Published: July 30, 2008 11:26 pm            

GLYNN: Falls-New York City rail service up 28 percent

A number of local residents have questioned the wisdom of a hefty investment for a new rail passenger train in the North End.

That “no one rides the train anymore” seems to be the cry of the critics. It’s time to update the situation.

In fact, there are definite signs that soaring air fares and, more recently, the $4-per-gallon price at the pump, have suddenly generated unexpected revenues for Amtrak, the financially strapped passenger train corporation.

It reinforces the argument that if the state’s rail system between New York City and Niagara Falls was improved, it might easily provide an even sharper upswing in business and tourism.

A case in point: The ridership between Albany and Niagara Falls increased 28.6 percent between June 2007 and June 2008, according to the State Department of Transportation. Most of that was probably the Albany-to-Buffalo corridor.

Finally, after endless promises from public officials, the state has a rail strategy in place, the first in 22 years. The plan designed to run through 2030 is aimed at restoring rail transportation so it can fulfill its critical role in the state’s transportation network.

The DOT report makes it clear that a reliable passenger and freight system is essential to the state’s economy and future development.

At a glance, more investments in our rail system – both freight and passenger – make sense:

n Intercity passenger rail uses 20 percent less energy per passenger mile traveled than automobiles and 17 percent less than airline travel.

n Commuter services connecting such places as Niagara Falls with Buffalo and Saratoga with Albany might double the current business.

n A single freight train can remove as many as 280 trucks from the highway system while using significantly less energy that the highway travel in the process.

n A high-speed rail service between downtown Niagara Falls and the Buffalo waterfront would be an ideal link for countless thousands of visitors and convention delegates.

It will take a lot of money and commitment at this point, but there’s no doubt it could become a reality. After all, there was such a rail link in the early 1900s and the trains were often filled.

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BOOMING BUSINESS?: Hope springs eternal – apparently – in the eyes of those who have invested in the Third Street area sometimes called the Entertainment District.

The latest word on the street: a business owner is reportedly seeking $1.4 million for two existing establishments.

Maybe Charles A. Gargano, the former chair of Empire State Development, was right when he made those glowing predictions several years ago. “If they can do it in Times Square in Manhattan, they should be able to do it in Niagara Falls,” Gargano said. Not everyone, of course, believes that.

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BEHIND THE SCENES: Those full-color illustrations in “The History of Niagara County Transportation,” the third publication in observance of the bicentennial, were created by James Andrews, who studied art in France.

He also has contributed to the U.S. Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Va., and assisted with numerous exhibits at the History Center in Lockport.

Information about the new publication is available by calling Doug Farley at the History Center (434-7433).

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OUT OF THE PAST: Some 50 Youngstown area residents went on a recent walking tour to learn about The Battle of LaBelle Famille, July 6, 1759, when 2,300 British troops and New York Provincial soldiers, helped by their Iroquois allies, attacked the French-occupied Fort Niagara.

The event was sponsored by the Town of Porter Historical Society. After the tour, the group was treated to refreshments at the Ontario House (Stone Jug) with owner Ed Wojcik as the host.

        

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