Subway Only in the Suburbs? Why This US City Built a Backwards Metro

[@LNahid2000]

A couple of more things to mention now that I've watched the video. Regarding accessibility, there is signage in all the elevators indicating what car you need to be in to get off on the accessible part of the downtown stations. And a small southern extension of the system is happening early next year with DL&W Station being added, south of Special Events Station.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Upstate New York used to have another subway....Rochester! Which was basically light-rail too. Planning for the subway's construction began around 1910 as the Erie Canal was re-routed from downtown Rochester to pass south of the city. This new canal route was completed in 1918 and the year after, the city bought the abandoned portion of the canal to serve as the route of the subway. The Rochester Subway was designed to reduce interurban traffic on city streets, and to facilitate freight interchange between the railroads. Construction began in 1922 and began operations in 1927. As it was constructed in the old canal's bed, this allowed the route to be grade-separated for its entire length. Two miles/3.2 kilometers of the route through downtown were constructed in a cut-and-cover tunnel that became Broad Street, and the only underground portion of the subway. The line was operated on a contract basis by New York State Railways until Rochester Transit Corporation took over in 1938. There was a plan to extend the line but as ridership was declining after WWII, the city council made plans to abandon the subway and use its route for a connecting highway to the New York State Thruway instead. All service ended in 1956. Buffalo facts: Buffalo was the first city in the United States to have widespread electric lighting, earning it the nickname "City of Light". This was due to its proximity to Niagara Falls, which provided the city with a cheap source of hydroelectric power. Electricity was used to dramatic effect at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901. The Ellicott Square Building, built in 1896, was the largest office building in the world by floor area until 1908, with the opening of the Hudson Terminal buildings in NYC (Hudson Terminal was demolished in 1972 to make way for WTC). The building was named after Joseph Ellicott, the planner and surveyor who laid out Buffalo. Buffalo's Turkey Trot also started in 1896, and it is the oldest continually running public footrace in the US. The Dart grain elevator was invented by Joseph Dart in Buffalo in 1842. Their invention of a steam-powered grain elevator helped establish the Queen City as an ideal location for grain transportation. Dart's elevators were equipped with buckets on conveyor belts that could transfer grain directly from a ship to an elevator for storage or a canal boat. Buffalo wings were first prepared in 1964 at the Anchor Bar. On March 4, 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar. Late that evening, a group of Bellissimo's friends arrived at the bar. He asked his mother, Teressa, to prepare something for his friends to eat. With little food left, Teressa took some chicken wings, which were normally used for soups or thrown out, deep-fried them and flavored them using a mixture of butter, cayenne pepper and other ingredients on them. She brought out some cut celery and blue cheese for dipping as hors d'oeuvres. The wings were initially offered free of charge.

[@SirNob]

Kim fatty il are you in New York secretly?

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Ah yes, New York's OTHER subway! You didn't show it, but the guy who worked on the neon at University station was Stephen Antonakos. He's done neon work for stations in Los Angeles (Pershing Square), Detroit (Greektown), Athens (Ambelokipi), Exchange Place in Jersey City, Boston (the neon at Back Bay's Orange Line platform), and Charles Center in Baltimore. He's also done work for Hartsfield Jackson Airport and for a power station in Tel Aviv. He was a WWII veteran, serving in the Philippines. He died at age 86 back in 2013. Besides the North Campus, they've been working on a new southern terminus, repurposing the DL&W Terminal with plans for a new indoor Metro Rail DL&W Station on the lower level of the terminal, with direct Buffalo Bricks Walkway access to Canalside and KeyBank Center, and the elimination of the Special Events station. With capacity for two four-car trains to serve the station simultaneously. How Buffalo got its name is a mystery, but there are a few theories. All the theories agree that Buffalo, the city, took its name from Buffalo Creek, now called the Buffalo River. The name of Buffalo Creek first appeared on a map drawn ca. 1762 by Lt. George Demler, who was stationed at Fort Niagara at the time. The debate then revolves around how Buffalo Creek got its name. One of them is it's a corruption of "beau fleuve". Rev. Samuel T. Clarke proposed that unnamed French explorers bestowed the beau fleuve ("beautiful creek") name, which was mangled by subsequent English settlers. Another is stolen horsemeat! Sheldon Ball recounted it in his self-published pamphlet, Buffalo in 1825. French explorers or missionaries in need of provisions found a horse presumably belonging to Native Americans, stole it, and served it to their party claiming it was bison meat. Ball admitted he had no proof. There's also the theory that it's a mistranslation of Beaver Creek. Millard Fillmore championed this theory in 1862 during his inaugural speech as the first president of the newly formed Buffalo Historical Society. Claiming there was a miscommunication between the Iroquois and American negotiators during the writing of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1784, and that the Treaty’s use of “Buffaloe Creek” was a mistranslation of Beaver Creek

[@Northern_Idaho]

Rochester used to be the third

[@soupnumber5196]

the fare gates are actually a pretty recent addition, only being activated last year. before then it was an honor system or a conductor would go between cars and check tickets.

