Higgins Welcomes Talk of NFTA Extension but Reiterates Call for Improvements to DL&W

Tonight, Thursday, October 15th from 5-7pm the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) will host an informational public open house to present the Canalside & Cobblestone Access Enhancement Study which considers options for extension of the Metro Rail to the DL&W Terminal. Congressman Higgins released the following statement:

"I commend the NFTA for their work examining transportation options that seek to meet the needs of a growing ridership and downtown economy. As we, as a community, look to continue the progress of providing greater access to and a better experience in our city and along our waterfront, reuse of the DL&W terminal should be part of the discussion.

"The DL&W sits as a broken link in the chain that connects Canalside, the Cobblestone District, the Buffalo River and Outer Harbor. Therefore we reiterate our call for Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation to make the necessary investments to prepare the second floor of the DL&W Terminal for private sector investment.

"The options under study by the NFTA are good, and they will provide some basic public access to the second floor, but they will not make the other infrastructure improvements necessary to ready the site for development. It would be a terrible missed opportunity if we as a community finally provide the public access to this historic space, but there is nothing there when they arrive; ECHDC has the resources and the mandate to open up this dramatic and historic space to uses the public can enjoy."

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