The bike paths along Buffalo's Outer Harbor could see a lot more traffic this summer. In the coming weeks there will be a new and easier way to get across the Buffalo River.
Queen City Ferry has added a new pedestrian-bike ferry to its fleet at Canalside. There is seating and plenty of room for bicycles and wheelchairs.
The state provided funding for the project, according to Assemblyman Sean Ryan.
"The boat itself was the lowest price. It was about $200,000. Then we needed to spend a few more hundred thousand dollars to establish a ferry landing on the other side to make it safe, to make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act," Ryan said.
"It's going to be an open and inclusive ferry and landing for people with mobility impairments."
The Ferry will give Canalside visitors easy access to several miles of trails that run from Buffalo's Historic Lighthouse to the Tifft Nature Preserve. Ryan says it's cheaper and faster than building a new bridge from downtown to the Outer Harbor.
"The city of Toronto has ferries connecting the Toronto Islands to downtown Toronto. Vancouver is a very ferry heavy city. It works. It's a lower cost transportation alternative," he added.
The new ferry is expected to be operating by Memorial Day.