Tag Archives: Buffalo NY

Buffalo’s “MetroRail” offers more bang per mile than most LRRT systems.

Posted on by

Many locals bitterly call it the train to nowhere and yet Buffalo’s “MetroRail” offers more bang per mile than most LRRT systems.  Western New York is controlled by suburban driver.  You can easily find them at supermarkets, strip malls and gigantic malls.  They endless circle the lots looking for a parking space directly in front of the door they want to enter.  They will drive to the nearest store to buy milk even if it is within walking distance.  Then they will complain about the price of gasoline.

They are all the folks that have vociferously fought against the introduction of Light Rail service into their communities.  They don’t want the “noise” and they don’t want the “city” people popping in.  As a result Buffalo’s 6+ mile LRRT is a City of Buffalo system only operating between downtown and the northeast Buffalo campus of the University @ Buffalo.

Despite their opposition over the years to MetroRail expansion, these same people are the first to derogatorily call the system the train to know what.  How shallow and unthinking can they be.  As other similar sized communities grow their routes Western New York does not.  And that is very sad.  For those who live near the MetroRail is has become a welcome convenience.  As the sixth shortest LRRT system in the United States, the fifth smallest city with a rapid transit system, the Buffalo MetroRail is the fourth most heavily used system of the 32 in existence.  Everyday 3,109 people per mile use the “Train to Nowhere” just behind San Francisco at 3,511, Houston’s 4,987, and Boston’s 7,946.

It really is time to put the detractors and naysayers in their place and expand the route’s.  The silent majority will use the train if it becomes available.  I know I do.  It is cheaper to park at the University and ride the train to a downtown event than it is to drive downtown and pay for parking.

Light Rail Systems
Rank – Daily Boardings City Daily Boardings Route Miles Daily boardings p/mile
1 Boston 222,500 28 mi 7,946
13 Houston 37,400 7.5 mi 4,987
3 San Francisco 160,100 45.6 mi 3,511
20 Buffalo 19,900 6.4 mi 3,109
2 Los Angeles 203,400 70.4 mi 2,889
15 Minneapolis 31,500 12 mi 2,625
12 Phoenix 46,000 20 mi 2,300
29 Tacoma 3,168 1.6 mi 1,980
4 Portland 115,400 59.4 mi 1,943
5 Philadelphia 113,900 60 mi 1,898
8 Denver 65,300 35 mi 1,866
16 Seattle 29,800 16.9 mi 1,763
9 Salt Lake City 60,600 35.3 mi 1,717
7 San Diego 87,700 53.5 mi 1,639
21 Charlotte 14,800 9.6 mi 1,542
11 Sacramento 49,600 36.9 mi 1,344
6 Dallas 103,100 85 mi 1,213
10 St. Louis 52,500 46 mi 1,141
17 Pittsburgh 27,600 26.2 mi 1,053
19 Jersey City 21,426 20.6 mi 1,040
23 Newark 10,075 9.9 mi 1,018
18 Baltimore 29,200 30 mi 973
14 San Jose 33,800 42.2 mi 801
26 Norfolk 5,200 7.4 mi 703
24 Cleveland 8,900 15 mi 593
27 Memphis 3,300 6.7 mi 493
22 New Orleans 10,000 21.5 mi 465
25 Oceanside 8,500 22 mi 386
30 Tampa 600 2.3 mi 261
32 Kenosha 300 2 mi 150
31 Little Rock 340 2.5 mi 136
28 Trenton/Camden 4,273 34 mi 126
Source: American Public
Transportaton Assoc.

 

BUFFALO CENTRAL TERMINAL WILL SPORT BRIGHTER LOOK

Posted on by

Press Release:

BUFFALO CENTRAL TERMINAL WILL SPORT BRIGHTER LOOK FOLLOWING RESTORATION WORK THIS WEEK

Refurbished floors and replaced sconces will be unveiled at Hard Hat Tours in May

BUFFALO, NY – May 13, 2013 – A brighter look will greet visitors to the former rail terminal following a couple of projects planned for this week.

The terrazzo floors of Buffalo’s Central Terminal will shine once again courtesy of a local facility services company.