[@GobbiExists]

BUFFALO, NY MENTIONED?!?!?!

[@artano2582]

I grew up just north of the northern campus of UB in Niagara County. Two big things for me: 1. For most people, it's a "train to nowhere". Especially for those outside the main St core. The only time I really used it was in the mid 2000's to get to concerts after I realized I hate driving in the city. Personally, I think a line from the Airport would be better than the expansion to UB North. 2. NIMBY. The area north of Buffalo between the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls is very different than Buffalo and Niagara Falls. "Keeping the rif-raf out" from Buffalo and Niagara Falls was, and still is, very common sentiment among the residents of Kenmore, the Tonawandas, and the Town of Niagara. You see it with the northern expansion through Kenmore. On the expansion, any transit is good to see in WNY. It will be better than nothing. But the idea of an at grade streetcar on Niagara Falls Blvd is one of the scariest things I have ever heard of. I haven't been up there in a few years, but I remember it being an 8-6 lane stroad from around Sheridan to Maple in front of the mall. That just seems like a recipe for delayed trains and hurt people. It should have its own, grade sperated track. Also, Buffalo has an awesome art-deco city hall. Love it see it at the begining

[@bjturon]

I rode this Metro for five years at UB, lived on the South Campus, post office box was downtown, great movie theater, and the Amtrak station at Exhange Street. It is a great service.

[@Token_Nerd]

Genuinely believe that the Buffalo Metro Rail system is the most underrated in the US

[@sammymarrco47]

Why would you say that? Just curious, because 20 minute frequencies is pretty terrible.

[@Token_Nerd]

@@sammymarrco47 Consider the population of Buffalo, for a population of 200K, that's a very good service standard by every respective measure. Even big cities like Chicago have 15 minute standards on many lines

[@LNahid2000]

@@sammymarrco47 Should be back to every 10-12 mins on weekdays, 15 minutes on Saturdays, and 20 minutes on Sundays starting Dec 1. It's every 20 minutes at all times right now because of single tracking.

[@AlCatSplat]

@@Token_Nerd ION LRT, which has a 10-minute peak headway, is being extended to Cambridge, Ontario, which has a population of 138k.

[@Token_Nerd]

@@AlCatSplat iON LRT is not currently being extended yet and may not happen at all (I would know because I was the main advocates for the original line), Cambridge is currently growing (not shrinking), we don't know the service standard for it yet (they could short turn trains if it is extended), and it only runs every 10 mins during the daytime,

[@mmrw]

Such a strange little system, but I think it does its job well. Definitely hope it gets expanded one day

[@MentholPedro71]

People in the suburbs are fighting it

[@ethanmcdonald7840]

@@MentholPedro71 Lots of us are also supporting it tho! and the town supervisor of the main suburb the expansion is planned to service is actually an urban planner himself and a big proponent so theres a lot of optimism!

[@LNahid2000]

I use the NFTA quite often but barely end up using the Metro Rail because it doesn't go anywhere useful. I do most of my shopping in the Amherst area so it'll be way more useful if it gets extended there.

[@drdewott9154]

Lets hope that extension to North Campus and i990 becomes reality then.

[@zfilms4858]

