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  • LVRR along I-90 Buffalo-ROW is being cleared

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

 #1546762  by SST
 
Yesterday I was driving along I-90 westbound and was stunned to see a crew on the LV ROW clearing ALL the trees. I'd love to get a picture but its too crazy in that section to get it.

Are we going back in service? :wink:

I hope they don't mistake a telegraph pole for a tree and cut it down.
 #1546790  by NYCRRson
 
Other parts of that ROW are long gone, including the bridges over Millersport Highway and Nia Falls Blvd.

Not likely that ROW is coming back. Maybe it's being cleared for a trail or an Electric power line ?

Cheers, Kevin
 #1546845  by BR&P
 
I know the "back in service" was tongue in cheek, we all wish that was the case. Sadly, once they are removed they almost never get put back. :(

Few things are more depressing railfan-wise than seeing some empty ROW and remembering when there was traffic on it.
 #1546850  by DGC-24711
 
Former RR ROWs are used to run pipes or other utilities underground and the owners need to inspect them for whatever reason and will clear out the brush so stuff can be scanned better.

In the Town of Tonawanda there's a section of the EL/IRC ROW between Sheridan Drive (NY 324) and Harrison Ave, a dual ROW where the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) owns the land but let the Town pave a multi-use trail approximately on the EL side. In that area between the two roads tall trees and shrubs filled in the area over the IRC ROW right up to backyard fences, but right at Sheridan Drive on the east side of the ROW crossing there's a utility company that had pipes and the trees etc were cleared out late last summer.

All along that section of ROW from Sherdan Dr south to Englewood are small cement bases that to my best guess held the catenary poles and clearing that shrubbery out lets you see more of them.
 #1546913  by TrainDetainer
 
Again, SST said along I-90, so he's referring to the L&LE. I hadn't heard anything about it, but if you zoom in to the right level on Google there is a marker at the corner of Medina and Hurd that says Lehigh Valley Railroad Rail Trail.
 #1546979  by dj_paige
 
I too have seen the brush clearing on the old L&LE alongside I-90, but (I wasn't taking notes) I think it was in the vicinity of Cazenovia Creek, which would be well south of Medina and Hurd.
 #1547032  by BR&P
 
dj_paige wrote:I too have seen the brush clearing on the old L&LE alongside I-90, but (I wasn't taking notes) I think it was in the vicinity of Cazenovia Creek, which would be well south of Medina and Hurd.
My guess would be some sort of utility maintenance or installation. If it were being made into a trail, it probably would have been in the news during the planning stage and there are enough rail-trail fans on here somebody would have noticed.

(BTW the "I Hope You Dance" song quoted in your signature was done by Lee Ann Womack, not Leann Rimes :wink: )
 #1547042  by dj_paige
 
In addition, if my memory was correct and it was in the vicinity of Cazenovia Creek, you couldn't put a trail there anyway unless the trail dead-ended at the LV bridge over the creek.
 #1547056  by SST
 
To be more specific, the clearing that I saw is south of the I-90/I-190 JCT and continues south to at least the 400 expressway. I haven't gone further south than that.
 #1547103  by dj_paige
 
Well, that's roughly where I saw it. Looking at the map, you could have a trail that goes from the Buffalo River (no bridge there) south to Cazenovia Creek, and I'm not sure if that bridge is in usable condition.
 #1547110  by BR&P
 
SST is an avid user of the trail system, and I think we have a couple others on here. Long before actual construction begins, there are planning meetings and discussions. Funding is announced. Trail advocacy groups would be making a big thing about it, to say nothing of various politicians who would be looking to get their mugs front and center. Nobody has heard any such plans as far as I know.

I've been wrong before (just ask my wife! :wink: ) but my bet is it's not a trail.
 #1547127  by SST
 
I don't think a new trail will happen either. The money that would be needed to install bridges would probably kill it. The other problem is where will it go? All the way to Lake Ave? To much money for such a short distance.

On the other hand, if you're going to spend money on the LV then start at Union Rd and push east towards the Genesee River.