It was 70 degrees in Buffalo (yesterday) when I received the news that the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation had selected Buffalo’s Pinto Construction Contractors to tackle the Outer Harbor’s Queen City Bike Ferry landing project. The unusually warm weather made it easy to think about the ferry, the harbor, and the landing improvements that include a direct link to the water’s edge, rest area for riders, and enhanced landscape.
Since its inception, more than 50,000 people have taken the ferry. As with all projects that start small and escalate quickly, the landing area at the Outer Harbor was nothing more than a place to unload passengers and their bikes. There was nothing smooth about it – no place to take shelter from the rain, no real bike path connectivity, and it was aesthetically lackluster to boot.
“The bike ferry has proven to be a success with Canalside visitors,” said Robert Gioia, ECHDC Chairman. “This project will create an even better experience for riders as they disembark to explore and enjoy the Outer Harbor.”
The $825,000 project, funded by the New York Power Authority, includes the replacement of seasonal docks and access gangway, bike trail improvements, along with signage, benches, planters, bicycle racks, and accessory structures.
“The Power Authority has been committed to working with its partners in Western New York toward the development of Buffalo’s Outer Harbor,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “This project will greatly improve the access area to the bike ferry, further enhancing a significant tourism attraction in Buffalo.”
The project will get underway as early as February 2016, with an anticipate completion date of May 14, 2016.