State puts Central Terminal back on list as possible rail hub
By Brian Meyer
Buffalo News – News Staff Reporter
July 23, 2009, 10:56 AM
State transportation officials did an about-face Thursday, saying it’s premature to rule out Buffalo’s Central Terminal as a train station if New York receives federal stimulus money to build high-speed rail.
One week earlier, they said the long-vacant complex would be an unlikely candidate to serve as a rail hub. But the state Department of Transportation said Thursday it’s too early to preclude the Central Terminal from being considered.
A group that has been working to revitalize the sprawling complex praised the modified stand, as did Rep. Louise M. Slaughter. She called the old train station a “jewel.”
“The purpose of bringing high-speed rail to upstate New York is to strengthen and re-energize our region, and if it’s possible, the Central Terminal should be part of this effort,” Slaughter said in a prepared statement.
Tuesday, the Common Council passed a resolution reaffirming the city’s support to make the Central Terminal a regional rail stop. Lawmakers criticized project planners for striking a “nasty blow” to a distressed neighborhood and accused state officials of basing their earlier assertion on faulty information.
Skip Carrier, the DOT’s communications director, made it clear Thursday that the Central Terminal has not been ruled out.
“It’s premature to be talking about a decision on a passenger rail station,” he said, noting that the looming challenge involves securing $8 billion in federal funds.
“When we get to the station issue, we can look at [Central Terminal],” Carrier continued.
But he added that “operational issues” would have to be addressed before the facility could be used for high-speed rail. The biggest problem, he said, involves railroad tracks that come in from four separate points, joining together at a “bottleneck juncture.”
Last week, Carrier said the presence of freight tracks in the northwest section of the terminal made the site unsuitable for high-speed rail. Terminal restoration advocates replied that there are no such tracks on this part of the property.
“It’s great that Central Terminal is still on the table,” said Mark Lewandowski, vice president of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp., a group that is trying to find new uses for the site.
The high-speed rail project could be a “conduit” to redeveloping a landmark, Lewandowski added. But rail might only be a small component of a more diversified plan, he said.
Common Council President David A. Franczyk also applauded the state for changing its stand. “I’m glad they have this new attitude toward [the terminal]. I’m glad they’re taking a second look.”
The Council’s Transportation Committee plans to hold a meeting in the near future to discuss how the Central Terminal could be used for high-speed rail. Carrier said transportation officials would be willing to participate in the meeting. At this juncture, he said, the state is focused on finalizing an application for federal funding, which is due to be submitted in September.
bmeyer@buffnews.com
