Reply With QuoteI agree 100% that extending the line is a great idea. But, do we (ie the city/county/state) have the money?
A project that would really help this area. People in the city could achieve jobs in the suburbs. It may even break up the racial lines that haunt this region.
I signed a petition a few months ago supporting the completion of the metro rail. I haven't heard ANYTHING since. Does anyone know where this is? What's going on with it?
Is anything happening? Or did the group that was fighting for it die a quiet death like most activist groups in this city?
I agree 100% that extending the line is a great idea. But, do we (ie the city/county/state) have the money?
From what I understand, the money is already there. If it's not, it is quite easy to get.
Apparently cities that build transit systems have a vast percentage of them paid for by Federal Transportation money.
However, the NFTA seems to be ignoring this and making excuses. They add more buses instead, which are not a good alternative by any means.
This region needs a transit system to help stimulate growth. IT won't be the answer to growth, but it will assist in stimulating growth. I've found the organization working on this issue and sent them an e mail. I will post the website address when I receive a reply for them-so that I know they are still active.
We could easily if they weren't budgeting the lion share to labor contracts/patronage and medicaid.Originally posted by therising
I agree 100% that extending the line is a great idea. But, do we (ie the city/county/state) have the money?
I believe we had contact with this group or a group that was interested in pushing the metro rail further. They posted a few topics and faded away. Thier postings would of been in front of 1000's of readers. Or at least about 4000 unques visitors a month.Originally posted by keyboard150
From what I understand, the money is already there. If it's not, it is quite easy to get.
Apparently cities that build transit systems have a vast percentage of them paid for by Federal Transportation money.
However, the NFTA seems to be ignoring this and making excuses. They add more buses instead, which are not a good alternative by any means.
This region needs a transit system to help stimulate growth. IT won't be the answer to growth, but it will assist in stimulating growth. I've found the organization working on this issue and sent them an e mail. I will post the website address when I receive a reply for them-so that I know they are still active.
I found the website, although it hasn't been updated in awhile. According to the webmaster in his e mail, it is being updated. They're busy finishing the petition and "studying" the issue.
Yay. ANOTHER study.
http://go.to/crtc <----- their website.
Is that them?
Yes that was them. They were offered hosting under a real domain name so they wouldn't have to use that go.to domain name plus i wanted them to put thier input into this site.
They did post an article or two..
I will e mail him back and try to convince him that this will be an excellent site to mirror their cause.
Not mirror, That just ads another layer of work.They become assimulated
We actually have two addresses - the site is now also reached from http://www.citizenstransit.org. And we did fade away because no new posts were coming in.
In any event, now that we have a topic here, I'd like to say that the Metro Rail expansion is a great idea, and that it would help supremely with extending access to difficult-to-reach suburban employment zones.
Furthermore, it might surprise you to find out that Metro Rail is actually profitable. So it's one of the best things the NFTA could do.
The local governments tend to not run public transit services in any event, and this comes out of a pool of dedicated national transportation funding. The only sticking point the NFTA has is "operations and maintenance," so there are some negotiations in store for that. There's also a petition going about throughout town.
-Seth
Okay, so keep us informed here. What do we have to do to make a completed subway system in our city a reality?
I have already signed your petition. What can the people on this board do? Where is this petition located? Maybe you can put up an online version somewhere?
-Jamie
The last thing this city needs is a completed subway system. The first one cost 500 million dollars. Why do you think Buffalo needs a subway at all?
Data is not the plural of Anecdote.
Keyboard stated that the metro rail makes money. It acutally paid for itself already?
Why do cities build subways? To relieve overcrowded roadways, especially in geographically restricted places.
Buffalo has some of the best commute times in the USA. Why is that? We have a great highway system designed for a lot more people than actually live here. We can thank all of our young people who move away for that.
Let's spend 1.2 billion dollars to build a light rail/subway system so that people who currently take the bus from their inner-city dwellings to their Amherst Wal-Mart job can now do it on a train instead. Buffalo is not New York, Moscow, Boston, or London. You live in a decaying rust belt city that is now smaller than Nashville, among other places. There are no giant traffic jams or problems with smog. The last thing Buffalo needs is another giant Public Works Project that pisses away financial and human capital on a big-ticket project that nobody really needs.
It's magical money that comes from the money tree. Thank you for feeling free to bill your superflourous toy train to my federal income tax return.......this comes out of a pool of dedicated national transportation funding....
Data is not the plural of Anecdote.
So there you have it folks, the real problem with your region. People like this who are so full of negativity, they cannot stand to deal with anything great.
Now, allow me to hit his ridiculous, small minded post with a blow-torch return.
Public transit improves quality of life. It improves economy. It's convenient, it's fast, and it's cheaper. The money people save on gas can be pocketed and spent elsewhere.
Buffalo was once bigger than Cleveland, Toronto, Nashville, all those places you speak of. It was made smaller by small minds that think small, and speak krassly of our region.
If you don't like change, then move to your Nashville, or New York. In the meantime, we're going to take this place, and bring it back to greatness.
You're blaming the YOUNG people for MOVING AWAY? I am a young person. I consider moving away on a daily basis. Why? Not because I hate this region. I love it here. This city is beautiful. I am proud to live here. My reason? I pay so much in taxes, and I see little benefit from it. Why the hell should I pay taxes to New York State, when the place I live gets little to none of my money back to help it survive?
This is the fault of those who have allowed this state to continue with its criminal (and yes, it is criminal) behavior for over 20 years. The young people are leaving because those that came before them did a great job of preventing and sort of progress.
We have the old people to thank for the empty highways, not the young.
You think Buffalo doesn't have a smog problem? Have you been outside at all this summer? Do you not watch the news? We have a VERY BAD smog problem in this city. If you believe our air is clean, I have a gorgeous mansion to sell you on Broadway.
My next question is, where do you get 1.2 BILLION dollars from? We're not talking about a BIG DIG, we're talking about a subway. Most of this region is fairly soft soil, which makes digging a subway fairly low-cost.
Did you forget also that this area used to be (and actually still is) one of the train mecca's of the northeast? The track beds already exist. New track just needs to be laid. The trains do not all need to be underground. Our city used to be littered with Trolleys. In fact, look closely as you walk down Broadway, you will still see the Trolley Tracks.
Please read your city history before starting an arguement with me. Rapid Transit isn't a new idea in this city. You find it in the past, (SORT OF) in the present, and (DEFINITELY IN) the future.
Greatness was in Buffalo's past. Nothing (no one) can keep that greatness from returning. We see it everyday in the little things. The citizens planting flowers on the waterfront. The packed subway at rush hour. (Buffalo's subway IS one of the most efficient and profitable in the nation) The restoration of the nostalgic Marquee and sign at Shea's.
The past is returning. Welcome it.
If you're content with Buffalo remaining as it is, then I welcome you to continue your miserable outlooks on the region.
In the meantime, please stay out of my way- I'm young, I'm motivated, and I'm going to fight for the Buffalo that used to be.
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