A new fun way for people to navigate the Buffalo River is in the works. Ken Szal, president of Buffalo Pedal Tours, is drawing up plans for a pedal-powered boat for 14 riders and 2 crew members. Szal says, his goal is to start with a docking station at Riverworks.
"We envision going up to, maybe a little bit past Ohio Street, [from] Silo City, to as far as the Hatch [at the Erie Basin Marina], Szal said.
The primary purpose, Szal said, is showing people a good time, and promoting downtown Buffalo. The "big difference" between his pedal-powered bikes and the pedal-powered boat is, everything about the boat has to be approved by the Coast Guard.
"We're going to have the coolest, the nicest, the safest beer boat in the whole world. Our goal is to be the best," Szal said.
Since starting in 2014 - Buffalo Pedal Tours has grown from one bike to five. Szal plans to have the pedal-powered boat ready by early next summer.