Pro2 Facility Services will thoroughly clean the 90 year old floor in the main concourse and apply a special restorative process to one section that will return Pro the shine that hasn’t been seen in decades.

“The 30,000 square foot terminal’s terrazzo will be machine cleaned, which will uncover the unique design lost over the years due to oxidation,” states Ken Casseri, CEO of Pro2, “the floor’s brass caning will be highlighted while the aggregate colors that once glistened will re-appear . What will really be dramatic, though, is the visitors’

entrance, where we will apply a product that will completely make the floor come back to its Roaring ‘20’s splendor!”

Casseri’s company is donating the services to the Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, caretaker, owner and restorer of the iconic building.

Coinciding with the floor rejuvenation will be the installation of six new replication sconces. Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 71 Retirees have been working on the lighting fixtures that were removed fromthe building during its devastating abandonment in the 1990’s.

“These same men were nominated by Buffalo’s Young Preservationists and will be honored with a Preservation Award for their skill and work on these fixtures on May 31st at Kleinhans Music Hall. We will install the sconces Saturday, May 18th and hope to have them lit in time for our inaugural Hard Hat Tours starting Sunday, May 19th,” explains Terminal Corporation Executive Director Marilyn Rodgers. “Between the Main Concourse terrazzo being cleaned and groomed, the entrance lobby terrazzo reconditioned by Pro Squared, the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 71 Retirees replication of six additional Main Concourse sconces, and our Building Committee installing the sconces, visitors will witness even more of what travelers from the 30’s saw when they stepped foot inside our beloved Terminal,” concludes Ms. Rodgers.

Buffalo Central Terminal Hard Hat Tours are scheduled on May 19, June 2, June 9, July 14, and September 15 and last about one hour with overlapping tours between 11am– 4pm each day. Hard Hat Tours will vary from date to date and the visitor will be able to view behind-the-scenes renovations and work as it progresses throughout the season. All visitors must wear hard hats in the building during these tours andmay wear their own Hard Hats if  desired. Hard Hats were donated by Emedco and Allied Building Supplies. If the visitor desires to purchase their hard hat at the end of the tour for $25 they will receive a 100% tax deductible donation of $25. Hard Hat Tour Tickets may be purchased in advance by going to http://hardhattours.bpt.me/.

Pro2 Facility Services is headquartered at 1780 Wehrle Drive, Suite 102 in Williamsville, NY. Their phone number is (716) 810-0200. Their website is www.prosquaredfacilityservices.com

A Womad Festival is ideally suited to a city like Buffalo, NY.

Posted on by

A  WOMAD Festival  Festival is ideally suited to a city like Buffalo, NY.  WOMAD’s (The World of Music, Arts and Dance)  celebration of diversity plays to this area’s history.  It is an event for everyone regardless of age, race, creed, color, national origin, etc.  WOMAD would draw visitors from across the Torbufchester region and beyond.  It would showcase a Buffalo, NY community on the rebound, its people, attractive vistas, cultural diversity, foods, etc.

Music, arts and dance are have played a big part in our history.

Music, arts and  dance have always  brought our communities together.

The idea of holding our very own WOMAD festival  could be an event everyone could get behind as a large all-inclusive community wide effort and we love our festivals.  We have the room. Why not add one more event to our wonderful summer’s calendar?

This is what the Canadian Encyclopedia had to say about WOMAD at the Toronto Harbourfront:

Of Harbourfront’s many festivals, WOMAD has drawn the greatest notice. Originated in England in 1981, it has been held annually in different British cities and latterly in several other European countries, as well as in Toronto. WOMAD/Harbourfront became Canada’s most important forum at the turn of the 1990s for world music, rivalled only by the VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL. In 1990, it offered 48 ensembles comprising some 240 performers representing 25 countries. Notable among its artists at Harbourfront have been Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Pakistan) in 1988 and 1990, Billy Bragg (England) in 1989, Thomas Mapfumo and Blacks Unlimited (Zimbabwe) in 1990, and Mzwakhe Mbuli and the Equals (South Africa) in 1991.