Buffalonian here. Metro Rail is a weird line, but as I've been riding the system for the past 7 years, I've seen quite a bit of ups and downs. 1st, the lack of expansion of the 80's is no more. in 2025, a new station will open downtown, replacing special events station as a full time station, DL&W station. This station built into the depot itself will eventually serve the cobblestone district, Key Bank Center by a direct bridge walkway connecting the arena to the station, and a mixed use area on top of the station. The construction you saw started in may of this year, right in the middle of the towns biggest playoff season for the Buffalo Bandits, that eventually won its 6th world championship (the only team in buffalo to do so). Yeah, that was a mistake, but the reasoning is to add a switch at church station and repair the track to prevent these weird shuttle services from continuing. They are attempting to explained metro rail to UB's North Campus. the current proposal would have the trains align themselves to Niagara Falls boulevard, a very busy road in the suburbs, and would surface, running 40 mph here. the line would make stops at Decatur road, Eggert Road, & Boulevard mall (Park and Ride included), Then the line would turn right onto maple road, stopping right in front of Sweet Home Middle School. then the line turns left onto Sweet Rome Road, passing under I-290, stopping in front of a small shopping plaza and hotel. then the line turns onto UB campus proper, following the roads by the campus housing with 1 stop for them. then will head north to meet up with the John James Autobahn via Lead Road, Stopping between The Lockwood Library and Clemen's Hall. then the line would run in the median of the autobahn, stopping twice before terminating at the I-990, with a park and ride lot planed, followed by a new depot for the trains. However, things haven't gone to plan. Right now theirs a massive fight over Niagara Falls Boulevard over fears of crime rates spiking due to the line having an bad rep for funeling criminals to UB, and causing gridlock in the busy corridor as Niagara Falls Boulevard is THE BUSIEST STREET IN BUFFALO! My idea is to put the train underground all the way to sweet home, surfacing the trains as it passes I-290. The other complication is that the proposed terminus station was originally swampland, but has turned into a high class suburban area for the richest of WNY. Other plans for expansion have included a new line starting at City Hall, running eastward downtown, passing church station, leaving downtown to head for the old terminal building, then galleria Mall by I-90, then to Buffalo International airport, and terminating nearby to a cell phone waiting area by the economy lot, converting the waiting area into a Park and Ride. Other idea is a Split line running underground southward, splitting at the Tiff Nature Preserve, with 1 line Running to Hamburg, with a station servicing the Hamburg Fairgrounds for the Erie County Fair, and the other line servicing Orchard Park and Bills Stadium. One more proposal would have seen another line run to Delaware and Elmwood, and North townawanda and possibly Grand Island. And the line has two demolished stations. Special Events has been demolished as DL&W will service its purposes, and Theater station was demolished to allow cars on main st. (The theaters lobbied with the people to do this BTW)

[@ClassyWhale]

Wow, thank you for the detailed summary!

[@drdewott9154]

Its a shame to hear that the extension is so controversial. But as for Niagara Falls boulevard and Maple road, then instead of running it underground like you say, or at grade as planned, why not make it elevated? That way you can put the supports for the metro rail in the median, therefore not taking away any lanes, and allowing the metro rail to still go very fast reliably, while not being as absurdly expensive as tunneled rail. (And certainly less disruptive than cut n cover tunnelling.)

[@Handle_Needs_3_Or_More_Charact]

Fun fact, NFTA owns the old DL&W right of way up to the Buffalo River near the Tesla plant. There were plans for a trail along that route but NFTA pulled out. Maybe they may have plans for that route?

[@drdewott9154]

@@Handle_Needs_3_Or_More_Charact That would be a smart idea. An employer like Tesla would drive a lot of commuting traffic. Plus it could be a pretty good way to plan a southbound extension of the Metrorail.

[@Handle_Needs_3_Or_More_Charact]

@@drdewott9154 they'd have to route it around the Tesla plant as it's built on the old right of way. The remains of the bridge over the river is still partially intact. I could easily see them extending it over Abbott Rd to connect with the new stadium.

[@StLouis-yu9iz]

Good video as usual, but at the end I would have said ‘it WILL be a great asset WHEN Buffalo starts to reverse its recent population trajectory’. It wasn’t “TOO strong” for the city and economy it’s in. Americans will eventually realize one way or another they shouldn’t have abandoned the Rust Belt and start moving back in a denser way.

[@MentholPedro71]

City of Buffalo was Up in population in 2020 census

[@85steph]

1) when downtown, people who need Accessible on/off boarding can use the 1st door in the front car. The station shelter has a ramp that goes up to the height of where the door opens over the stairs.

[@S-CB-SL-Animations]

1:35 WMATA called. They said they want their hexagon tiles back! 🤣🤣🤣

[@stickynorth]

I'd love a follow up video about all the unbuilt expansion plans for the city either in its OG heavy rail or modern light rail form. This video was fantastic but all too brief. I've always been fascinated by unbuilt rapid transit projects be it line extensions or whole systems... Aka Milwaukee, Rochester, Cincinnati..

[@716Tree]

They should at least extend the rail line to Orchard Park, Niagara Falls and the airport.

[@TCORV]

And maybe Hamburg as well

[@TheRoadTripChannel]

Orchard Park, Erie County, New York, the home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills who currently play Highmark, Inc. Stadium, and New York State's only NFL football team. 😃👍

[@Alcofoamer]

I ride at least three times a week. I would love nothing more than for the Amherst completion. Driving through Amherst is the worst part of my commute to class.

