NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3777
SPONSOR: Burke TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to establishing the "Fallen
Skywalkers Memorial Bridge"
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To rename a portion of the state highway constituting the bridge on
route five as the "Fallen Skywalkers Memorial Bridge."
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the highway law by adding a new section 343-dd to
rename a portion of route five in Buffalo as the "Fallen Skywalkers
Memorial Bridge."Section 2 directs the commissioner of transportation to
provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate signing as
designated in section 1 of this act.Section 3 establishes the effective
date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The elevated section of Route 5, commonly referred to as the Skyway, was
constructed in 1955 by a group of ironworkers from across the state, who
took on an extremely dangerous job in order to construct the elevated
portion necessary so that ships and commerce could still access storage
silos and factories along the Buffalo River. Many of these ironworkers
were of Native American descent, including members of the Seneca Nation.
These ironworkers called themselves the "Skywalkers", due to the
requirement that they work at extreme heights to install the steel need-
ed for the project. Three Skywalkers passed away while working were
Gatlin White, Daniel Smith, and Mitchell LeClair. Mitchell LeClair, who
passed away at the age of 30, left behind his family and a daughter who
was born hwo days after the death of her father. Passing this legis-
lation will help recognize the work the Skywalkers performed in
constructing this project and will also honor the Skywalkers who passed
away while building the elevated roadway used by so many New Yorkers
today.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022: A3544 referred to transportation2020: A6469 referred to
transportation2019: A6469 referred to transportation 06/05/23 referred
to transportation 01/03/24 referred to transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Minimal to the state.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3777
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BURKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to establishing the "Fallen
Skywalkers Memorial Bridge"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 343-ddd
2 to read as follows:
3 § 343-ddd. Portion of the state highway system to be designated and
4 known as the "Fallen Skywalkers Memorial Bridge". All that portion of
5 the state highway system constituting the bridge on route five which
6 crosses over Fuhrmann boulevard on the south end and spans the Buffalo
7 waterfront until intersecting at the north end with Church street and
8 turns into Delaware avenue in the city of Buffalo in Erie County, shall
9 be designated and known as the "Fallen Skywalkers Memorial Bridge".
10 § 2. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the instal-
11 lation and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system
12 as designated pursuant to section one of this act; provided that, to
13 avoid any confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce,
14 the designation called for pursuant to section one of this act shall be
15 one of ceremonial nature and the official name of such bridge shall not
16 be changed as a result of this act.
17 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08061-01-5
