Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Getting cars back on Main Street in downtown Buffalo took a giant step forward this Monday as New York elected officials announced at Canalside $54.5 million coming for future phases of the project, which includes the section between Church and East Mohawk Street.
Congressman Brain Higgins, New York State Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, New York State Senator Tim Kennedy and Mayor Byron Brown alongside the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and Buffalo Place also announced the near completion of the 100 block portion construction for Car Sharing Main Street project in downtown Buffalo.
The 100 block phase is a $22.5 million dollar project funded mostly through an awarded $18 million grant called the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, which returned cars to Main Street from Exchange Street to Scott Street.
"The initiative of returning cars to Main Street started 20 years ago and since that time, according to Mike Schmand from Buffalo Place, residential activity in downtown Buffalo has increased by about 350%. You see new activity along Main Street and that activity is not coincidental. There's a cause and effect relationship. When you invest in infrastructure, private sector investment follows," said Congressman Brian Higgins.
"Billions of dollars are coming into Buffalo, funding that our community deserves, but unfortunately over past generations and past leaders in the governor's seat, have either ignored us or not made Buffalo in Western New York a priority. Now with Governor Hochul's leadership, we're a priority," said New York State Senator Tim Kennedy.
The 500, 600, 700 and now 100 block of Main Street is now accessible to cars, totaling over $52 million in funds to complete. The 500 and 600 blocks opened in 2015. This $54.5 million of funds is a combination of Federal Highway funding and state resources which should help the section of Church and East Mohawk as well as other Main Street efforts.
"40 years ago, Main Street was closed off to vehicular traffic downtown. That was at a tremendously negative cost to the residents of the city, but also to the residents of the region. With each dollar we have invested in opening up Main Street to vehicular traffic, there's been essentially a $4 private sector return on that investment and opening Main Street has been important to city residents in every single section of the city of Buffalo. But it's also been important to residents of the region, because tens of thousands of people from all across the city and all across the region work in downtown Buffalo. This project has meant more jobs for residents of the City of Buffalo and more jobs of the region," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
"The aesthetic of cars on Main Street is going to follow much of what has already been laid out. So you can see up on the Main and Genesee area up by the 500 block, the aesthetic that's been laid out there. It's slightly different as we get down to Canalside. It's more historic. As we develop and design each block, the designers mimic the buildings that are in that vicinity to help the the street fit in with the block that it's on, but still be cohesive as someone walks all the way from Goodell down to Canalside," said Michael Finn, Buffalo's Commissioner of Public Works.
"The gap that we have right now, as far as the scope of work is between Exchange Street, right at Seneca One up to Mohawk. Right now we're actively coordinating with the NFTA. The NFTA has some funds they've already looked to invest that came from the state and taking this 54 million that we're talking about today, putting it all together and seeing exactly what's the best way to progress that. In a perfect world, we just get it all done and that's the goal that we're starting with. But that still remains to be seen if we have the funding to do that. Timetable is begin design immediately. We potentially could start construction as early as late next year, 2023," added Finn.