UB Department of Architecture Small Built Worksand Citizens for Regional Transit (CRT)

Friday, May 8th from 3:00-5:00pm with a presentation at 3:15pm

at 330 Crosby Hall, UB South Campus, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214

 Contact:

- Jim Gordon, Citizens for Regional Transit: 716-348-2294

- Brad Wales, UB Small Built Works: 716-866-9665

 Please join us for a presentation of eight new Train Station designs and discussion of the possibility of re-using existing rail beds for new light rail rapid transit (LRRT) lines in Buffalo. 

 Citizens for Regional Transit has been advocating for a Downtown-to-Airport line for 60-years; UB Small Built Works has been working for four semesters to develop mapping and station designs to help CRT’s advocacy.

 This semester’s focus has been on the Downtown-to-Airport line, including a proposed Airport Monorail Tram Loop, a new Airport East Station, a Bailey Avenue-Wildroot Building Station, as well as downtown stations on Michigan Avenue, Exchange Street, and at the Belt Line-Main Street crossing. 

 We’re also exploring a Southtowns LRRT line with a Botanical Gardens Station. And just in time for the Buffalo Bills Spring OTAs, we’ll present an exciting new red swoosh-inspired transit hub for Highmark Stadium!! 

This semester has also included outreach to local businesses and community groups. Feedback has been very positive—it’s kind of a no-brainer—Buffalo’s existing rail beds are still intact and in operation. In most cities, finding routes would be the biggest obstacle, but here in Buffalo, we already have those Right-of-Ways (ROWs)!

 As of this past year, we have new information from Seattle that shows how our ROWs make rail transit economically feasible right here in Buffalo.

It takes about 20-years to get potential passenger rail lines visioned, scoped, discussed, reviewed & revised, environmentally reviewed, planned some more, reviewed some more, discussed some more, then finally designed and built. So let’s get started now! Let’s do this for our children, and their children. Because we deserve it! And because rail is more resilient!! 

 Please join us on Friday for an optimistic, expansive discussion about the future of passenger rail in Buffalo!