[@emu5088]

Used to ride it all the time when I went to school at UB. Funny thing is, I haven't rode it since they implemented fare gates, which must have been for a while now.

[@85steph]

2) the ptc cars were supposed to be for the suburban line, but they didnt line up with our tracks somehow. 3) during your underground ride, did the operater blow the horn between utica and Delevan? The horn marks the switch between the bored tunnel and cut-and-cover sections; i remember reading somewhere that they originally blew the horn there to warn construction workers since they were going through an active work zone. Now they do it as sort of a tradition.

[@sethtriggs]

I would not be surprised if the horn is blown because that's the only significant curve (at speed) on the system so it's a railroad rule for some tunnels. Same reason for the horn when exiting the tunnel!

[@Mars-ev7qg]

Hey, I rode this system in April when I was in Buffalo to see the solar eclipse.

[@Fighterofthenightman_]

Been waiting on this video for some years

[@backlash9657]

Kinda weird how buffalo is the only place in new york outside of NYC with any kind of rail based commuter system

[@stickynorth]

Then again have you seen the population decline stat's from upstate NY? Yikes! Talk about Sleepy Hollow... Even Buffalo has what 1/3 it's peak population? I am sure Rochester, Utica, Syracuse and Albany have seen similar dips... Might as well be West Virginia after the coal mine closes!

[@backlash9657]

@@stickynorth actually upstate NY has been seeing a slight increase in population. there's a video made by the youtuber RealLifeLore that goes into depth about it.

[@rmdvto]

I hope one day that the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority system will connect to the GO transit system!

[@stickynorth]

Especially that the Ford government in Ontario has declared Niagara Falls to be their Las Vegas in all but name in official planning documents. Being able to take one train from Buffalo to The Falls would be great for everyone!

[@poolecl]

@@stickynorth It's possible. Amtrak runs a couple trains a day up to Niagara Falls NY. I think one way was about $15 when I took it.

[@CreatorPolar]

@@poolecl only 3 trains a day which is inadequate

[@thomasdesantis4258]

@@CreatorPolar Yes, three trains a day is inadequate, but bigger problem is that the trains running east to west originate in NYC- and are almost always late late late (Thank you CSX and NYS). On-time is more important than frequency, which is more important than speed.

[@thomasdesantis4258]

This is the same old problem that plagues rail services nationwide. Each RR operator, freight or transit, do not want to cooperate. Like the bad old days, these entities are more about protecting turf that providing services. The NFTA is a WNY-based public transit agency in a small metro area that is too fractured politically to fund expanding its services. GO is a public agency of the Ontario government with no mandate to operate cross-border. Although it could cross the border simply to make connection with a US-based operator, like NFTA, or other, but chooses not to. Then there is Amtrak which could offer the necessary cross-border connection (without train changes) between Toronto and Buffalo, but also chooses not to modify its Maple Leaf Route to do so. And while any of these options are possible and could be happening now, the State, Provincial and federal agencies overseeing passenger rail development do nothing to "encourage" this long-hoped for passenger rail service.

[@lite1979]

Did you even look at the map? The Buffalo subway ONLY exists within the city limits...

[@Thesecret101-te1lm]

IMHO this is a great way to build transit. Most riders have some errands or whatnot to do near many of the stops in the city center, while they usually only use one or at most two stations in the suburbs - the one they live at and/or the one that they work or study at. with this setup, the vehicles are easily accessible (at least if the platform/floor level issue would be solved) in the city center, while the speed is high in the suburbs.

[@Croz89]

I think it only works if the on street section is reasonably short. If it take more than 5-10 minutes to get to the segregated section then it's just inconvenient for those who want to go right into the city from the suburbs. It might even be quicker to get off at the first surface stop and walk or cycle. 15 mph is painfully slow for transit, especially when you factor in stopping at stations and intersections, average speed may not be much higher than a brisk walk.

[@Thesecret101-te1lm]

@@Croz89 Yeah, the speed for street running should be higher. This is an interesting topic, why do street cars in North America seem to run so slow while other vehicles run faster in mixed traffic?

[@Croz89]

@@Thesecret101-te1lm For a start, trams in Europe aren't *that* much faster in the same environment. In my city they're also very slow through the city centre (though I live in the UK which is also similar to the US when it comes to the culture around trams). But part of it is probably going to be a question of priority, in Europe trams often have priority over everything else, including pedestrians and cyclists, and they stay out of the trams way. I guess that might not be the case in North America.

