Category: Environment

BNMC Impact Report

by Maria Morrealein Buffalo, Campus-wide, Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, Environment, Health care, Healthy Communities, Kaleida, Procurement, Roswell Park, Small Businesses

Today the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) shared its final report to the US Department of Agriculture on a multi-year Farm to Hospital project. Nine years ago, BNMC brought partners Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Kaleida Health together with a shared vision for what a culture of fresh, healthy, local foods in healthcare systems could look like. To advance this vision, BNMC applied for and received three rounds of grant funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Together the partners worked to:

  • update institutional procurement and vending contracts,
  • implement a Harvest of the Month campaign,
  • host three Food as Medicine Symposia,
  • develop the WNY Food as Medicine Coalition,
  • install five new Farmhouse Fridges across campus.

As a direct result of their efforts, local procurement at Campus hospitals has increased by 333%. This matters, because for every dollar spent on local procurement (small to midsize farms, aggregators & distributors operated by our neighbors), 75-85 cents stays in the local economy when compared to conventionally sourced produce (largescale corporate food chain) where the revenue share to local farmers hovers around 14.9 cents. More data highlights are included on page 14 of the report.

The increase in local procurement meant that 42 local farmer entrepreneurs directly benefitted from the effort and grew their businesses. A further 10 local producers were able to expand their ability to sell into healthcare food systems by becoming USDA-certified in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). Several other local businesses in processing and procurement also benefitted greatly from this work.

While the impact on local entrepreneurs in our healthcare food system is significant, campus hospitals have been able to greatly improve the quality of their procurement practices for the benefit of patient and visitor health. With new policies and operations templates in place, these practices will continue to grow well into the future.

You can read a full copy of the report here. Meet the partners, growers, and distributors in a short video here.

 About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community, and launching the IC Success (Innovation Community Success) program to support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth.   www.bnmc.org

NFTA and GBNRTC Receive Federal Contract to Improve Transportation Options for Older Adults, People With Disabilities, and Those with Low Incomes.

by Maria Morrealein Allentown, Amenities, Buffalo, Campus-wide, Community, Commuting, Electric Vehicle, Environment, Fruit Belt, Infrastructure, Neighbors, Technology

New Video Will Provide More Information for Users

Buffalo, New York – Buffalo All Access: In and around BNMC, a new initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) under the ITS4US Deployment Program, will use technology to improve transportation options for travelers in and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC), regardless of ability, age, or income. The initiative aims to make it easier for people of all abilities to utilize public transit and access the many essential services and destinations on and around the medical campus. The initiative focuses on providing:

  • An All Access App: a mobile app, website (https://bnmc.org/allaccess), and call center for people to plan trips based on their unique needs and abilities.
  • A Shuttle Program: an on-demand community shuttle that includes both human-driven shuttles and a self-driving shuttle.
  • Smart Infrastructure: wayfinding technologies on the medical campus that assist people who need support with both outdoor navigation and indoor navigation (inside VIA and the Buffalo General Medical Center). 

The project is led by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) in partnership with BNMC, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC), the University at Buffalo (UB), City of Buffalo, NITTEC, Kaleida Health, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, VIA, Heart of the City Neighborhoods, and FruitBelt Coalition, Inc. aka Fruit of the City. Consultant partners on the project include ICF, ETCH, RSG, and the Open Doors Organization. The project team has just produced an overview video that showcases more details about this project.  For more information, please watch the video on the website (https://bnmc.org/allaccess/).

Speaking about the project, Jamie Hamann-Burney, Director of Planning & Implementation for BNMC, said: “The lack of safe and inclusive trip planning and travel options for people of all abilities can be a major barrier to employment, healthcare, and other quality of life essentials in our community.  We’re thrilled to be a part of this initiative that will help break down these barriers.”

The ITS4US Deployment Program (https://its.dot.gov/its4us/) is a $40 million multimodal effort, led by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO) and supported by the Office of the Secretary, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration, to identify ways to provide more efficient, affordable, and accessible transportation options for underserved communities that often face greater challenges in accessing essential services.

