Next Meeting

CRT Quarterly Meeting

Thursday, October 17, 2019

5:30-7:00 (doors open at 5:00)

Location: Merriweather Branch Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo, NY 14208 (at East Utica Street)

Take the #18 or #12 buses to reach it; library is roughly 3/4 mile by foot east from Utica Metro Rail Station.

Topic East Side Development and Transit Access

Speaker and Panelists:

  • CRT President Doug Funke (speaker and panelist)
  • Paul Tronolone, VP of Policy and Planning at Empire State Development (panelist)
  • David Franczyk, Buffalo Common Council (panelist)

The region’s leaders in transit, development, and policymaking will come together with the public on Thursday, October 17, to tackle one of the biggest questions about the future of the region: how to advance a proposal to extend light-rail access to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, tapping into the energy, investment, and positive development on Buffalo’s East Side.
CRT President Douglas Funke will present a proposal for a light rail line through the East Side to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, with responses from a local expert and an elected official. An extensive question-and-answer period will follow the presentation and panel discussion.

With evidence of change visible on every corner, Buffalo and Niagara Falls residents are learning to reconsider aspects of urban life long taken for granted—from the future of the Buffalo Skyway to the possibility of high-speed transit access to Toronto. On October 17, CRT will ask Buffalo-Niagara residents to go a step further, and imagine a modern public transportation system—green, affordable, and accessible—built around their needs and aligned with positive development in the city, including on Buffalo’s East Side. For many transit advocates, this means putting on the “fast track” plans to connect Buffalo’s downtown to the airport.

According to CRT President Doug Funke, “Transit to the Eastside and Airport has been ignored for far too long! We need to extend Buffalo Metro along our publicly-owned rail rights-of-way to serve the Eastside and connect with the airport, like so many cities have already done. This needs to be our next transit priority.” Come and join the discussion!