WOMAD profits could be spread among participating groups like the Philharmonic, Colored Musicians Club, Albright-Knox, Central Terminal, History Museum, theaters, and other groups that choose to take part in planning and volunteering.,

I would certainly be willing to get involved but just but don’t have a clue how to pull it off. Is the idea worth consideration by the people of Buffalo and the Niagara Frontier?

Do you need to see more?  How about the WOMAD Parade?

Buffalo, NY area businesses might be interested in the American Center and Corner in Bursa, Turkey

Posted on by

Buffalo, NY area businesses might be interested in the American Center and Corner in Bursa,Turkey. The ACCB could be their  gateway to new import, export, travel, tourism and research opportunities within Turkey. “The mission of each American Center and Corner in Turkey is to be a partner in promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Turkey.”  The nation of Turkey possesses one of the world’s fastest growing economies.

The City of Buffalo has had a Sister/Twinned City arrangement with Yildirim, Bursa since 2010.  ”Yıldırım is a a metropolitan district in the centre of Bursa in Turkey. The district was named after Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I. It was founded in 1987 and it has a size of 399 km². The Sultan Bayezid I’s nickname was Yıldırım, which means thunderbolt in Turkish.”

Bursa is home to manufacture and production of automobiles, automobile parts, steel products, power and communication cables, dairy products, textiles, and is home to one of the largest universities in Turkey.

“Uludag University (Turkish: Uludağ Üniversitesi) is a university located in Bursa, Turkey. The research and education conducted by the university have an emphasis on medicine, engineering, natural sciences and art. In particular, Faculty of Medicine and Mechanical Engineering Department of Faculty of Engineering and Architecture have the most populated staff employed as academicians. The official language of instruction at Uludag University is Turkish and English.”

For more information:

Coordinator: Ezgi Yılmaz Guha

Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Address: Organize Sanayi Bölgesi Mavi Cadde, 2. Sokak No:2
Nilüfer, 16159 Bursa / Turkey
Phone: 90 (224) 275 16 90
Fax: 90 (224) 275 16 98
Email: americancorner@btso.org.tr
Web Site: www.btso.org.tr/americancorner

 

Is “Queen City Landing” dead?

Posted on by

Is the planned “Queen City Landing” dead?  Over the past 5 years  there has been much work completed along the Buffalo Outer Harbor.  Route 5 has been rebuilt.  Furhmann Blvd is now an attractive parkway.  Gallagher Beach is improved.  Bikeways, walkways and green space are available for public use.   Waterfront access is increasingly convenient. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is in the process of unloading its property ownership to developers.  One would think that this is the situation developers would want.  Actually this is what potential developers have demanded.  So, where is the private development?

In 2007, the Buffalo News reported that investors had purchased 20 acres of waterfront property and the old Freezer Queen Plant for $3 million under the promising name of Queen City Landing.  By the turn of the year to 2008, the Buffalo News, Buffalo Rising and  Buffalo Business First  were covering the proposed Buffalo Outer Harbor  development.  In June Buffalo Business First said:

One more stop at Buffalo City Hall and the road should be cleared for the transformation of the former Freezer Queen warehouse on Fuhrmann Boulevard into an upscale, mixed-use development.

The project’s developers, Queen City Landing LLC, have received the necessary approval from the Buffalo Planning Board. Now all the group needs is an official green light from the Buffalo Common Council, which is expected to consider the multi-phase project at its June 24 meeting.

“We’ll be good to go at the point,” said local businessman Gerald Buchheit, who is leading the development effort. The entire project carries more than a $200 million price tag.

Two years later the proposed private development had not started.  There was a new funding delay.  This was reported by Buffalo Business first in 2010:

Developer Gerry Buchheit, through his Queen City Landing LLC company, is seeking $24.2 million for his plans to renovate the vacant, former Freezer Queen warehouse and manufacturing plant on Fuhrmann Boulevard into a mixed-use project anchored by upscale condominiums.

Now three years after that request for assistance and nearly 6 years after the property was purchased, there have been no further announcements.   The owners of the property  have been quiet.  The office of Mayor Brown has been silent.  There has been no construction activity.  The only thing to be seen  is a parking lot full of  covered pleasure boats held in winter storage.