[@Thesecret101-te1lm]

@@Croz89 True, but on vide roads with dedicated tram tracks in the middle, with a small curb discouraging private vehicles from ending up in the tracks, the speeds can be decent. A thing that has to be repeated to every traffic engineer, decision makers at transit agencies, politicians and whatnot, is that the transit vehicles have to pass intersections eventually, and not prioritizing them just ends up costing more in the amount of vehicles and staff required, so it's a good idea to let them through as soon as possible. Sure, old traffic light control systems might not be able to add a "transit" phase mid cycle without restarting it's cycle, but if so then it might be worth considering replacing the system. The high tech thing would be to integrate time table v.s. actual time for each vehicle into the traffic light control system, so delayed vehicles get extra priority while vehicles that are ahead of time might have to wait more.

[@Croz89]

@@Thesecret101-te1lm Every intersection slows trams down, regardless of preemptive signalling, because sometimes they approach at the wrong time in the cycle and have to wait. You simply can't make a surface tram as fast as a subway in an urban environment, because there will always be obstructions. Wide boulevards are also often in short supply in urban cores (though that does depend on the city). Motor vehicles are also only part of the puzzle, especially in the most dense urban areas pedestrians and cyclists are the things that really slow trams down. And as I said part of that is cultural, you can have the tram barrel through at 30 mph but people have to stay tf out of the way to make it safe, and in a lot of cities people don't do that.

[@LarryLoudini]

The LUAS in Dublin is similar in that it’s largely segregated light rail in the suburbs, moving quite quickly, yet shares road space in the crowded city centre as long trams snake around tight corners at walking pace and wait at traffic lights The Green Line was originally designed as a premetro to be upgraded relatively quickly and inexpensively. A 3km tunnel through the city centre between the two segregated components would turn it into a light metro, move more people and allow more buses to be run in the city centre

[@ZorenManray]

gee what a weird metro system that I didn't know existed.. *looks at the map* wait.. the NFTA maintenance yard is located in a former train terminal on the riverfront.. which is apparently being refurbished to replace special events station.. But long distance trains will still only go to nearby Buffalo-Exchange Street station.. But wait how to get from Amtrak to the metro? ohh they barely thought of that too! the only connection to NFTA Canalside station is "a lit pathway (partially) beneath Interstate 190 with decorative cement and signage." Because what better way to transfer between trains than a multi block walk exposed to the elements to then wait at another station that isn't under the shelter the raised highway could have partially provided but oh yet another half block away.. I'm sure that really works out nice in the winter snow. but yeah what an odd system indeed.

[@jnation29]

Loved taking the metro rail when I went to UB. Should definitely be expanded to North Campus.

[@thomasdesantis4258]

The Amherst Extension has been a long time coming, but it is finally coming. The FEIS, while overdue, is expected in 2025. 5-10 years to completion!

[@TransitAndTeslas]

I love it. I wish it would be expanded more.

[@blue9multimediagroup]

Love that video of the SIEMENS U2 at Rockhill Trolley Museum

[@chromebomb]

i love buffalo so much

[@__init__3493]

Went to Buffalo earlier this year and rode this line and my takeaway was that I'd rather take the bus, at least for the underground section. Trains were only coming every 20 minutes, there weren't screens telling you when the next train was or realtime updates on any transit apps I had so I just had to stand there and wait for an unspecified amount of time, and there was no cell service or wifi in the stations so I couldn't scan the ticket I had bought on my phone to leave the station (they actually have signs on underground station entrances warning you about this, but I boarded at a surface station)

[@chrispontani6059]

I believe the stairs deploy every time you open the doors. So at the underground stations with level boarding/high level platforms, they deploy under the platforms.

[@sethtriggs]

There's a subway/surface mode that prevents this from happening normally, but there is clearance under the platforms just in case an accidental deployment happens.

[@chadenglish4169]

While I was in Buffalo I rode this. It was cool and not expensive. Met a really nice woman and her grandson waiting for the train back. Found out she was originally from around Cleveland, Oh were I was visiting from. Small world.

[@MentholPedro71]

Above ground section is Free to ride which was decided for convention tourism and theatre patrons because people from the suburbs like to park right in front of where they are going, city people don’t mind walking a couple blocks. “cars sharing Main Street “ is what’s been happening the last few years so it’s no longer a pedestrian mall . Every block that’s been completed to allow vehicles access businesses have returned to once empty store fronts .

[@zobar2]

There's a wide pit to prevent cars from entering the tunnel, but one day after work I saw that a very confused person had managed to ride the rails to the other side. They were having a heck of a time trying to decide how to get it back.

[@sethtriggs]

Oh before they put that tank trap in, it was amazingly bad. The NFTA had to use a tractor to pull cars in. One car even made it all the way into the tunnel!

