Connecting Buffalo-Niagara and the Larger Binational Region with Commuter Rail: What’s Feasible? Where to Start?

CITIZENS FOR REGIONAL TRANSIT
Quarterly Meeting
Connecting Buffalo-Niagara and the Larger Binational 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
1 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY 14201

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 5:30 p.m., Citizens for Regional Transit (CRT) hosts a quarterly meeting featuring 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 CRT 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.

For more information please contact: Doug Funke (President, Citizens for Regional Transit) at 716-440-1291.