Citizens for Regional Transit endorses efforts by Rep. Brian Higgins and Sen. Charles Schumer to support a new Amtrak Station for Buffalo, NY and for a comprehensive study of optimal location(s).

The current Exchange Street Station has been voted as the “saddest rail station in the US” and is woefully inadequate to support an upward trending Buffalo and its transportation needs. The recent Exchange Street Station roof collapse intensifies the urgency of building a new station.

There are many requirements that must be considered in evaluating locations and design for a new Buffalo train station:

Nadine Lemmon, of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, presented this talk at the Citizens for Regional Transit quarterly meeting on October 16, 2015.

Download the Citizens for Regional Transit/21st Century Park presentation on the new Buffalo SkyLine, a thrilling tourist and community attraction, coupled with a world-class park on the Outer Harbor!

This presentation was delivered at the October 15 CRT meeting by Darren Kempner, manager of Manager, Grants and Government Affairs for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.

Below is the application for the City of Buffalo's Better Buffalo Transit Oriented Development Fund. If you have a Transit Oriented Development project in mind, apply using this application.

These comments were submitted as public comments to the Board of Directors of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation on September 24, 2014.

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Representatives of Citizens for Regional Transit attended the Outer Harbor public meeting at the WNED Studios on September 9th as well as the previous public meetings. We hope that feedback received from community organizations and individuals will be used by the ECHDC to establish a framework for an Outer Harbor that complements our city, takes best advantage of the unique location and character of the Outer Harbor, and reflects the concerns of WNY citizens. However, we are disappointed with the planning process because it restrains and limits public engagement. We also are opposed to some key aspects of the preferred plan.

The fundamental problem with the process is that it does not allow adequate ability for the public to voice concerns and ask questions. Without meaningful public engagement the plan will not reflect public desires for the use of this public land, and it will not benefit from the expertise of organizations knowledgeable in important issues relating to development of the Outer Harbor. For example, relegating public comments at meetings to “yellow stickies” and informal small group discussions does not provide an effective means for the public to raise questions, and does not require the ECHDC and its contractor to respond publicly, on the record. This short circuits the openness of the process and leads to results not fully reflective public views. We want a chance to publicly express our views and to be informed by the views of other groups and citizens. The ECHDC should want this too. We hope that the next public meeting will allow public comments and discussion of issues, and will provide a forum for the ECHDC to respond publicly. Microphones should be available for this purpose.

From https://onlinempa.unc.edu/5-largest-us-public-transit-systems-inforgrap… (1.9MB in size)

Credit: MPA@UNC

In 2014, on Dump the Pump Day, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown issued a proclamation.

CRT President Doug Funke and Secretary Lynn Magdol explain the great benefits to the public of transit.

"Vote" early and often.... comment period ends on April 30, 2014.

Get your comments in to the NY-DOT regarding HP Rail and weigh in on the stations in Buffalo.

https://www.dot.ny.gov/empire-corridor

Click on the link and you'll see a page with some background PDFs - if you want to get dipped in the concept and their thinking you can read the material.

Click on the "Comment" button on the left hand side of the page to weigh in.

Pass along to your friends/family/co-workers. It costs nothing to do it.

All aboard!