[@TechPhilosophy]

Many of us are working to get the NFTA to expand the network.

[@TCORV]

There used to be a station in the theater district called theater station The outbound side was literally next to the portal to go underground but closed and demolished in 2013. And special event station doesn't exist anymore as of now as a new station called DL and w station open and will be replacing it sometime next year. It will be a pedestrian bridge connecting directly into the KeyBank center The second floor of that building will be some other stuff.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

The yard is also downtown

[@MYVP.]

Kinda reminds me a bit of Newark NJ's "subway"

[@CubeAtlantic]

i never visited Buffalo, but that subway system is probably a nice vibe.

[@wschmrdr]

Funny thing is, I've only been on the "fare free zone" parts, which are downtown above ground.

[@TheEpicDiamondMiner]

Isn’t there something similar on the Portland max?

[@johnchambers8528]

Yes there is one of the deepest subway tunnels on one of the lines that run under a park area in the suburbs.

[@TheCloakedTiger]

I wish Buffalo would build more light rail lines… It’s sorely needed… Especially during summer when everyone’s touring to Niagara Falls. Wish there was a way to build a line to serve a station at the park…

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

👹C A U T I O N Vehicle Enters Tunnel DO NOT FOLLOW 👹 Of course the operator got Tim Hortons....Upstate New York moment. Bless the Canadians for their US expansion, especially encroaching on the heart of Dunkin' territory in Downstate NY! This is truly the Reverse Stadtbahn of all time....what if you wanted to build a Stadtbahn, but God said *"Reverse, Reverse!"*

[@stickynorth]

As a Canadian, I find that tim bit tid-bit reference truly delightful... Never had Dunkin's but if people are offered the choice I am surprised that people choosy people choose Timmy's because truth be told it's not that great. All the donuts are made in one central suburban Toronto factory, cooked and flash frozen then flown out on Air Canada from Pearson airport to cities around the nation for distribution to be reheated like airline food at your local outlet. It sounds weirdly archaic but I guess it was cheaper and more consistent a product afterwards...

[@TohaBgood2]

Hang on, didn't Muni Metro open a full year before the San Diego trolley? So wouldn't Muni Metro be the first modern Stadtbahn/light rail in the US?

[@ClassyWhale]

@@TohaBgood2 it wasn't the first new-built system, it was a rebuild of the streetcar network

[@TohaBgood2]

@@ClassyWhale Pretty much all of these light rail systems reuse old streetcar and interurban right of way. By the same token, San Diego was also a rebuild of the old streetcar system with new light rail style vehicles. just like Muni Metro! There's so much random mythology in online transit circles about these things! Both of these systems, as well as SacRT, VTA light rail, and LA's light rail were all envisioned at the same time, by the same group of California transit planners who were all talking to each other and who were all explicitly trying to rip off the same German Stadtbahn concept that they all saw together during visits to transit trade shows in the Rhine Valley. And now a bunch of amateur online commentators invented differences between these systems based on whether they like or dislike the vibes of some of these systems.

[@Urban_Man]

Interesting. I am going to be studying in Buffalo next year, can’t wait to check it out! And I can live car free if it extends to UB!

[@mikeythesoulace]

I believe there are campus shuttles between the south campus (Metro Rail's northern terminus) and the north campus so you should be able to live in Buffalo car-free

[@TheSkyline77]

It goes to south campus, and then there's the Stampede, UB's student bus system that runs a shuttle between north and south. You'll need to swipe your ID on the bus

[@IVR02]

I think it's interesting that you compared the deep underground platform layout to what one would find in London, because if anything, what comes to mind for me is Exhange Place station on the PATH in Jersey City. Granted, that's purely out of familiarity, but nonetheless.

[@ClassyWhale]

Well I can't film on PATH unless I want to end up in a Siberian gulag

[@CraigFThompson]

Like San Francisco, the Buffalo system is powered by electricity from clean hydroelectric power.

[@gdkid]

same fare gates as the ones used in Toronto and Ottawa, wow

[@ClassyWhale]

@@gdkid it's not far away!

[@citizensforregionaltransit2681]

It's no coincidence Buffalo's new fare system is called MetGO, with the GO part being the Government of Ontario. Some thought was given to having a universal cross-border fare system.

[@nathanventura548]

Hello, Buffalonian here. I'd like to point out that the northern terminus of Metro Rail is UB North Campus which is in the city of Buffalo, which is not the suburbs. Metro Rail in it's current form does not service any of Buffalo's suburbs. All of it is confined within the city limits.

