Senate Passes Legislation To Dedicate Bridge After Interstate 86 Champion

Bridge will be dedicated in memory of Susan Foster Myers

ALBANY – Susan Foster Myers, a former Councilwoman on the Board of the Town of Friendship and a former Allegany County Legislator, will soon be posthumously honored for her efforts to improve life in Allegany County and across the region.

This week, Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I-Olean) helped guide legislation that will name the bridge that crosses Interstate 86 over State Route 275 in Susan’s honor.

“Susan Foster Myers, an Allegany County resident for over 45 years, was a devoted public servant and champion of many economic development initiatives. Among Sue’s most passionate projects was the designation of Route 17 as Interstate 86, because she felt it would have such a positive economic impact on both Allegany County and the Southern Tier as a whole,” said Senator Young.

“Today, Interstate 86 serves as the lifeblood of our community for residents, commerce and visitors; but without Sue’s dedicated efforts, we wouldn’t have this incredible asset. The designation of this bridge is only a small token of appreciation for her hard work and diligence in bringing the project to fruition,” Senator Young said.

The legislation passed the Senate on Monday and now goes to the Assembly for approval.

Susan Foster Myers began her campaign to have State Route 17 designated as an interstate by collecting a petition of about a thousand signatures and personally delivering them to then Congressman Amo Houghton. She became co-chair of a three-county task force to get the road designated as an interstate, and served in that position for about 15 year.

After the newly designated Interstate began to disintegrate, Ms. Myers launched a campaign to have the highway rebuilt in Allegany County. After learning that the road was not on New York State's upgrade plan until up to 12 years in the future, she began to stop along I-86 and pick up broken chunks of the road, and wrote I-86 and the date on them. She would take these to the offices of state and federal legislators, and Department of Transportation officials, and give the broken pieces of roadway to them as paperweights for their desks. The strategy was successful, and repairs to the road were completed in 2006, almost six years earlier than originally scheduled.

First elected to the Board of the Town of Friendship in 1990, Susan was re-elected to a full term in 1991. She was elected to the Allegany County Legislature in fall 1994, devoting herself full time to the Legislature. Susan was re-elected in 1997 and 2001, each time to four year terms.

Ms. Myers was appointed to the board of the Friendship Free Library in 1991, serving as an active board member until her passing in 2014. While a member of the board, she served in nearly all its offices, including as President of the Board for about 10 years.

Along with her work as a public officer, Susan Foster Myers also served on the board of Southern Tier West (Chairing its Transportation Committee), the Genesee Valley Greenway Board and the Seneca Trail Resource Conservation and Development board (serving as the New York State R C & D organization Vice President). She was chairman of the 2000 U.S. Census effort in Allegany County and became the Chair of the Board of the Friendship-Cuba Economic Development Zone (EDZ) in 2000, continuing as a member of that board until the State of New York discontinued the EDZ Boards in 2009. Prior to her passing, she was also a member of the Allegany County Youth Board.

Susan and her husband, Alan Wayne Myers, were married on August 28, 1965, after first meeting while exploring a cave in Albany, New York. She was a loving mother to two sons, Charles Edwin Myers Ph.D. and Trent Alan Myers, and grandmother of four, Rachel, Joshua, Jessica and Hannah Myers.

Susan passed on March 14, 2014 following a heart attack while she and her husband were traveling overseas.

“Susan Foster Myers was a true champion for our region and tremendous public servant because she was so passionate about bettering the lives of those around her. Allegany County lost a tremendous woman when she passed, and I am proud to have this opportunity to honor her for her work,” Senator Young said.