Light Rail Solutions

Occasionally the Buffalo News prints an article that has a solution of merit. Today's news (July 15, 2016) carries such an article. It's on the first page of Section B. Not front page where it belongs. But still.

It involves tearing down that unsightly Skyway and building a light rail line – really just allowing light rail to run on existing lines and then extending it up into a central point in Buffalo. The DL&W Terminal is mentioned. I could also see the Central Terminal being brought back to its former glory (or something near it) as a central hub of this line.

And while we are at it, let's extend light rail to Niagara Falls and out through Amherst and Williamsville?(It could even run underground so that they would not have to deal with trains on Main Street.)

Mass transit, such as light rail, has many advantages over cars. First there is no hassle about parking or finding a parking space. My friends that have bus passes even note the free park and ride locations. (OK. UB is overly crowded but LaSalle is often wide open. And the park and ride over by the Eastern Hills Mall id often open as well.) And the cost of parking downtown is ridiculous. The cost of a Metro Pass alone is paid for in a week of downtown parking.

Second is the cost of gas, which bounces up and down worse than a kid in a bounce house at a birthday party. The cost of a pass is low when one looks at the cost of that.

Third, of course is the environmental impact. Buses are running greener and light rail runs on electric that comes from Niagara Falls. (Nothing greener than water turbine generated electricity. I'll even take wind turbine or solar.)

Fourth – for us union folk – is that bus drivers and mechanics are all union jobs. Those are good wages and benefits.

I can go on about how much I think the idea needs to be pursued.

It needs to be expanded even more than what I mentioned above.

We have the rail lines that are slowly being abandoned to the south towns. Let's reinvigorate then with passenger lines down Route 400 all the way to Arcade and Elicottville the the regional skiing hubs. Also down the 90 / Thruway to Dunkirk, Olean, and Jamestown.

Lets get it going up to Niagara Falls and over to Canada. Also over to Rochester. Even Batavia.

If sufficient lines were rehabilitated and opened up people would use them, My friend tells me about the Arcade & Attica Railroad and how people line up to ride on that train. Granted it's an old steam engine and it has a historical appeal. Still, travel by train/rail/whatever you want to call it is more efficient in many ways over travel by car or other singular gas based travel. Add WI-fi to the lines and t just became even more engaging for those that would rather surf the web than watch the scenery out then windows.

Add a dining car and it just became even more attractive. I can count on one hand how many times I go driving on the 400 or anywhere without a snack or cup of coffee/tea going (or at least packed) and that adds to the difficulty of driving and increases the possibility of an accident.  Light rail and mass transit reduces that possibility.

And I can go on about the need to expand light rail and mass transit across our urban centers and region.

This is one time that I agree strongly with Congressman Brian Higgins.

My disagreement is that he doesn't go far enough in the desire to expand light rail.

Hopefully he has a desire to expand it further and just hasn't released the idea publicly.