[@ClassyWhale]

@@nathanventura548 The term suburbs can technically include areas that are less dense within City limits. The area I drove through to get to LaSalle Station looks like what I would call suburbs, with single family homes and wide streets

[@nathanventura548]

@@ClassyWhale Most of those houses are duplexes interspersed with varying sizes of single family dwellings and the occasional apartment building.

[@billtooke6642]

​@ClassyWhale Technical, but in a very pedantic sense. In normal parlance, they mean townships/incorporated villages/minor cities whuch are not the cities proper of a metro area. North Buffalo is decidedly not a suburb by any real definition. It's a neighborhood

[@officialmcdeath]

What a gem! BTW recent instances of The Map appear to have lost their ™ - are we getting off-brand cheaper Maps or am I hallucinating? \m/

[@maxjohkna]

jumpscare at 2:28

[@gregblair5139]

So how is fare collected if you get on at a free station?

[@ClassyWhale]

@@gregblair5139 it's free if you get off above ground and you can buy an exit fare on the subway

[@fredstrainandbusvids.]

Are you going to release the video from the UK at some point or do we have to go onto Patreon to watch it

[@ClassyWhale]

It will be up at some point, but not for a good while

[@fredstrainandbusvids.]

@@ClassyWhale ok thanks, I look forward to seeing them at some point

[@vette1]

Niagara falls Ontario needs one of these

[@SamSitar]

they should extend that line.

[@TheMusicalElitist]

Just an FYI: the UK is no longer in Europe. Great vid btw!

[@ClassyWhale]

Where'd it go, Asia?

[@TinLeadHammer]

Skip to 5:48 - 6:08 for the answer.

[@Jay-vr9ir]

They needed this system in the 60's when people went downtown . This system was needed before the race wars and malls ,before people left for the suburbs .

[@henryostman5740]

Seems like a good little system that clearly needs to reach out to the 'burbs' to capture more traffic. Problem is that 'pedestrian' streets in downtown while a great idea in Europe don't work as well in the US where retail stores have abandoned downtowns for suburban malls offering free parking and less congestion. A lot of other business has also left the downtown as well. Buffalo is in the heart of the 'rust belt', old manufacturing cities that don't anymore. As for growth prospects, the city has two major strikes against it, one being the geographical location, you don't want to be there in winter (that seems to be half the year) and it's in NY state that has about the highest business and personal taxes in the nation (with little to show for it) and an atmosphere of crushing business regulation and red tape. I don't see any way to change this and it will always be an impediment to any chance of growth.

[@Cupertinorail]

The Buffalo tram is the only system that hasn't changed. When I first arrived in the US i have ridden a USSLRV in SF. smells weird and is very noisy

[@deadchannelxd0420]

There opening a new station next at there former Lackawanna maintenance center(won't connect to amtrak tho)

[@georgesotiroff5080]

Dear Dead Channel, I suspect you mean “They’re opening a new station next at their former Lackawanna maintenance center.”

[@deadchannelxd0420]

@georgesotiroff5080 I bad with my theres, my bad

[@princestevenii.772]

Well, Amtrak's fucked even more than normal for 4 years.

[@dk50b]

As is any rail transit start or expansion needing Federal funds, which is almost all.

[@jacktattersall9457]

Did you know that the Mayor of Niagara Falls (NY edition) pushed for the Government of Ontario (in the neighbouring country of Canada) to extend GO Transit service across the Niagara River/Whirlpool Bridge from Niagara Falls ON (GO/VIA) Station to his town's NIagara Falls NY Station, but Metrolinx and the Province of Ontario flatly refused and ignored him.

[@irtbmtind89]

It would be a huge regulatory nightmare to run GO trains into the US. It would almost make more sense to build a pedestrian walkway on the Whirlpool Bridge.

[@NickBurman]

@@irtbmtind89 or run a bus shuttle in connection with the trains.

[@jacktattersall9457]

@@irtbmtind89 Yes, that was the point of Metrolinx. As a provincial railway, they would have to become a federally-regulated railway (with labour and management implications) in order to run outside Ontario, let alone outside Canada.

[@NotAJosh]

I mean Amtrak and via rail(at least they current sell tickets) goes to Toronto from the falls…. Sure they could have figured out a way for it to work…. Not like Niagara Falls doesn’t have a rather new Amtrak station to use

[@jacktattersall9457]

@@NotAJosh VIA/Amtrak would have to do it. Not a provincial regional railway like GO.

[@trainluvr]

Really good report. My video shows empty 3 car trains during Kovid and last months of honor system fare collection.

