Metro Rail Expansion

[BuffaloEMT14216]

I've often pondered the thought of the trolleys that used to zoom down my North Buffalo street, connecting to the Hertel No.9-23 Streetcar, taking you to points and destinations all over the city.
I have in my possession a November 1, 1939 map from the International Railway Corporation,(IRC). They were the forerunner, and must say smarter NFTA we now have. The NFTA would probably hunt me down to destroy this map. It shows a real transit system.
Streetcar routes were on streets like Hertel, Main, Bailey, Fillmore, Kensington, Broadway, Genesee, Sycamore, South Park, Seneca, Clinton, Virgil, Kehr, French, etc. Yes cars can share the road with trolleys, don't need an impact study for that!
Prior years service was on Kenmore, Delaware, Elmwood, West Ferry, Vulcan, etc.
They even had high speed trains, that ran along the former tracks in North Buffalo that went to Niagara Falls, which in turn had local trolley routes. They even had the Great Gorge trolley route which you can still walk it's old trackbed today.
Besides that the New York Central Beltline, along with the Erie Lackawanna and DL&W beltlines, circled the city with commuter trains that ran every 10-15 minutes. Could you imagine. The New York Central Beltline still exists in North Buffalo, now as a freight line, and the old EL and DL&W Beltlines are the land currently under development in North Buffalo.
With all that said, doesn't it fire anyone else up that we have probably the most useless LRRT in the world. Think about it. It goes 6 miles, doesn't really stop at any sites or important locations. It's not a regional tool. Can't take the "A"Train or the "R" Train. The Tonawanda Corridor, the former IRC high speed lines, tore up last year. Guess the NFTA won't be going through with that plan. Amherst UB North, it was tunneled a little ways, but the white elitists at the time didn't want the city element in there town. Airport corridor, Southtowns corridor, Niagara corridor. These were all plans laid out in the NFTA's original plan in 1974! That's right, 1974! They always say, it's money, and people don't want it expanded.
I believe more to the fact that the NFTA board enjoys it's stranglehold on WNY's economy. They hold all the cards. The waterfront, the airport(s), Yeah, they even forget about Niagara(The Bigger One), etc. Think about that power they yield.
Metro Rail expansion is what the people want, however one must remember we don't elect NFTA commissoners. That's right, governor appointees. That means brownnosers. Shadow governments. Gotta love'em.
This is another issue to get Carl Paladino, Brian Higgins, and others in power behind. The NFTA is just as bad as the Thruway Authority.

[mikewrona]

I've often pondered the thought of the trolleys that used to zoom down my North Buffalo street, connecting to the Hertel No.9-23 Streetcar, taking you to points and destinations all over the city.
I have in my possession a November 1, 1939 map from the International Railway Corporation,(IRC). They were the forerunner, and must say smarter NFTA we now have. The NFTA would probably hunt me down to destroy this map. It shows a real transit system.
Streetcar routes were on streets like Hertel, Main, Bailey, Fillmore, Kensington, Broadway, Genesee, Sycamore, South Park, Seneca, Clinton, Virgil, Kehr, French, etc. Yes cars can share the road with trolleys, don't need an impact study for that!
Prior years service was on Kenmore, Delaware, Elmwood, West Ferry, Vulcan, etc.
They even had high speed trains, that ran along the former tracks in North Buffalo that went to Niagara Falls, which in turn had local trolley routes. They even had the Great Gorge trolley route which you can still walk it's old trackbed today.
Besides that the New York Central Beltline, along with the Erie Lackawanna and DL&W beltlines, circled the city with commuter trains that ran every 10-15 minutes. Could you imagine. The New York Central Beltline still exists in North Buffalo, now as a freight line, and the old EL and DL&W Beltlines are the land currently under development in North Buffalo.
With all that said, doesn't it fire anyone else up that we have probably the most useless LRRT in the world. Think about it. It goes 6 miles, doesn't really stop at any sites or important locations. It's not a regional tool. Can't take the "A"Train or the "R" Train. The Tonawanda Corridor, the former IRC high speed lines, tore up last year. Guess the NFTA won't be going through with that plan. Amherst UB North, it was tunneled a little ways, but the white elitists at the time didn't want the city element in there town. Airport corridor, Southtowns corridor, Niagara corridor. These were all plans laid out in the NFTA's original plan in 1974! That's right, 1974! They always say, it's money, and people don't want it expanded.
I believe more to the fact that the NFTA board enjoys it's stranglehold on WNY's economy. They hold all the cards. The waterfront, the airport(s), Yeah, they even forget about Niagara(The Bigger One), etc. Think about that power they yield.
Metro Rail expansion is what the people want, however one must remember we don't elect NFTA commissoners. That's right, governor appointees. That means brownnosers. Shadow governments. Gotta love'em.
This is another issue to get Carl Paladino, Brian Higgins, and others in power behind. The NFTA is just as bad as the Thruway Authority.

