I happened to be stuck in that never-ending construction mess on Main St. at the entrance to UB. I donit get what is going on there. When you think that the Empire State Building was completed in just 3 years, how can a couple of miles of road take 5 years and counting?
I was on my way home from a yoga class where the instructor was discussing the concept of ichi.i
According to Wikipedia:
Chi is a fundamental concept of traditional Chinese culture, most often defined as “life force” or a “spiritual energy” flow that is part of everything that exists.
I started thinking how the main energy flow of Buffalo along Main Street, had been blocked in some way for the past 20 years! Could this be Buffalois problem? Could it be that Buffalo has blocked ichi?i
Anyone remotely versed in the concept of ichii will tell you that blocked ichii can be very serious indeed. As with any blockage, be it a stopped river that floods, or a blocked artery causing a massive heart attack, blocked ichii is beyond mischief. Blocked ichii can mean death!
Perhaps it isnit surprising then that wherever you have a mess on Main Street and traffic flow or, ichi,i if you will, is being blocked, businesses struggle to remain vibrant and alive. Letis look at the most obvious example, the University District of Main Street. Just how long must those poor residents and business owners endure the blocked ichii caused by that never-ending construction? This issue needs to be brought front and center. Itis as important as the itoll booths.i They both effect business & quality of life.
The situation with the Park & Rides at the University & La Salle Metro Stations is also very messed up. This is an amazing amenity for area residents who work downtown. Yet one can hardly get to let alone access the parking lots because of the continuous construction. The University Metro Station is also a major connecting bus hub that suffers because of the ongoing construction. Safety issues are also of great concern here. Just try waiting for a Main Street bus somewhere along the construction or try crossing from one side of the street to another. One would think that with so much going on at the UB intersection, completion of road construction would be a major priority. What in the world is taking so long to complete this?
To offer an example of success through the unblocking of ichi,i one need not go too far from the University District to the amazingly vital Hertel Ave. Just think back a few months and try to remember how much Hertel Ave. resembled that mess on Main St. Take a look at the robust transformation that has occurred today along the entire length of Hertel Ave. It seems that new businesses are opening weekly along this street.
Lower Main Street, from Seneca St, past Main Place Mall and up to Goodell St. also come to mind as an area of blocked ichi.i The above ground Metro Rail presently restricts auto traffic. Hopefully the new plans to rework the size & placement of the Metro Stops, along with the rerouting of traffic, will replace this stagnant ichii with new energy.
We all look forward to the ichii blocking tollbooths being quickly removed. Letis address ALL of Buffalois blocked ichii issues, both physical and mental, and return this city to a healthy and thriving place!
UNBLOCK BUFFALOiS CHI!!!
Chi