[@stickynorth]

Upstate New York like the rest of the Midwest has good transit bones. Just not enough people since most flocked off to the Sunbelt decades ago never to return Then again as an Albertan, I get it... It's much easier to cool down a hot house then it is to keep a frozen place warm half the year... Too bad they didn't stay with heavy rail though because that plan looked excellent, especially now that Ontario has made it their official goal to turn Niagara Falls into Canada's Las Vegas or at least Atlantic City... A metro train to Niagara falls would be a god send for American's looking for a little Canadian razzle-dazzle at the Falls.. Or if recent elections results have shown, the need for a new literal underground railroad to Canada..

[@thomasdesantis4258]

Amtrak could offer the necessary cross-border connections between Western New York and Southern Ontario (with or without train changes) between Toronto and Buffalo, but chooses not to modify and expand its Maple Leaf Route to do so. Meanwhile, State, Provincial, federal elected officials (US & CA), and the agencies overseeing passenger rail development do nothing to "encourage" this long-hoped for passenger rail service.

[@randomtransitadventures]

_howd i miss it_

[@rollinwithunclepete824]

Buffalo does the start of a great system.

[@qolspony]

Buffalo never needed a metro. It was a waste of public funds. Westchester County Metro could have been build to connect Hudson line with the Harlem Line with the Connecticut line. It could have went over the newly built tappenzed bridge into Norwalk. Result would be taking more cars off the road.

[@andrew_ray]

Now, Boston, Massachusetts, might be named for the Boston in England, but I'm pretty sure Washington, D.C., was not named after Washington Village, but rather after a certain US president.

[@ClassyWhale]

Indirect namesake, because GW'a family name comes from the village!

[@sjnavaid]

wow my city mentioned

[@MentholPedro71]

The original idea was to call it the Frontier Area Rapid Transit because it’s in the Niagara Frontier. Thank god we didn’t do that

[@ajohnpeters9801]

Back in the day they the city government got a huge check. Use it or lose it. It ment a lot work back when the rest of the country was" booming" unfortunately it wrecked the city,which it didn't yet recover from. It couldn't expand because no one wanted it in thier back yard..

[@truthteller8459]

Buffalo, THE armpit of the entire state of New York.

[@transitcaptain]

I tried joining your Patreon, but it wouldn’t accept my credit card transaction

[@yaush_]

That LaSalle station definitely looks too much like the RATP

[@craighoward71]

Metro Buffalo has a population of 1.1 million; he only mentions the core city.

[@Molejules]

I mean, is it fair to call the Main corridor "suburban?" 🤔

[@NorthernTransit-t2e]

They can’t remind me of a mix of the SLRV and the K cars

[@richardavsmith]

Ah yes, a New York subway video.

[@AMPProf]

That always made more sense.. Farther out you go the more land being protected so... Underground. Boy if only chicagoland Metra was a subway

[@lsj9794]

They just had the plans upside down when they built it.

[@ClassyWhale]

Best comment

[@danielleybengrub]

It’s not the suburbs though it only runs until the edge of the city of buffalo

[@randomtransitadventures]

most metros also dont have low level platforms

[@langr752]

Bluffulo!!!

[@NotAJosh]

Only good for bisons or sabres games.. crap almost forgot the bandits…. Other than that I don’t ever ride it

[@GetFaster39-lr7im]

The rich white lobbied so it wouldn’t get expanded

[@LifeOnCoach]

✌🏾

[@ceeber]

I got arrested on this syste

[@ClassyWhale]

Oh?

[@TransitAndTeslas]

Ahh yes the failed Boeing vehicles…now failed Boeing planes to go with it.

[@harveyschwartz6789]

No passengers...

[@ClassyWhale]

There were a lot on board when I read, I just didn't film them out of respect

[@blue9multimediagroup]

*Tokyu Car Company

[@blue9multimediagroup]

And Tokyu also built the shells for the US SLRV and the Type K LRVs for SEPTA which is why they're so similarly designed.

[@jonathanstensberg]

YIMBYism gone weird.

[@akhilkarandikar99]

some vierwship competition for sure

[@ClassyWhale]

@@akhilkarandikar99 oh?

[@effeo9962]

Miles, in 2024.... :(

[@ClassyWhale]

@@effeo9962 what?

[@bkark0935]

@@ClassyWhale I guess they’re upset you aren’t using kilometers or something…🙄

[@effeo9962]

@@ClassyWhale it's BACKwards

[@qjtvaddict]

Just automate this line

[@juliandelisle2245]

I don’t think that’s the wisest thing, unfortunately. While it would lower operating costs it would not be great for the above ground segments.

[@romawf-cu8jt]

This Tram Metro