Video: Bike Museum Is Key To Transportation Puzzle
If you still don't understand just how important it is that we find a home for our Pedaling History bicycle museum downtown, then maybe you should check out this video that David Torke (Fix Buffalo) sent along. There has got to be a way to make this relocation work... otherwise Buffalo is in jeopardy of having the world's largest collection of American-made bikes snatched out from underneath us. Just think about Buffalo and how it's history is so dependant on the bike. Even Pierce Arrow grew out of bike building foundations.
I have been lucky enough to see the Pedaling Museum in Orchard Park first hand. It has been the dream of collectors and owners Carl and Clarice Burgwardt to find a home for the museum in downtown Buffalo. The dream does carry a price tag though. The collection must be purchased before a home can even be considered. But then again, these types of opportunities never come free. How much would a city pay to have this collection... a tourist attraction all ready to go? Could this have been incorporated into the design of Canalside? This is real history... many of these bikes were made right here in Buffalo. Now that we are getting an Aerospace Museum... and we already have the Pierce Arrow Museum... and we may be getting a train museum in the future... shouldn't we be looking at keeping one of the last museum pieces that would truly contribute to a Transportation District?
Don't forget to check out this fascinating video produced by local guy - John Paget, Paget Films.
What Others Have To Say
What Do You Think?
Related Articles
-
The Wait is Almost Over - BR's New Site
As we mentioned in our previous post, we’re in the process of changing the Buffalo Rising site. We’re almost there as we expect to launch the new site on Friday, December 19th.
In the meantime, posting will be light as we log new stories in the new publishing system which will only be viewable when we launch on Friday.
As always, we appreciate our users’ patience as we make this transition but we promise it will be well worth it. With faster load times, a comment view … - Dec 18th 2008, 11:32am
- Continue Reading
- 5 Comments
-
A Kennedy Visits Buffalo
Caroline Kennedy was in town for a visit with our mayor yesterday. A possible choice to succeed US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kennedy's name has been mentioned along with that of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo) and our own Byron Brown, among others.
Certainly, Kennedy has "been around politics" all of her life, which is to say she was born into a family of politicos and lived in the White House--neither of which would necessarily f … - Dec 18th 2008, 7:55am
- Continue Reading
- 32 Comments
-
Downtown Free Fare Zone May be Axed
Free light rail rides on downtown's above ground section could be derailed thanks to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's budget mess. That is the news coming out of a Buffalo Place meeting this morning. Facing a budget shortfall and reduced State operating assistance, the NFTA is scrambling for new revenue sources and is contemplating charging for rides along the lengthy downtown pedestrian mall.- Dec 17th 2008, 4:40pm
- Continue Reading
- 48 Comments
-
The NFTA Santa Ride
Well it is Christmas time in the city and the NFTA helped put people and especially children into the mood in a very festive and fun way. One of my favorite memories of childhood was taking the train downtown with my grandfather. I would gaze out the windows and watch the tunnel speed by. It always felt like we were going a million miles an hour.
Then there was the ability to stand up and walk around during the ride without the need to be strapped down. It was always a fun time … - Dec 17th 2008, 4:34pm
- Continue Reading
- Join the conversation
Comment Options
sbrof
That's a really cool video, great museum.. So what is the hold up with them finding a Downtown location?
Report this
flyguy
Yes this should end up somewhere near the Bass Pro area and why not look into getting our firefighter museum moved down there as well to be closer to the Cotter??? As far as I can remember the fire museum is kinda off the beaten path and may do well in this district also.
Report this
brokeleg
Museums are nice but I think we'd be better off with more bike lanes and paths. I have a feeling there will be a lot more people riding bikes this summer and probably more and more with each passing summer. Lets at least try to make this city a little more bike friendly. Lord knows we ain't Copenhagen or Amsterdam or anyplace thats reasonably and sustainably progressive.
Report this
UrbanBody
The link to the Sept. 2006 story mentions the Burgwardts were applying for grants, talking to the Harbor commission, others, etc. What ihappened with those plans? Status update please.
Why do the Burgwardts need a buyer before a location/museum comes to fruition? Are they really just wanting money for the collection vs. wanting to participate in the creation/ownership of a museum?
I love the idea of bike museum for downtown. How about the NFTA ponying up for interim space at the DL&W? Or what about using the front lobby portion at the Aud?
How about HealthNow or UnitedHealth or SUNY UB being a major partner? All have health/mission statements re: health, go-green, yada yada.
I see that U.C. Davis and the City of Davis, CA are partnering in plans for a bike museum. http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/pivot/entry.php?id=1741
Or better yet, does Lance Armstrong have a local connection? :)
Report this
chris69
I think that the Bike Museum on the top floor of the DL&W would work quite nicely, even as a temporary location (but so does an alternate location next to the Pierce Arrow Transporation Museum over on Michigan)
But lets think big picture here....we have the Lower Lakes Maritime Museum, the Air & Naval Museum soon to be partnered with the Niagara Aerospace Museum, soon to to be partnered with the Great Lakes Museum (Transportation and Industry exhibits) etc....all fit quite nicely with a Bicycle Museum.
However big picture is that Erie County needs to give the entire Bed Tax to the Buffalo CVB and both Buffalo & Erie County need to get a new Convention and Conference Center built at the Ohio Basin so that we have a significant tourism industry enough to support these museums!
Museums require visitors....because museums are celebrations of local culture and heritage explaining the narrative to native and guest. If we dont have a growing guest list then no matter what our intent these museums will starve and wither.
Report this
PaulBuffalo
In order to get feet through the doors of any museum repeatedly, the ability to tell stories well is supremely important. Static exhibits without context are dull. It would be beneficial if all these museum ideas were banded together with existing museums to create one powerhouse entity. If you want to draw tourists and share Buffalo's rich historical legacy, you need something big that allows for creativity.
Report this
Rebecca
I think making Buffalo a transportation history destination is fabulous!
The New York Times was so flooded with requests for a bike route from NYC to Niagara Falls that they printed an article in 1894 telling people to ride right through Buffalo, down Chippewa, up Prospect to Porter...it's a cool little article.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9802E2DB1039E033A25757C0A9619C94649ED7CF&oref=slogin
Report this
Rebecca
Is there a church we can put the bike museum in?
Report this