BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Work is expected to continue "shortly" on the planned return of cars to Main Street in Downtown Buffalo.
The project has stalled the last couple of years because the city needed to upgrade the metro rail at the DL&W Terminal.
"It was kind of a sequencing coordination so we can keep the metro rail running efficiently," Buffalo Public Works Commissioner Mike Finn said. "The cars on Main Street will be starting shortly. That will be getting into single-tracking, which means that the train rides on one side in both directions. Tentatively, we're looking to have substantial completion by the end of this calendar year, but that's going to be weather dependent."
Vehicular traffic was eliminated more than 20 years ago in the 11-block stretch of Main Street once the metro rail was created. The city has long-planned to return cars to Lower Main Street as a way to revitalize its downtown corridor. The $22.5 million project would return traffic between Scott and Exchange Street. The next phase is expected to restore vehicular traffic from Exchange Street to Church Street.
Funding remains one of the most difficult challenges for the city as it relies heavily on federal funds. Finn said the city will be applying for the $1 billion RAISE Discretionary grants, which would mean Buffalo could get up to $25 million for the project. The grant, which was previously known as the TIGER grant, helped pay for earlier phases of the project, including stretches north of Mohawk Street. The city was previously denied the RAISE grant for the project in 2019.
"Our biggest stumbling block in delivering projects is funding," Finn said. "There's a lot of great ideas and needs across the City of Buffalo. We're hopeful our partners in the federal government can deliver those federal dollars so we can move those forward for our residents."
The grant deadline for 2021 is July 12.
Simon Husted, a member of Buffalo Transit Riders United and a member of the NFTA's Citizen Advisory Committee, said he is looking forward to the project because he said it is important for Main Street to become more revitalized, especially for those walking downtown.
"The key is to get more businesses closer to public transportation options than what is currently there," he said.
While Husted said the metro rail is more of a "scenic item" which helps link Downtown Buffalo to the University District, he said returning cars to Main Street will help real estate and business development, which would then, in turn, help bus riders. He also said the area is more "refreshed" with trees and other features that increased the vitality of Main Street.
