Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard to install more lights on a Lake Ontario pier to increase nighttime visibility for boaters.
“Installing lights is no brainer," says Schumer during a stop in Rochester on Monday. “It's a simple solution that has the potential to save lives.”
The Summerville Pier has been the scene of two late-night boating accidents this summer. And a fatal accident back in 2008.
The Summerville Pier extends more than a half a mile from the Rochester shoreline with single red and green navigation lights at the end of it. Schumer says the lack of lights along the body of the pier, as well as its low height in relation to the Charlotte Pier, makes boating at night visibly dangerous for boaters. While safe boating continues to be a requirement, he says more lights have the potential to save lives.
"We’re here to say enough is enough. The solution is not expensive. It can save lives and reduce anxiety, and help the economic value of increasing boaters all coming here to this area. When you consider the fact there are no where as many crashes occurring at charlotte which is higher and more visible, it's clear we needed a solution."
Schumer is also urging the federal government to look into other safety measures besides lighting that could help save lives