Published: December 05, 2008 12:02 am      

TOURISM: Big ideas for trolley system

Trolleys sponsored by Coca-Cola.

People movers painted in honor of the 1980s era.

Stops at Niagara Falls State Park, Seneca Niagara Casino, Fashion Outlets of Niagara, Whirlpool Jet Boats Tours and other key attractions in the City of Niagara Falls and the Village of Lewiston.

These and other possibilities were presented Thursday by students from Niagara University who were asked weeks ago to develop tentative plans for a people-mover system for Niagara County.

While the specifics of their proposals varied, all three student teams making presentations during the public meeting at Lewiston’s Barton Hotel and Spa agreed one thing: The area would be better off with a trolley for tourists than it is without.

“Canada is beating us right now and we need something to catch up with them,” said NU student David Steen, one of the participants in the Explore Niagara program.

The Robert Moses Parkway received the strongest support as the preferred route for the trolley, although two groups suggested alternatives, including the use of Main Street, Lewiston Road and Route 104 and a route that would incorporate Route 62 to allow for stops at Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls. The students concluded the parkway was the most convenient route and offered a more appealing view for tourists than local roads, especially those in Niagara Falls.

“We feel in the future Main Street would be the way to go,” student Joe Tonnos said. “Right now, that is our alternate route.”

All three student groups suggested the trolley should run between May and October each year, with consideration of additional hours for special events like the summer concert series at Artpark.

All three groups also recognized funding as the biggest potential stumbling block to such a system. Their proposals ranged in price from as little as $70,000 to as much as $700,000. They all suggested exploring partnerships with private transportation providers in the area or perhaps the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. They also said riders would have to be charged for the service, with possible prices including $3 for adults and $1 for children. The students said the system also would have to rely heavily on advertising and sponsors. Steen’s group already has reached out to Coca-Cola and Kraft Foods for help. Tonnos said his group had discussions with Doreen O’Connor, president of Falls-based Majestic Tours, who said her company would be willing to cover all expenses for a pilot program under consideration for next year.

“We feel that once it is on its feet for a year or two, Explore Niagara would be able to pay for itself,” Tonnos said.

State Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, said the funding problem might not be so difficult to solve, suggesting the city’s casino cash as a potential source of revenue.

Plans for the use of the parkway for the trolley did not sit well with advocates for parkway removal who attended the meeting.

Falls resident Michelle Vanstrom encouraged the students to consider more alternatives, saying use of the parkway did not take into consideration elements of “smart growth” and did not represent a wise choice as the parkway is a “non-commercial use road.” Use of local roads, she said, would benefit ongoing efforts to revive the city, including development of an Underground Heritage area.

Niagara Falls Tourism Advisory Board representative Lisa Vitello expressed concern the students’ proposal ignored other initiatives, including ongoing plans to develop ecotourism in and around Niagara Falls. Vitello is a member of the Niagara Heritage Partnership, a group that has been lobbying for 12 years to have all four lanes of the parkway removed.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that ecotourism is a billion dollar industry,” Vitello said.

Bill Angus, the NU business professor who assigned the trolley project to the students, said the debate over the transportation system should not be confused with the ongoing discussion about the future of the parkway.

“If the Robert Moses disappeared tonight, the trolley system could still move forward,” Angus said.

Only one of the preliminary proposals included Old Fort Niagara as a potential stop. The Fort’s Executive Director Bob Emerson asked for stronger consideration in future plans, noting the Fort is bound to be busy next year, which will mark the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War.

“Fort Niagara, next summer, is going to be a hot spot,” he said.

Dyster, Maziarz and other local officials in attendance did agree on one thing: Keeping an open mind on potential routes and stops as the project moved forward.

Legislator John Ceretto, R-Lewiston, one of the leaders of the committee examining the trolley proposal, said work prepared by the student groups will be presented to another batch of students attending Angus’ class next semester. Those students, he said, will continue on with what has been started, refining the route, cost and other issues involved in the trolley system development. Ceretto said the plan is to hold additional public hearings on the proposal in the future. He hopes to have a pilot version of the trolley up and running next spring.

“We have a proposal that will mean more jobs in Niagara County and more opportunities for all of us,” he said.

Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250