BUFFALO, N.Y. — Part nature trail, part greenway, connecting downtown to the Buffalo River.
That's the vision of the Western New York Land Conservancy's Riverline project, which after several years of work is entering a new phase where they will study and evaluate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the trail.
Concept designs that were released in 2021 show a 1.5-mile connection from Moore Street through the Old First Ward, Perry, and Valley neighborhoods to the Buffalo River.
The trial would run along the former DL&W rail corridor along the river.
As part of their study on Saturday, the Land Conservancy held its first of three meetings where the public was able to learn about the project, meet the team working on it, and get a little more insight on the timeline.
"One can see downtown Buffalo from the trail. It will link into canalside and canalside will link into Ralph Wilson Centennial Park. So it's really this vision we've had for a long time of bringing Buffalo's waterfront back to the people," said Jeffrey Lebsack, Director of the Riverline Project.
Two additional meetings will be held this week.
- Tuesday 3/12 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. - Community Room at Commodore Perry Homes, 279 Perry Street, Buffalo
- Thursday 3/14 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Valley Community Center, 93 Leddy Street, Buffalo
The project was launched in 2017 and initially came with a price tag of $70 million, so over the past several years elected leaders have been slowly securing funds for the project.
"Inspired by New York City's famous High Line, this is not going to simply be another trail. Though trails are great, this is going to tie directly into each neighborhood that it passes through and touches," said New York State Senator Tim Kennedy (D-63rd District) last summer.
Supporters say the trail will allow Western New York neighbors and tourists to more easily access downtown and the waterfront.
More information about the project can be found here.