Well, the NFTA did buy a dozen or so old PCC trolley cars from Cleveland years ago for use on the Tonawanda Extension. So much for that investment. I wonder where they sit today.

I've often thought that a way to assist tourism in the area would be a rail line traveling Buffalo, Tonawanda, Niagara Falls, Lockport, Medina, Albion, Rochester, Batavia, and back to Buffalo might be a worth while investment. It would be a way to keep the 8 or so million Niagara Falls visitors in the area for more than 4 hours.

[steven]

there is a group devoted to expanding the rail to the airport

[concernedwnyer]

there is a group devoted to expanding the rail to the airport

Do you know the name of the group off hand?

[WestCoastPerspective]

Do you know the name of the group off hand?

Citizens Regional Transit Corporation

http://citizenstransit.org/


Meeting announcement here:

http://www.buffalorising.com/city/ar..._address_h.php

[sharky]

there is a group devoted to expanding the rail to the airport

it would be a logical place to extend it to, and from there to the galleria, or would that piss off the downtowners that hate shopping centers out in the burbs

[TheRightView]

The government could claim eminent domain; it woul dbe a way to get people from the airport to Shea's, The ballpark, the arena, Bass Pro(?), the casino(?, if they extend it). The possibilities are endless.

[concernedwnyer]

The government could claim eminent domain; it woul dbe a way to get people from the airport to Shea's, The ballpark, the arena, Bass Pro(?), the casino(?, if they extend it). The possibilities are endless.

They could use the ole eminent domain card but if I had property that was relinquished for a metro rail project I would make a prediction along with side bets that the rail car would break down mysteriously every time it came onto the former property.

Look at all those people near the peace bridge that were forced into accepting eminent domain when the time comes. Key word when the time comes. What is the status of the peace bridge? People are living in fear about the future because they may be asked to leave at anytime…..

[concernedwnyer]

it would be a logical place to extend it to, and from there to the galleria, or would that piss off the downtowners that hate shopping centers out in the burbs

It makes absolutely no sense to invest money into an antiquated rail system for transportation in and about this area… The tracks look hideous with all the wires over head and you have to compete with a rail car for right of way.. Geesh.. Though it may cost a little more initial a monorail type system is the way to go. They are not as obtrusive and they can easily be expanded into other areas…

A monorail station could easily be integrated not the galleria mall and then head out to the airport.. Try doing that with a rail system…. Metro rail is shortsighted thinking.

[ForestBird]

The tracks look hideous with all the wires over head and you have to compete with a rail car for right of way.. Geesh.. Though it may cost a little more initial a monorail type system is the way to go. They are not as obtrusive and they can easily be expanded into other areas…

Shiny strips of steel in the pavement & a pair of single or double wires overhead... truly hideous.

But elevating the entire system above the street would be so much nicer; everybody likes to live under an El.

Monorail = Disneyland and the remnant from a World's Fair ... or the episode of The Simpsons, where a Harold Hill character sells them one. haha

[BuffaloEMT14216]

Well, the NFTA did buy a dozen or so old PCC trolley cars from Cleveland years ago for use on the Tonawanda Extension. So much for that investment. I wonder where they sit today.

I've often thought that a way to assist tourism in the area would be a rail line traveling Buffalo, Tonawanda, Niagara Falls, Lockport, Medina, Albion, Rochester, Batavia, and back to Buffalo might be a worth while investment. It would be a way to keep the 8 or so million Niagara Falls visitors in the area for more than 4 hours.

Yeah I remember those trolley cars too. The NFTA sold them off quietly a couple of years ago to a private collector. Money in there coffer.