Gordon J. Thompson, urban transportation planner - consultant

Buffalo suffers because mobility for all citizens is not a priority at national, state, nor county levels. It is a major policy overseas, contributing immensely to the quality of living. A Mobility element is missing from our city plans, environmental agenda, and vision programs.

In spite of population and employment losses, Buffalo and the surrounding region is experiencing an increase in automobile use. City residents in particular are losing a cherished privilege ? mobility ? especially the half of Buffalo population without automo-biles or access to them (not only too-young, too-old, or handicapped residents, but also those who cannot afford to own or to operate an automobile, and the many who choose not to so prefer residing within the City where transit service is available).

Mass transit objectives include, in addition to solving transportation problems, pro-vision of mobility for all citizens, creation of jobs, economic development, and enhancing the quality of life. Associated are more efficient use of land, air quality, preservation of precious fossil fuels, and other environmental matters.

Federal regulations stipulate the environmental issues that must be addressed when designing new transportation facilities. Examination of these issues is useful to appreciate how concentration on mobility with focus upon expansion of Metro Rail within the City and improved bus service can help preserve and enhance Buffalo?s environment: Transportation issues extend to pedestrian and bicycle circulation. The rights-of-way for Metro Rail extensions can provide the courses for hike/bike paths. Ni-agara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) plans include provision of hike/bike paths cantilevered from Metro Rail bridges over intersected railroads and the Buffalo River to create links between neighborhoods and to connect neighborhoods to parks.

NFTA planned future Metro Rail lines to obviate Displacement and Reloca-tion of Existing Uses by making use of abandoned railroad rights-of-way within the City ? west from LaSalle station in the North Buffalo Corridor, northwest from LaSalle station in the Tonawandas Corridor, east from downtown in the Airport Corridor, south in the Southtowns Corridor, and through the East Side for the Belt Line East Corridor. There are only a couple of instances where private property needs to be acquired and a business must be relocated.

Neighborhoods should not be divided and quality of life should be improved. The railroad rights-of-way form edges of neighborhoods, hence do not divide them. Pro-vision of rapid access to the city center, to education, shopping, and recreation opportuni-ties, and to government services will enhance the quality of living. Visual and Aesthetic Conditions can be controlled by design. Keeping Metro Rail extensions on the surface in railroad rights-of-way goes a long way toward obviating visual intrusion.

Air Quality is an important consideration in which mass transit has a superb performance record. People traveling together in buses pollute the air much less than when driving in their individual automobiles. Electric trains such as Metro Rail pollute far less than buses if the electricity is produced by burning oil or coal, and the pollution is concentrated at power-generating plants rather than being spewed along the course. Metro Rail, though is powered by Niagara Falls ? without pollution.

Noise and Vibration is not a problem with Metro Rail because its trains? steel wheels roll on steel rails and are electrically propelled -- quieter than buses. Flora and Fauna are given attention by transit planners especially in zones such as along the Buffalo River where a Metro Rail line can enhance rather than detract from re-establishing natural habitats. The trains can offer a way ? sans automobile ? for people to get close to nature at re-established habitats.

Water Resources and Water Quality are matters of concern where a trans-portation facility crosses or passes near a floodplain or wetlands. Metro Rail tracks can be deviated slightly to avoid wetlands that have developed naturally on the old railroad rights-of-way and old trackbeds can carry the trains across the Buffalo River floodplain without changing it in any way. Unlike highways with pavement run-off, salt, and pul-verized rubber, a rail line does not poison the area through which it passes.

Energy is of national importance. Buses use less fuel than automobiles on a per-passenger basis. Metro Rail consumes no petroleum. Hence, mass transit makes the most significant contribution toward relieving our dependence upon imported oil and to-ward preserving precious fossil fuels. Historic, Archeological, and Cultural Sites must be avoided or protected. NFTA established an excellent record of cooperation during construction of the present Metro Rail Mainline when discovered historic and archeological features were recorded and preserved. The planned extensions will offer access to historic, ecological, and ar-chaeological sites.

Parklands cannot be used by new transportation facilities. NFTA's plans avoid them and instead, provide residents with access to them by riding the trains and buses and through incorporating access paths and bridges to parks. The temporary Construction Impacts ? detouring of traffic, construction equipment noise and vibration, run-off and interruption of the water table, and fugitive dust -- can be regarded as the prices to pay for a long-term improvement. However, they, too, have mitigating measures to assure they are not severe, introduce no lasting prob-lems, and any damage is repaired. But, the Metro Rail extensions on railroad rights-of-way would not necessitate heavy construction.

Environmental plans must consider Buffalo citizens? need for mobility. Provision of quality affordable public transportation must be a part of the attention and resources expended on mobility ? at least as much as for the automobile. The use of rail transit, like Metro Rail, as a tool to steer development can contribute immensely to the resolution of many environmental issues. Light-rail transit, such as Metro Rail, is both user-friendly and wayside-friendly; its positive environmental impacts far outweigh its nega-tive impacts which are affordably mitigatable.

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Mobility for All

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