Buffalo Rails to Trails

The North Buffalo Rails to Trails goes for under a mile, or just over 1 km, from the Lasalle Street Subway Station to Kenmore Avenue. It mostly runs through the Minnesota Linear Park, which surrounds and is adjacent to it.
It is nice because this short path serves as a connection to the streets and bike paths in the Main Street and Starin Central neighborhoods. There’s some nice signage pointing the way as well.
Overall a tiny but needed link in the North Buffalo area.

Rails to Trails is a beautiful escape. About 5 miles from end to end, it’s a lovely little route. It is presently fully paved, flat, and almost fully functional. There are a smattering of benches along the way and some nice parks it passes through. The area around Shoshone Park is especially nice.
At present the cities does not have the trails-​specific crossing lights up, so BE CAREFUL crossing streets, especially at Sheridan and Kenmore.
There are many «inlets» into the trails, so it’s fairly easy to find at most points. There is parking at the north and south ends.
I’d strongly recommend Rails to Trails for a leisurely bike ride, a family stroll, or just a way to get out and enjoy a bit nature.

I have mixed feelings about this pathway. And the development of this space actually. Many moons ago it was train tracks, active ones, that went across Main Street just north of Hertel. There used to be a bridge there. The bridge was taken down years ago, and the debris put into the previous viaduct space to make Main more «flat». Smart use of the debris.
Then the metro was built near that and then came the Aldi and parking spots etc. Behind all that, and on the north side of Shoshone Park were the train tracks. I don’t know when they pulled the actual tracks up, but had to be at least 10 years ago. And then the fences came down. So it was an area people could walk. It wasn’t paved or even maintained, but had some walking paths and plenty of dog walkers using it. People cutting from Kenmore to Main as well. Since there are no streets to cross it’s a super area to walk uninterrupted.
It also became a hangout for the kids in the area, and graffiti showed up on some of the walls that remained back there.
When I came back to Buffalo I rediscovered it and walked it often, with and without various dogs.
Then earlier this year the trucks came. And the path got groomed and widened. Lots of the grasses and general field like area was taken down. The main walking path was paved. Lights put in. Lots of bikes started to be seen. Its a fabulous path that takes you from Kenmore to Main. There remain some side paths that are not paved and remain nice to walk. The paved path is also great to walk so it’s a different experience now, but a very nice one none the less.
There is work being done for the same type of path in Tonawanda. While they won’t connect without street crossings, eventually all these paths will link.
I lived the area without the paving and lights, but have to admit it changes the area with them too, and it’s not all bad.
2031