Instead of doubling back along the Outer Harbor on our way back (from Times Beach) to the Ohio Street Bridge, we decided to take a different route. This time we crossed underneath the elevated highway and followed the unused train tracks along a channel of water (City Ship Canal) that runs parallel with Route 5. If Route 5 were to be brought down to grade level, this parcel of land would be clear to see – it would also be an incredible asset in the future if a Rails-to-Trails program was to be established. This section of land (top photo) is really quite beautiful, and the trail is already there (for the most part). I’m not exactly sure who owns this property, but I would think that as the Master Plan is formulated, this would be taken into consideration.
Unfortunately, this land will most likely be ‘out of sight, out of mind’ due to the elevated roadway (bottom photo). Instead of being incorporated into the long term plan, the trail, along with the lost 77 acres of land that will remain an elevated highway, it will remain ‘as is’ for years to come. If the land is/was owned by CSX (there are buried tracks along the way), I would think that someone would want to look into negotiations to obtain it for future use. Even as the elevated highway continues to cut off people from the water, every aspect of available land should be taken into consideration – even the City Ship Canal, which could be used for a number of different recreational purposes.
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Support for Buffalo Rising comes from: