The topic of Light Rail expansion always leads into passionate debate and then ends with the honest realization that there is no money or leadership available to push for it.

Since realizing Amherst wants no part of light rail- the NFTA has its hopes on one day being able to have a downtown-airport line. Needless to say if that was to ever happen it would probably have to go trough a lot of red tape in typical Buffalo fashion.

But what about a potentially cheaper compromise?

A Dick Road-Exchange Street express via Amtrak. The rail infrastructure is not only there but in use. Maybe one passenger car going back and forth from 8am-10pm on the half hour during peak times and then by the hour later on?

I can’t imagine it would be that expensive to operate. Cheektowaga is a pretty dense suburb, perhaps they wouldn’t mind having a ‘traffic’-free, easy commute to work and back everyday. Going to a Sabres game? Its a two-block walk from the station to the arena or just cross the street and take the LRRT one station over. Have a mini-shuttle that loops from the train station to the Galleria to the Airport and back to the train station. Then again-the Galleria has a tough history with public transport so maybe just a mini-shuttle from the train to the airport that is free with your train ticket.

Any realization of expanding rail service in America outside of the Boston-DC corridor is a tough sell, Buffalo especially…but in this case it could be seen as a rational and relatively cheap alternative to the process of having a LRRT expansion.

I don’t have a car. But I’ve become slightly bored with my personal Buffalo of Downtown, University Heights, and North Campus. So this school year I’m trying to explore and get a better feeling for the rest of the Buffalo area…I think it will help me understand the Buffalo region better.

For example:
Yesterday I was taking the 32 bus back to town through Cheektowaga/Cleveland Hill area and Cheektowaga has these neighborhoods that look like they’re frozen in time back to 1955 or 1960. Small single family homes built with cheap materials but decorated with passion by the owners, old ladies on their porch, old men taking care of their gardens, kids riding their bike back from football practice. I saw bars in humble looking one-story structures that are packed before dinner time with hearty local folk. I suppose the elderly folks out front were once the young post-WW2 parents who made Cheektowaga a wonderful Levittown and the hearty men in the bars were at those same bars after a long day of bringing home the bacon when Buffalo was a manufacturing hub.

These neighborhoods looked like they still strive to be like the ‘Leave It To Beaver’ ideal American ‘hood. I really didn’t think these places still existed. On the way out I asked myself if Levittowns like Cheektowaga will become architectural fascinations like old neighborhoods in the city have become-except perhaps in a more twisted way. I don’t know. But I will say that paying 3.50 for a trip through time was quite the bargain.

Went to the Galleria Mall today to check up on how all the new stuff is coming along…actually just went there because I heard Urban Outfitters finally opened. The company is obviously urban minded and this is the first mall location I’ve ever seen although when open in a smaller region they usually just mall it as a rule. I’m curious to know if they ever considered Elmwood or Canal Side.

But anyways, if you go there be sure to pick up a copy of their soundtrack. I’m not a complete indie-snob so most of the music on there was unknown to me but absolutely great.

The rest of the new wing is starting to really take shape. Bebe, Oakley, Coach, Lucky Brand, Metropark and Bravo are open and it looks like the rest of the stores will be done before December. We’ll be seeing a lot more Ontario plates when word gets out over the border about the completed Galleria…that is for sure.

The more retail evolves in Cheektowaga and Amherst I become more and more concerned about what kind of retail Benderson could possibly bring to Canal Side in a shrinking region that is already well represented in the retail world.

But they say Bass Pro is an anchor…

Some tough times over dere now dat da Pink Flamingo factery closed up shop in Massachusets.
Who needs da Buffalo News when ya got yerself da Cheektowaga Times huh?
No seriously, they have an RSS feed and the BfloNews doesn’t. Embarassing.

I kidd because I love.

Basically I like regions to have two core centers for development
1. The downtown of a city
2. The airport area of a city

So although I’d rather see all the new Galleria stuff be downtown, It’s something I’ve already accepted.
And I’m actually pretty excited about the new project discussed last night on Channel 2.
Two hotels, two restaurants, and a water park to replace an abandoned old Radisson.
It’s important that when people land in Buffalo they see some good stuff immediatley. They’re already seing an absolutley beautiful Airport, and now hopefully when they step outisde they’ll see a place that resembles a healthy region.

Man, so much good stuff happening in the world of Buffalo area development in ‘06.