Buffalo Rising Online

The federal transportation funding (SAFETEA-LU) and whatever the aptly name reappropriation bill will be named provides a great amount of flexibility in funding opportunities for transportation projects, and having a forum of this nature should allow the region to do a better job at actually using these funds, as other regions do. For my graduate thesis I wrote about federal transportation funding bills as a source of funds for reusing historic railroad stations. Among the most notable projects was the rehabilitation of the Worcester, MA railroad station into an intermodal transportation facility. The rehab of the nearly collapsing and abandonded building was made possible by the numerous funding sources available through the transportation bill. I think the same format could be used (as I wrote in my thesis, a shameless plug!) for rehabbing the passenger rail and light rail transportation system in Buffalo along with the central terminal. The funds are available, there just must be planning and political will to go through. Hopefully Mr. Higgins has the foresight to see that the region must develop a comprehensive public transportation system, and this entail could involve the rebirth of the central terminal.

Gas is ranging between $3 - $4 a gallon and future price spikes risk going to $5 and $6 a gallon.

There can be no greater priorities for Buffalo than: 1) an at grade parkway for Route 5 2) an airport light rail extension with ParknRides at Lancaster & Central Terminal 3) a UB/Lockport light rail extension 4) a Tonawanda/Niagara Falls light Rail extension 5) a reactivation of the Beltway 6) burrying as much of the Scjaquada and Kensington as possible

Any of which would pump hundreds of millions of state and federal dollars into the Buffalo and Western NY economy while providing one of the few urban advantages in Buffalo that other cities dont have....CHEAP MASS TRANSPORTATION.

Other than that....the priorities for Buffalo must be to continue to repave its city streets and select side streets in historical districts for recobbling/rebricking.

Buffalo's historical district...could be our numeric district....if the numbered streets were not renamed

Buffalos other historic district....would be our state street district...with streets named after states stretching the full length of the canal district from Louisiana in South Buffalo all the way north to Massachusettes

THE BIG ISSUES FOR BUFFALO ARE ALL INFRASTRUCTURE AND INFILL

Nick: "Hopefully Mr. Higgins has the foresight to see that the region must develop a comprehensive public transportation system, and this entail could involve the rebirth of the central terminal."

Thank you. Using some of these funds would kill several birds with one stone: a new intermodal facility at the terminal (which is what it is designed to be); light rail to the airport, adaptability for high speed rail, redevelopment of an endangered historic building and rebirth of the entire Broadway Fillmore neighborhood.

buffaloweiner is Chris69

Mr. Miller you are forgetting one big advantage that the Central Terminal could provide.

It could provide an alternative to the DL&W for the NFTA Maintenance sheds...allowing open access to both the first and second floors of the DL&W for redevelopment.

Now that would be a huge near term coup for the Central Terminal redevelopment.