Buffalo– Today, Mayor Byron W. Brown announced that construction is set to begin shortly on the next phase of the Cars Sharing Main Street Project. Preparations are now underway for construction along lower Main Street, between Exchange and Scott Streets.
“This next phase of work to bring vehicular traffic to the lower end of Main Street – from Exchange to Scott streets – will be a major boost for Canalside, the Key Bank Center, HarborCenter and the soon-to- open Explore & More Children’s Museum,” Mayor Brown said. “We’ve already seen the many benefits of improved access the Cars Sharing Main Street project has brought to the 500 through 700 blocks of Main Street, and we expect it to have an even greater positive impact on Lower Main.”
Buffalo’s downtown Main Street plays a vital role in Buffalo’s new era of opportunity. Returning vehicular traffic to this 10-block stretch of Main Street has been a priority of Mayor Brown’s, since his earliest days in office. Under his leadership, the city has been opening Main Street to vehicular traffic block by block over the past several years. The lower Main Street project continues the successful public works projects implemented on Main Street, totaling $31 million in improvements, using a combination of funding from a 2011 federal TIGER grant, the State of New York and the City of Buffalo. Since 2012, significant private sector investment of close to $500 million has been made in the area between the 700 block of Main Street and the edge of the waterfront at Canalside.
The $2.8 million 700 block was completed in 2009 and included a two-way conversion of Main Street and bicycle lanes
Construction on the 600 block of Main Street began in late 2012, with a total project cost of $8 million, and was completed in January 2014
500 block construction began in the fall of 2013 for a total project cost of about $21 million. It was completed on December 2015
The $22.5 million lower Main Street Project will start with major utility relocation work in the intersection of Main and Scott Streets, followed by the replacement of the infrastructure between Scott and Exchange Streets in order to accommodate the return of vehicle traffic. Senator Charles E. Schumer helped to secure $18 million in funding from a U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant for the lower Main Street project. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, as well as the City of Buffalo, provided the remaining $4.5 million needed for the project.
“The City of Buffalo will soon start work to add Cars Sharing Main Street to Lower Main, adjacent to Buffalo’s Inner Harbor and Canalside utilizing the $18 million in U.S. Department of Transportation grant funds I successfully secured for this critical project. This will mark the fourth segment of this project that is breathing new life into downtown Buffalo through improved access,” U.S. Senator Charles
E. Schumer said.
“As the state has made unprecedented investments throughout Buffalo and Western New York, the Cars on Main Street project has been an important complement to our work to revitalize the City,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “With this latest extension along lower Main Street, we will be able to better connect residents and tourists to the excitement happening along our waterfront at Canalside and the Outer Harbor. The turnaround of Buffalo and Western New York has truly been remarkable, and the extension of Cars on Main Street will help to keep up the momentum and transformation of this incredible community.”
While preparation work is now underway, construction is expected to start within a few weeks. Due to the complexity of lower Main Street, with multiple stakeholders, the project is expected to extend through multiple construction seasons.