WNY Environmental Summit - Saturday, Sept. 29, 8:30am-Noon - Daemen College

Public Meeting: Connecting Buffalo-Niagara and Toronto with Commuter Rail

CITIZENS FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT Quarterly Meeting

 
Connecting Buffalo-Niagara and the Larger Bi-National Region with Commuter Rail:
What's Feasible? Where to Start?

Free and Open to All
 

Tuesday, May 1, 2018
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

First Presbyterian Church [Map]
1 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY
 

The Citizens for Regional Transit quarterly meeting will feature Congressman Brian Higgins with panelists Pat Whalen, Director of the Niagara Falls Global Tourism Institute, and Bruce Becker, Vice President of the National Association of Rail Passengers.
 
When looking at a satellite image of the region between Toronto and Buffalo-Niagara, it becomes clear that it’s a contiguously urbanized area; we are part of a binational mega-region. This linear arrangement of urban centers has a population of nine million people and a combined GDP of $450 billion.

However, this mega-region is lacking one important feature: transit connectivity. With only one Amtrak train per day (in each direction), travel between U.S. cities and Toronto is largely limited to car. This creates recurring traffic congestion – especially at the international bridges and near Toronto. This impeded mobility also restricts economic opportunities.

 

The good news is that there have already been several steps toward making transit connectivity a reality, such as the opening of the new Niagara Falls, New York Amtrak Station; the planning of the new Buffalo downtown station; and the future extension of commuter rail from Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Join Citizens for Regional Transit on Tuesday, May 1 to learn more about plans, challenges, and possibilities for the future of rail connections between Buffalo and Niagara Falls as a first step in linking Western New York to Toronto.

Green Drinks: Help Us Build YOU a better Environmental Summit

 

Join us for Green Drinks
When: Thursday April 28th
Where: D'Arcy McGees 257 Franklin Street Buffalo, NY 14202
Time: 4:00PM - 7:00 PM

Join us for the next Green Drinks at the always fabulous D'Arcy McGees with Bob Knoer and the organizers of the WNY Environmental Summit.

They're trying to make the Summit more innovative and poignant than ever with a fun, quick and interactive process where we'll solicit your input.

We're going to poll people with small note cards while they're socializing to find out:

What topics are you most interested in hearing expert speakers discuss?

What workshops or training sessions would be a draw and get you to attend the Environmental Summit this year?

We want to know!

Mark your calendar's and RSVP today. Light food will be provided. The first 50 people to RSVP to Green Drinks with Melanie McMahan at melanie@buffalo-energy.com will receive a free drink ticket at the event.

There will also be a raffle for your participation and input for The Summit.

If you're interested in being more active with the WNY Environmental Summit this year, please include this in your email to Melanie.

DECEMBER EVENTS: Rise Up For Climate Justice Campaign of WNY

For Details and Maps to specific events, see the EVENTS listed in the SIDEBAR.

STAY TUNED for additional Events!

PUBLIC MEETING: State and County Funding for Local Transit

~ CITIZENS FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT QUARTERLY MEETING ~

STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING FOR TRANSIT:

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday, April 15, 5:30–6:30pm  ~  Doors open at 5:00pm
United Way, 742 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo

Free and Open to All

  
Panel Speakers:

• State Assemblyman Sean Ryan
• Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke
• Lynda Stephens, Subsidy Action Committee, Coalition for Economic Justice

President Doug Funke will moderate a panel discussion on the need for increased state and local funding for the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority and its impact in sustaining and growing Western New York’s economic renaissance. This discussion will consist of brief talks on the need to increase transit funding from New York State and Erie County and the role of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency’s tax exemptions, followed by a question and answer component. The impetus for this needed increase is to address a $10 million shortfall in the NFTA’s current budget. 

Assemblyman Ryan has been leading the recent charge in Albany to address this need. His plan recognizes the positive economic impact of encouraging increased ridership on public transportation as a caveat of additional funding for the system.

Erie County currently provides minimal portions of tax revenues to the NFTA. The Erie County IDA exempts some of these taxes in its incentives to developers and businesses, further limiting the funds available to transit from Erie County.

The Western New York region has recently seen cutbacks in transit services and is now threatened with further cutbacks of critical routes if budget solutions are not found. These transit services facilitate the upward mobility of urban residents who otherwise lack access to well-paying jobs and are needed by area businesses.

Not investing in Western New York’s public transportation is sure to impede future growth and lead to ever worsening traffic congestion on already over-used public thoroughfares such as the Youngman, Kensington and Interstate 90.  Concern about Buffalo’s sustained commercial and labor market growth is everybody’s business, come join us and learn more on April 15th.