I have to say it is nice being able to go to the Outer Harbor and get to places you couldn't in the past. The problem is there is no connectivity. Even in places where it seems like it would be easy. For example, as you can see in the map below, courtesy mapmyride.com, there is a nice path along the water that ends near the site of the former Pier Restaurant. Its driveway is still there, but the path ends at the driveway and you have to carry your bike over some boulders to get onto the driveway and back to the main path.
There is also a short spur along the City Ship Canal, but this also ends awkwardly without a good connection back to the main path. It does, however, provide excellent views of the Pillsbury Elevator, the canal, and the neighboring railroad tracks.
The problem here is partly NY-5. The Common Council unanimously recommended its replacement with a boulevard. So did other organizations such as the Congress for New Urbanism and Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. At the same time, this lack of access will keep this area from ever being developed, which is good for people who like nature, like myself. The area between the Coast Guard Station and the Small Boat Harbor includes small forests and meadows. It's almost like an extension of Tifft Farm . At the end of the day, this might be the best use of this part of the waterfront.
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