Cloudwalk would open Outer Harbor to public transit users
Cooling breezes, open spaces, and beautiful views are off-limits to transit users. The Cloudwalk, and a new DL&W Metrorail Station can fix that.
It is a denial of service that must end. The Outer Harbor is off-limits to users of public transit in Buffalo and its northern and eastern suburbs, whether by direct route or by connecting routes. There simply is no service. Even South Buffalo residents, who live closest to the lakeshore, can’t get there on the NFTA.
Metrorail’s new station at the DL&W can change that, if the Cloudwalk—the Campign for Greater Buffalo’s proposal to adapt the southern section of the Skyway complex for pedestrians and bike riders— is realized and a direct connection is made to it. A simple elevator ride and a five-minute walk across the Cloudwalk would transit users—and other pedestrians and bike-riders—to another elevator ride to the entrance of Wilkeson Pointe Park. That is a gigantic bonus to everyone with a public transit pass—the new access is free, and a reason to use weekend service. For others, the new access is another reason to leave the car and its hassles at home. For the Canal and Cobblestone districts, that is a huge stream of foot traffic, especially during summer.
As hockey and concert fans know, taking Metrorail from the UB or LaSalle stations is a breeze for northtowns or North Buffalo residents—you avoid all the auto congestion and expensive parking near Key Bank Center. Imagine a summer weekend, being able to ride Metrorail directly to the Cloudwalk, DL&W, and Central Wharf, and then talking a five-minute walk across the Cloudwalk to a picnic at Wilkeson Pointe—or on the Cloudwalk itself.
This scenario of pleasure and mobility equity is far from guaranteed. It will take continued public effort to reach out to public officials like Governor Andrew Cuomo and Congressmember Brian Higgins. The New York State Department of Transportation is in the midst of an environmental review on the future of the Skyway under the stated goal of getting rid of all 3.3 miles of the complex, from Church Street in downtown Buffalo to Tifft Street in Sounth Buffalo.
The Campaign for Greater Buffalo is looking for your help to make the Cloudwalk a reality, with donations of cash or skills. The Campaign can be contacted at FrontDesk@c4gb.org.
I think public transit access to the Outer Harbor will need to be more than just a walk to the park. The only real access is via Ohio St. from Downtown. What the solution is has yet to be defined. But the easiest step is to build a bridge from Ganson St. (still a bit awkward) over the Ship Canal to the Outer Harbor where CSI Sands is located. It's a clumsy solution and add more traffic on Ganson St. which is good for Riverworks but not so much for General Mills.
https://goo.gl/maps/318WBGxgbNSJSWP77
No, the Metro Rail should not go to a dead-end at the Outer Harbor. After emerging from the DL&W it should next be brought to Larkinville - the first of several incremental steps that will take it through the East Side (serving many care-free residents there with a RAPID transit connection) , Central Terminal, the Walden Galleria, Airport, and a Park & Ride at the I-90 to collect commuters from all over the region who now use the Thruway to get downtown.