an observation deck. Increased security will move foot and motorized traffic across the bridge at their usual paces.
The commission is warning of heavy traffic and an exceptionally large turnout of people for the historic event Friday evening. Even though the actual tightrope walk is not until 10:20 p.m., people should cross well in advance to avoid backups.
“While we want to maintain ‘business as usual’ on the Rainbow, and all our bridges Friday night into early Saturday, we must make sure that people understand they cannot use the bridge as an observation platform. All traffic must keep moving across the bridge,” said NFBC General Manager Lew Holloway.
Engineers know the bridge’s load limits and while the structure can easily handle wall-to-wall people and cars, safety comes first and no overcrowding of the bridge will be permitted, he said, especially during the walk.
Pedestrians may technically walk halfway out onto the bridge and return to the same side they left, but authorities are discouraging that. And any pedestrians returning to either side after walking on the bridge will have to meet immigration requirements, even if they did not cross into another country.
All regular crossing rules apply in all cases. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a U.S. law, requires all travelers to the United States to present a valid passport or another approved secure document at the border. Acceptable forms of identification for both U.S. re-entry and entry into Canada that also meet the requirements of the WHTI include a passport, a NEXUS card, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card and an enhanced driver's license.
Because of the Wallenda event, higher-than-normal traffic volumes are also anticipated at the Lewiston/Queenston Bridge and the Peace Bridge. The NFBC’s NEXUS-only Whirlpool Bridge will be open in Niagara Falls until 2 a.m. Saturday to better serve cardholders.
The commission and other border-crossing agencies offer a host of information sources via the web, Twitter, toll-free phone lines and radio broadcasts. To help ensure smooth and rapid crossings of its three Niagara River bridges Friday and early Saturday NFBC officials also reminded motorists to take advantage of NEXUS, and choose non-peak travel times as often as possible.
The Rainbow Bridge will have 18 open car-inspection lanes into the U.S. and 15 into Canada. The Whirlpool Bridge is NEXUS-only from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. in both directions, which helps to move motorists across as fast as possible.
Travelers Tips:
• Call the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission’s toll free number at 1-800-715-6722 or call 511 for the latest traffic updates
• Tune to radio to 1610 AM.
• Visit any of the following websites: www.cbp.gov, www.cbsa.gc.ca, www.nittec.org, www.peacebridge.com, http://niagarafallsbridges.com/traffic_conditions.php3
• Note the NITTEC highway dynamic message signs with posted delays beyond 30 minutes
• Register at www.mynittec.org to receive a free personalized email or text notification of border and regional traffic information.
• Access Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBSA_BWT
• Have a passenger use a cell phone to access travel information at wap.gc.ca or www.gc.ca
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Three New Members Join Bridge Commission -Governor appoints commissioners from New York
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May 31, 2012... Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed three new U.S. Commissioners to the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, the bi-national board that oversees three international bridges over the Niagara River.
They are Kathleen Neville, a public relations professional and former executive director of Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo; Russell Quarantello, a Lewiston resident and business manager of IBEW Local #237; and Francis Soda, a retired social studies teacher at Niagara Falls High School and a Niagara Falls resident.
Each serves at the governor’s behest for an undetermined duration, as does the fourth American commissioner.
The new Commissioners replace Norma Higgs, Patrick Brown and Linda DiPasquale, all of whom lived in Niagara County and represented Western New York. They join Commission Vice-Chair Thomas G. Pryce and the four Canadian Commissioners; Michael Goodale, Chair; Ernest Smith; Janice Thomson; and Kenneth Loucks.
“We are pleased to have the three new Commissioners join us in our mission to facilitate commerce and the movement of goods and people safely and efficiently across our international border,” said Goodale. “Their varied backgrounds and experiences will help immeasurably with the work the Commission must accomplish in the next few years.”
The Commission operates the Lewiston-Queenston, Rainbow and NEXUS-only Whirlpool bridges. The Commission was created by a joint resolution of the 1938 U.S. Congress. The Extra Provincial Corporations Act of the Province of Ontario, Canada licenses the NFBC. Canada and the U.S. are equally represented on the eight-member Board of Commissioners.
Established to finance, construct and operate the Rainbow Bridge, the Commission proved sufficiently efficient and effective to assume responsibilities for the Whirlpool Rapids and Lewiston-Queenston bridges as well. The Commission builds and maintains facilities for Customs and Immigration functions on both sides of the border. The NFBC is self-supportive, largely through tolls and private-sector Customs broker leases. The Commission is federally chartered to conduct international commercial financial transactions and issue federal (U.S.) tax-exempt bonds.
No other single factor contributes more to tourism growth – indeed the export trade economy overall – than the NFBC's three bridges. Niagara Falls crossings rank second only to Kennedy International Airport as the busiest port of entry between the United States and Canada. If you are about to travel over the Niagara River Gorge, your vehicle will take one of about 7.8 million passages expected this year on NFBC bridges.
Trade traversing the U.S.-Canada border exceeds $1 billion per day. Niagara Falls crossings ring up $26 billion per year. That's $3 million rolling over the three bridges every hour. More than 500,000 U.S. and Canadian jobs depend on export traffic traveling across NFBC connectors.
Neville, who operates Neville Consultants, was senior vice president at Hill and Knowlton Public Relations in New York City and worked for Ketchum Public Relations in Washington, D.C. She was also an associate member of the Niagara County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The former television and radio broadcaster graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology and received a graduate fellowship in English/communications from Niagara University.
Quarantello is a master electrician who worked for numerous electric contractors over the years and also at Carborundum Co., Viatran Corp., and the U.S. Small Business Administration. He was elected to his position as the union local’s principal officer in 2007.