I hope that does not represent the new Queen City Landing development plan.

Buffalo Sister/Twinned Cities program has overlooked Canadian neighbors.

Posted on by

Going back to 1961, the City Of Buffalo has entered into Sister/Twinned City relationships with 9 cities around the world.  The City of Siena, Italy was the first followed by Kanazawa, Japan in 1962. It is true you don’t hear anything about what having a Sister/Twinned City to the City of Buffalo. The partners are not in the news. The Buffalo Sister/Twinned City  on-line brochure has not been updated for over 2 years. It does not even include Yildrim-Bursa, Turkey (2010) or Yeongcheong, Rep. Korea (2011). A safe bet would be to assume that 98% of the local population, including government and media members could name 3 of the Sister/Twinned cities.

Even with this unhappy situation, it is made worse. The Buffalo-Niagara Falls border crossing with Canada is among the busiest in the world. Approximately 5 million passenger vehicles cross the Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo and Fort Erie. Annual spending by 3.1 million Canadian visitors (9.2% of population) adds $900 million to the local economy. Our Buffalo Sabres’ biggest professional hockey rivals are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadians.

And yet, after 198 years of friendship following a nasty episode of tit-for-tat village burning during the War of 1812, there is no formal relationship between here and there. It would be sad to think this is because in reality no Canadian city wants Buffalo and/or Buffalo wants none of them. I suggest that this be given a hard look. Hands across the border is good for everyone particularly when it becomes possible to run community activities together to celebrate of differences and our neighborliness. Looking at the chart below you will find that the cities of Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Winnipeg do not have U.S. Sister/Twinned Cities arrangements. One of those for would be a good place to start relationship building.

Sister/Twinned Cities
BUFFALO, New York MONTREAL, Quebec TORONTO, Ontario
Siena, Italy Algiers, Algeria Chongqing, China
Kanazawa, Japan Amsterdam, Netherlands Chicago, Illinois
Dortmund, Germany Beersheba, Israel Frankfurt, Germany
Rzeszow, Japan Brussels, Belgium Milan, Italy
Lille, France Bucharest, Romania Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tver, Russia Busan, Rep. Korea Kyiv, Ukraine
Saint Ann, Jamaica Casablanca, Morocco Quito, Ecuador
Yeongcheong, Rep. Korea Hanoi, Vietnam Sagamihara, Japan
Yilidrim-Bursa, Turkey Hiroshima, Japan Warsaw, Poland
Nashik, India
CALGARY, Alberta, Canada Lyon, France VANCOUVER, British Columbia
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Managua, Nicaragua Odesssa, Ukraine
Jaipur, India Manila, Philippines Yokohama, Japan
Naulcalpan State, Mexico Milan, Italy Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Daqing, China Moca, Dominican Republic Guangzhou, China
Daejeon, Rep. Korea Port-au-Prince, Haiti Los Angeles, California
Phoenix, Arizona, USA Rome, Italy Seoul, Rep. Korea
San Salvador, El Salvador
EDMONTON, Alberta Shanghai, China WINNIPEG, Manitoba
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada Setagaya, Japan
Harbin, China OTTAWA, Ontario Reykjavik, Iceland
Nashville, Tennessee, USA Beijing, China Lviv, Ukraine
Wonju, Rep. Korea Cairo, Egypt Manila, Philippines
Taichung, Taiwan
HAMILTON, Ontario Canada QUEBEC CITY, Quebec, Canada Kuopio, Finland
Flint, Michigan, USA Beirut, Lebanon Beersheba, Israel
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Bordeaux, France Gan Yavne, Israel
Fukuyama, Japan Calgary, Alberta, Canada Chengdu, China
Ma’anshan, China Namur, Belgium Jinju, Rep. Korea
Monterrey,Mexico Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso San Nicolas da las Garza, Mexico
Racalmuto, Italy Xi’an, China
Sarasota, Florida, USA St. Petersburg, Russia
Shawinigan, Quebec Paris, France
Valle Peligna, Italy Pekanbaru, Indonesia