New streetcars in Buffalo?

There is a news story on Yahoo for the AP about streetcars in New Orleans and it mentions Buffalo about laying track. What are they talking about? Is it the existing Metro Rail or are they talking about something else?

Here is the link

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... _revival_1


Chris

yup nice system, a bit small but.
http://nfta.com/metro/route_rail.asp

Here is the quote from the article that Chris is talking about:

Portland, Ore., Pittsburgh, Buffalo, N.Y., and Sacramento, Calif., are among the cities have begun laying tracks and returning to streetcars. Others are looking into the possibility.

I'm not really sure where this writer got her information from. Portland has been expanding their light rail system several new lines in the last 10 years (with another new line opening this month). Pittsburgh converted their old streetcar lines to the heavier light rail standard in 1985 (new subway extensions have just been approved)... the Buffalo system opened in 1984. Perhaps these are "recent" returns to streetcars for the writer? Maybe her research turned up discussion about NFTA's plans to extend to Amherst and Lackawanna? I know NFTA owns some rail right-of-ways around the city of Buffalo, but political opposition and lack of funding has kept any extension from becoming reality.

Short story: There is no new "streetcar" construction going on in Buffalo that I know about. But then again, I'm 400 miles away. Anyone hear anything different?

-otto-

Hold the phone...This article says that Buffalo has "begun laying tracks and returning to streetcars". As far as I know the Metro rail line has no plans to expand anywhere. Also, can you really call what they have streetcars??

You're misinterpreting the story, SimTrains. This is a non-rail writer who does not know the difference between "light rail" and "streetcars." She is also using Buffalo an an example of a city that has "recently" restored trolley/light rail (I guess the last 20 years is recent enough for her).

-otto-

The only thing that comes to mind is if Buffalo brings back two-way auto traffic to Main St downtown. A suggestion that I wrote in to the politicians [a waste of time I know] would be to single track the line coming out of the tunnel down to Swan Street and then double track it the rest of the way to the DL&W. This would give the auto's enough room to drive in both directions and park and allow the light rail to operate as well.

I haven't seen any new track being layed either. It's not likely that the NFTA will expand service very far simply because it's too late.