Buffalo Rising Online

Feb 8th 2006, 12:00am By Justin Booth

The following is an email to BRO from Adam O'Brian about the potential Rails-2-Trails program in WNY. I supplied a general background piece on the trail; a brochure that was developed and that I worked on with the Good Neighbors Planning Alliance as well as two pictures of the area that I took a while back. Thanks for the interest Adam.

To celebrate last Saturday's wonderful weather, I decided that I was going to go for a run from my North Buffalo home. I usually run through Delaware Park, but on that day I thought I would try something new. I ran up Colvin and then turned right on to the old railroad right-of-way that is in between Taunton and St. Lawrence. After fighting through some brush, I soon found I was on a wonderful path that cut through the trees. Then after crossing Starin, the path became even nicer. I followed it around eventually joining in with the other right-of-way that parallels Main St. I concluded my run by cutting through a hole in the fence by Shoeshone Park.

As I jogged the last 3/4 of mile back to my house through the neighborhood I started thinking about how wonderful this path would be if the community pitched in to cut the brush and clean up the trash that litters many parts of the route, especially by the old trestle. I recently moved from Washington, D.C. where numerous old lines have been converted through the rails to trails program, including the 67 mile gem that is the W&OD trail running from downtown out to the rolling foothills of Virginia. It has even become a primary commuter route into the city, providing a great opportunity to avoid driving.

We do not have to start with such an ambitious project here. There could be one path crossing North Buffalo along the route I ran today, and then have it join in with the other line running north into Tonawanda. Just look at google maps of Buffalo and you can see that the city is full of old railway right-of-ways just ripe for development. It doesn't have to be fancy, but there is the possibility of creating an amazing community network of paths through the woods for running and walking. It would also connect, for at least pedestrian traffic, north Buffalo with University Heights and the LaSalle Metro station. Instead of waiting for the city government in all its glory to conduct a study, and then maybe get around to doing something, I propose the community get together one weekend in April (when spring truly arrives) and clean up the old pathway. All that is needed, at least to start, is to cut back some of the overgrown areas so it is a continuous route and to clean up a lot of the trash. For little more than a weekend's worth of work, north Buffalo could create one of the best green spaces in the entire city that would be a wonderful addition to this already lovely neighborhood. -Adam O'Brian

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In 2001, the City of Buffalo and Erie County received federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding to construct a 9-mile greenway on a former rail line that connects North Buffalo with an East West spur as well as a north-south corridor that continues into the suburb of Kenmore, through Tonawanda to the Erie Canalway Trail. If constructed under the proposed plan submitted in the original CMAQ funding application, the greenway has the ability to positively impact land values; greatly improve the connectivity of current off road paths; encourage more recreational cycling, jogging, and walking; and provide an alternative off-road route for shopping, errands and commuting. The greenway would also intersect nine NFTA bus routes and a light rail metro station as well as provide safe access to multiple city, county and town parks, the Amherst bicycle path, Erie Canalway Trail, and Buffalois Riverwalk. A majority of groups and citizens are rallying behind the greenway as the best option for the propertyis maintenance and preservation. The propertyis current lack of care and seclusion make it ripe for underage drinking and drug use, arson, loitering, illegal dumping and noise despite the best efforts from citizens. While development of a greenway has the potential to act as a catalyst to clean up and preserve this rare remaining parcel of urban open space, there are many challenges that have yet to be overcome.

Some residents are concerned about crime, the privacy of their property, and the continued maintenance of a greenway located in a fiscally troubled county and city. In addition, despite being aware of the City and Countyis proposal for a greenway, NFTA, without notifying the local community, sold a portion of the land in North Buffalo along the east west spur portion of the abandoned rail corridor. A 30-foot easement was retained for the greenway and future light rail, but the easement does not include the former rail bed so the trail would need to be moved to a new location much closer to adjacent homes. Residents have complained that the new landowner knocked down the former railroad berms causing wildlife to abandon their habitat for neighboring backyards. In response to complaints, the city has halted all development and presented a status report on the property to the property owners it directly affects. Residents are still waiting to learn more about the situation and the nature of the developeris plans. They hope to have the opportunity to work with the developer in designing the realigned trail section. Park and Trails New York and its partner Be Active New York State are continuing to follow and support the development of the North Buffalo-Tonawanda Greenway and have stayed in contact with the multiple entities involved with the trailis design. It is hopeful that a citizens committee can be created to work with the parties involved in designing the trail for the remaining North Buffalo and Tonawanda sections. It is an important lesson that even with funding in place for a positive project such as the North Buffalo/Tonawanda greenway, success it not assured. It is important to get involved early and stay involved in formulating a design to ensure that the greater community good is served.