One Last Commute, Buffalo

I haven't updated in about a week, mostly because my long stint of unemployment sadly came to an end. But there is good news, my exciting new stint of unemployment begins today. Part of the plan for this bike tour across New York state was working at my old job at the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo, doing silly things like getting underneath a bed with wheels and pushing it across stage.

I've had some help with staying on some couches while I'm here. Right now I am staying at my friend Brian's, in Allentown which is right near my old haunts in the West Side of Buffalo. Being so close to where I used to live, I decided to reminisce a little and take the Riverwalk from the city to the University at Buffalo (which isn't at Buffalo at all).

The Riverwalk is a series of bike paths and bike ways running from downtown Buffalo all the way up to Niagara Falls (it may actually extend further, I'm not sure where the Seaway Trail begins and ends and becomes the Riverwalk). When I first started bike riding this was one of the first places I explored, hopping down the bike path of UB to Tonawanda and along the Niagara River (which is actually not a river at all but a strait), both north to the Falls or south to the Queen City proper. Then once I moved into the west side, I would take this path system  in the reverse direction going back along the Eliccott Creek to the north campus of UB.

I picked the worst day to do this ride. My call wasn't until 11 30, so I figured that it would be nice to take that extra time to ride to work along the more scenic direction (adding an extra five miles as opposed to through the city). When I woke up, I looked and saw a drizzle coming down and had a decision to make, to add the five miles? Or to even subtract some mileage taking the subway and bus to north campus. Just as I was contemplating the rain seemed to break a little, I took it as a sign to go to the Riverwalk.

It was a misled sign. As soon as I was committed, turning onto the bike path off Porter Ave, near the Peace Bridge ramp, it began to rain once more. No point in turning back then. The path was the same as always, the gaping cracks still existed near the Treatment Plant on Squaw Island, the border patrol SUV was still sitting near the International Railroad Bridge, and roots seemed to come up around every corner. Despite these poor conditions, both meteorological and pavement wise, it was nice to be back along the path, passing some of Buffalo's history.

The bike path near Porter Ave.

Looking back at the Peace Bridge.

Leaving Squaw Island over the old canal section near the Black Rock lock.
You are looking at the I 90 and 198 interchange, a sort of beautiful mess of concrete.

A section of the path was closed, right near the boat ramp and parking lot near the low-income housing towers (which I always found strange since I'd love to live on a high rise right on the water). That meant I had to get back into the streets. Surprisingly, the City of Buffalo had added a new bike lane, to a place that didn't really need one (Main St, near South Campus of UB is still a major death trap), I guess ill-advised progress is better than no progress. Near Riverside Park I took the pedestrian bridge back over to the Riverwalk.

This section of Riverwalk has always felt a little claustrophobic, which is why I never rode it at night. On my left were the currents of Niagara River and to my right the currents of automobile traffic. The next exit wasn't until I crossed into Tonowanda, I always imagined that this path would be full of misguided youth looking to pick off some poor sucker riding alone at night (Riverside is not exactly the most comfortable neighborhood to be in at night). The good thing here is that the path is flat and smooth, I hammered through the steady headwind that seems to always hit, no matter what time of day or direction (I forgot how bad the winds were here).

Into Tonawanda civilization dropped out for a bit heading into the chemical waste zone near the Tonawanda Coke Factory (a constantly supervised plant for poisoning Buffalo's air and water supply), the Tonawanda Power Plant (I believe a coal burning plant), and some NOCO oil refineries. Surprisingly, despite these obvious blights, this is one of my favorite sections of the bike path. Here, between the city of Buffalo and city of Tonawanda, everything is much more spread out. In front of the giant looming red brick power plant are extensive lawns and parking lots, beyond the gates of NOCO are rolling green hills. Instead of a crowded vertical, here everything is an open horizontal. Plus the river seems prettiest here.

The path is surprisingly colorful this late in the year, everything should be white by now. 

The power plant in Tonawanda.

Beyond this open section, the path turns into Niawanda Park in the city of Tonawanda, which in the summer time means, time to dodge the elderly, kids on bikes, and dogwalkers, luckily it was 50 degrees and raining, so it's only dogs this day, and there were few there. Niagara St. is elevated at this point, so traffic is hidden up on top of a rapid rise, instead all I see are bare oaks and picnic tables along the green grass of the park. In the summer these trees are beautiful with leaves and the sun is always warm here, but riding it in the cloudy rain, it just felt gloomy.

A quick pass through Tonawanda (another old dying town in Western NY, but doing better than Buffalo, drawing in the suburban sprawl, even though it's just as old as Buffalo itself) and I was on the creek towards Buffalo. I really love the creek systems in Tonawanda and surrounding areas on how they split off, as Niagara River leads into Tonawanda Creek, Tonawanda Creek splits right away near the city's center to Two-Mile Creek, then a few miles down the road, it splits once more into Elicott Creek. Tonawanda Creek was once part of the Erie Canal System, one of the few existing waterways before the canal was built. Once I made it to Elicott Creek Park, where the two creeks split, I got off the old Erie Canal track and headed to work.

Tonawanda.

Two Mile Creek, that's a pedestrian only bridge.

UB Bike Path.

Elicott Creek.

Taking 45 minutes longer than usual and being completely soaked (but taking pictures probably added more time than anything else), I had made it to work. Maybe riding in the rain was a poor decision, but it was nice to see the old ride I would do to work. I really just hope the rain will let up in the next couple of days, because this planned snow tour isn't so bad, but a constant 40 degree rain might mean canceling the ride.