As a general concept, having a LLRT line going from downtown to the airport makes sense.

When your airport increases passenger volume every year since its inception and is about 10 years ahead of schedule in regards to passenger volume-it makes more sense to look seriously and quickly into making a downtown-airport LLRT line.

When there isn’t even one available parking spot in the entire airport-newly availible surrounding lots included-and the NFTA is telling you to get a ride to the airport…there really is no excuse to not be planning and pushing for a downtown-airport LLRT line.

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’ve been against this project but as long as the airport only takes flights that physically can not use the BNIA’s runway. The falls is enough of a destination to land large carriers on occasion I assume. The renderings are nice and should be a good asset to the region-making it more marketable to outsiders.

From the official website:

New Terminal Initiative

The NFTA Board of Commissioners is currently pursuing funding to construct a new 65,000 square-foot terminal at the NFIA. The proposed two-gate facility would accommodate near term demand without excess capacity. The state-of-the-art design would provide for efficient, customer friendly passenger processing, two level layout for jet bridge boarding, food/beverage concessions, federal inspection station and in-line baggage screening. The new facility has an estimated cost of $27.5 million.

The creative design of the proposed new terminal reflects the grandeur of the Niagara community, promoting a positive “Gateway Image” to the region.
Desgined to make a great first impression

Gross Floor Area: 69,430 square feet

Floors: 1-1/2 stories

Facility: Designed to process a fully loaded B-747 International flight in 1-1/2 hours. The holdroom will be able to handle two 757-300 simultaneously at 90% seating or an international flight and a domestic flight simultaneously.

Outgoing flight processing time (terminal front door to gate): 757-400 is 90 minutes, 757-300 is 60 minutes.

Amenities:

Curbside check-in facilities

Eight stationary ticket counter stations and additional electronic check-in positions

Two security check-in lines

Two gates: one jet-bridge and one ground loading

International & domestic facilities

Simultaneous Operations capability/capacity for International & domestic flights

Fully functional TSA facilities

Customs & Border Protection facilities for International travelers

Multi-modal Metro transit center

Car Rental, Information, and Eatery facilities

Yes. Its becoming a weekly installment whether you like it or not. Today’s story isn’t as good as a woman grabbing my nose for fun or a man urinating in the seat next to me, but its’ still good.

Today I sat next to a rather large man. On each finger a different and quite unique ring. He had a walker. His walker had a basket. And in his basket was….

Sausages. Lots of Sausages. Literally bursting out the seams of his basket. Cooked, cooling off, and slowly-wrinkling sausages. All for himself.

Sausages.

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.

Coming back to Buffalo after some time in DC, I forgot how much more…interesting…the train is here.

On today’s train, a middle aged woman who I would classify as a “crack head” talked to herself loudly for most of the ride, talking to her imaginary friend about the history of the NFTA.

No big deal, happens all the time, right?

But as she got off the train she came up to me and reached for my nose, saying “GOT YOUR NOSE!” and then did it to the guy next to me as well.

$3.50 for an all day pass takes you everywhere you want to go in the region, plus some extra entertainment on the side…guaranteed.

I’m writing an Architecture paper, comparing the new National Airport to the Buffalo-Niagara Airport.

I took the metro from my Maryland suburb, through DC, over the Potomac River, and right smack in front of National Airport in 25 minutes.

Imagine a time in which after a vaction we land at BNIA, and then hop on the train to downtown.

Imagine a time in which the outer harbor is developed (maybe even a Bills Stadium) and we can take the metro over Lake Erie to get there.

Awesomeness. Sheer awesomeness.

Can’t wait till 2007? Here’s a slideshow of the 3-D look of cars on Main Street courtesy of Gabe on BR.

NFTA says they reached a handshake agreement with Uniland and it should be official in 30 days. Good. But i like to complain too…I mean come on, I’m from Buffalo!

1. Uniland builds crap. Typical suburban office park crap. I’ve seen their entire portfolio. It sucks. Corporate Parkway next to UB Amherst is okay for what it is (Suburban office park)

2. Our downtown is underdeveloped. Skyline has barely changed since 1970. Lots of surface lots, especially the part of town behind the HSBC Tower. Soooo if we can’t get those lots developed, are we really going to get the Outer Harbor developed?

Regardless, the Outer Harbor is frickin depressing and its good something is gonna happen there. I hope they do it right. But unless the light rail goes out there and we get a pedestrian bridge to there the developments will be few and far between.

NFTA is in the news again. Looks like they’re closing in on a deal with landing a cargo and a passenger carrier from Europe (MartinAir) and EuroFly-a passenger carrier from Italy. Previously, China Air and a low cost carrier from Vegas was interested too.

Okay. Cool. But I still have never read an explanation of why Buffalo-NIAGARA international can’t just extend their runway to get these flights. Last time I checked, we’re pretty gosh-darn close to the Falls and we already have a good sized, beautiful, landmark airport, ready for expansion. I think its ridiculous to have two airports in such a region.

Anyone care to explain to me why I’m wrong?