Buffalo's Healthy Communities Initiative Receives $2 Million to Support Active Living

The Federal government recently awarded two million dollars to the Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI), the Active Living by Design community partnership in Buffalo, to make the streets more pedestrian friendly and supportive of active living. The streetscape and infrastructure enhancement grant will add bike lanes, bike racks, wide sidewalks, enhanced street lighting, highly-visible ADA-compliant crosswalks, and street furniture to the public right of way on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. These vital improvements will reinforce and improve the physical connections between the medical campus and the surrounding Fruit Belt and Allentown neighborhoods.

This federal appropriation was obtained by Western New York's congressional delegation under the leadership of Rep. Louise Slaughter in the House, acknowledging that active living enhancements in Healthy Communities Initiative target area are a priority. This is an instance in which the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's support helped leaders realize the importance of pedestrian oriented environments and served as leverage for this critical funding.

The appropriation will be administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). In working with FTA officials, HCI leaders emphasized the importance of dedicating the dollars to vital streetscape and infrastructure improvements. It's also important to note, HCI leaders are working with FTA officials to think 'outside the box' and allow for the use of funds towards public art, marrying the use of art and infrastructure as an incentive for physical activity. Preliminary design work for the project is under way and construction should begin this fall

HCI's success in procuring these federal funds demonstrates its ability to tap into partnership members' unique areas of expertise. This project would not have been successful without the cooperation of the local Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, and - most notably - the support of elected officials. The partnership's infrastructure assessment was used in the negotiating and planning of this effort, and is playing a key role as the HCI considers future funding opportunities. As a result, an important connection between the HCI target area - medical campus, Fruit Belt and Allentown - and downtown will be safer and friendlier to both pedestrian and bike traffic.