Soda retired in 2010 after a 41-year teaching career. He holds a BA and MA from Niagara University and an MS from Buffalo State College. He taught at Niagara Falls High School for 23 years and is also an adjunct at Erie Community College and Niagara University. A former Niagara Falls City Council member, twice, he also served on the Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency.
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Easter/Passover Weekend Plans for Niagara Bridges - Travel on Lewiston-Queenston, Rainbow, Whirlpool expected similar to ‘11
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April 4, 2012...Easter and Passover weekend holiday passage over the Niagara River on the three bridges the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission operates is expected to be heavy, but similar to 2011.
The number of open Canadian and American inspection lanes should be the same this year as in 2011.
Because the two religious holidays often arrive on different dates – Easter was April 22-25, 2011; April 2-5, 2010 and April 10-13 2009 – comparisons cannot be exact. But total 24-hour, four-day weekend volume for cars the previous three years was the following:
Lewiston, U.S. bound, 2011, 20,016; 2010, 20,242; 2009, 20,473.
Lewiston, Canada bound, 2011, 23,712; 2010, 18,191; 2009, 18,403.
Rainbow, U.S. bound, 2011, 25,757; 2010, 19,391; 2009, 19,606.
Rainbow, Canada bound, 2011, 20,771; 2010, 19,519; 2009, 19,756.
Peak times for crossing tended to be mid-afternoon to evening, with no waits several mornings before 10 a.m.
The NEXUS-only Whirlpool Rapids Bridge rarely has any delays.
“The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission again urges travelers using its three bridges to choose off-peak hours to cross, have appropriate documents ready, take advantage of NEXUS use and if they have purchases or other materials to declare to have them out for inspection,” said Lew Holloway, commission general manager.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a U.S. law, requires all travelers to the United States to present a valid passport or another approved secure document at the border. Acceptable forms of identification for both U.S. entry and re-entry into Canada that also meet the requirements of the WHTI include a passport, a NEXUS card, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card and an enhanced driver's license.
“The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission works closely with Customs on both sides of the border to speed the flow of travelers as much as it can,” Holloway said. “We must all keep in mind duty, tax and security considerations and be patient when crossing. People should know that we’re doing all we can to make our bridge operations as efficient and effective as possible.”
“It helps everyone if travelers plan to cross at off-peak hours,” he added.
Travelers Tips:
• Calling the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission’s toll free number at 1-800-715-6722 or call 511 for the latest traffic updates
• Tuning to radio to 1610 AM.
• Visiting any of the following websites: www.cbp.gov, www.cbsa.gc.ca, www.nittec.org, www.peacebridge.com, http://niagarafallsbridges.com/traffic_conditions.php3
• Noting the NITTEC highway dynamic message signs with posted delays beyond 30 minutes
• Registering at www.mynittec.org to receive a free personalized email or text notification of border and regional traffic information.
• Accessing Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBSA_BWT
• Have a passenger use a cell phone to access travel information at wap.gc.ca or www.gc.ca
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NFBC AWARDS $100,000 FOR FALLS AIRPORT PLAN--Grant for master plan in line with economic development commitment
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LEWISTON, NY Jan. 5, 2012 – The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, operator of three bridges between the United States and Canada, today announced a $100,000 grant to help achieve a master plan for the Niagara Falls International Airport.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which operates the airport, received $970,000 for the master plan study last month as a result of the state’s Regional Economic Development Council [REDC] process. The plan would begin this year and the NFBC grant would cover about 10 percent of the study’s cost.
NFBC General Manager Lew Holloway and NFBC Board Chairman Patrick D. Brown informed NFTA officials of the grant decision in an Oct. 25, 2011 letter. They designed the grant and its timing to aid the airport in the REDC decision-making process that was occurring at that time.
In their letter, Brown and Holloway wrote to the NFTA:
“Facilitating the transportation of bi-national cargo is aligned with the mission of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, which is to ‘build, maintain and operate Niagara River border crossings to facilitate commerce and the movement of goods and people in a safe and efficient manner.’ ”
NFBC operates the Lewiston-Queenston, Rainbow and NEXUS-only Whirlpool bridges.
“As you know, the [airport] has experienced impressive growth since the new passenger terminal opened in 2009,” NFTA Board Chairman Henry M. Sloma wrote to Brown. “Your [board’s] investment shows that development of the [airport] will help facilitate efficient bi-national travel and commerce and foster economic success in the Niagara region.”
“An updated master plan is needed to accommodate this exciting aviation activity and coordinate millions of dollars in future capital projects,” NFTA Executive Director Kimberly A. Minkel wrote Dec. 13, 2011 to Holloway. “I strongly believe that the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission’s commitment of $100,000 to the project was a deciding factor for the REDC. It clearly illustrates the link between [airport] development and the Niagara region’s future economic success.”
In the first 11 months of 2011, 87,942 outbound passengers took flights out of the Niagara Falls airport, which is on Niagara Falls Boulevard in the Town of Wheatfield, a 190 percent increase from the same period in 2010, NFTA officials said. By way of comparison, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, also operated by the NFTA, reported 2.4 million outbound passengers for the first 11 months, down 0.51 percent from the 2.41 million handled during the first 11 months of 2010.
Earlier this week, the Niagara Falls International Airport Stakeholders Group announced a goal of $1 million to market the airport in 2012. The group expects to include representation and revenue from Niagara County, the City of Niagara Falls, the county Industrial Development Agency, Niagara USA Chamber, the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp., the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, Fashion Outlets Mall and the Niagara Falls Hotel-Motel Association, among others.
“Our pledge of funding to the NFTA for its master plan is demonstrative of the commission’s interest in the economies of both the United States and Canada” Brown said.
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Bridge News