The U.S. DOT launched Phase 1 of the program in January 2021 and supported the concept development efforts of select sites, including Buffalo All Access. In June 2022, Buffalo All Access was selected to continue Phases 2 and 3 of the program, which includes the design, testing, operation, and evaluation of the deployment.

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force of Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. BNMC launched its flagship program, IC Success in 2021 to provide support to aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. BNMC  www.bnmc.org. 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adriana Viverette

Digital Communications Manager

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

640 Ellicott, Buffalo, NY 14203

(716) 348-4126 aviverette@bnmc.org

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Thanks to All Who Helped BNMC and National Grid Electrify Buffalo on September 25

by Maria Morrealein Electric Vehicles, Energy, Environment

Innovation and future technology were all on display at a family-fun event that celebrated Drive Electric Week on September 25!
More than 25 area companies were on hand to share information about their products, technologies, and the various uses of electric vehicles, including public transportation, construction, and recreational use. Attendees test-drove electric vehicles and saw various demonstrations of electric backhoes, e-bikes, and scooters. Here are some pictures from the event.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz Declares Sept. 25 to Oct. 3 Drive Electric Week in Erie County. Week to kick off with National Grid-sponsored event at Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus on Sept. 25

by Maria Morrealein Electric Vehicles, Energy, Environment

BUFFALO – As part of National Drive Electric Week 2021, Erie County is spreading the word about environmental responsibility and encouraging residents to learn more about electric vehicles by signing a proclamation that declares Sept. 25 to Oct. 3 Drive Electric Week in Erie County.
“Electric Drive week overlaps with Climate Week, which starts today, and that is no coincidence. Electric Vehicles are part of the solution as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Bonnie Lawrence, Deputy Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning.

In Erie County the week – which coincides with National Drive Electric Week – will begin with Electrify Buffalo, a community ride-around event on Saturday, Sept. 25. Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is hosting this innovative event, which is sponsored by National Grid, in the parking lot at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Innovation Center, located at 589 Ellicott St.

The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees can test-drive electric vehicles and learn more from various demonstrations of electric backhoes, e-bikes, and scooters. The event will include food trucks, raffles, and a kids’ zone. More information, including event registration, is available here.

“Sustainability is at the heart of the work that we do here on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus,” said Matt Enstice, President and CEO of the BNMC. “We were the first site in Western New York to install vehicle charging capability, and we continue to add to and upgrade our sustainable infrastructure. We are delighted to host events that highlight both the importance and growth of technology in the field.”

“Events such as Electrify Buffalo are natural fits for National Grid because we offer several programs, including electric vehicle programs that are for customers who can save up to 100 percent of the costs related to infrastructure installations, like the ones at the medical campus and so many across western New York; we also offer services for those with electric fleets,” said National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa. “The event also nicely aligns with National Grid’s Project C initiative, National Grid’s community commitment designed to accomplish many goals, including connecting our communities to clean and sustainable energy, and delivering a resilient, clean energy future.”

BNMC and Partners Launch E-Bike Pilot in Buffalo

by Maria Morrealein Biking, Buffalo, Environment, GO BNMC

BNMC frequently serves as a living laboratory for new and innovative programs in Buffalo. For the summer of 2021, we are delighted to partner with Shared Mobility, Inc. to offer shared e-bikes this summer. E-bikes will be stationed at a number of locations around Buffalo, including at the corner of Ellicott and North Oak/Virgina Streets on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Other locations around the City include Seneca One, and Push Buffalo’s School 77. East Side Bike Club will lead an E-Bike Library with group rides and a variety of programming.
Participation in this program is FREE! To learn more about how to get involved, visit Shared Mobility here.

Welcome to National Bike Month

by Maria Morrealein Biking, Buffalo, Environment, GO BNMC, Infrastructure

By Jamie Hamann-Burney
May is National Bike Month, and BNMC is as committed as ever to helping make bicycling a fun, safe, and healthy way to get around our district.  We continue to work with our partners to enhance our bicycling infrastructure on the campus and we’ll again be celebrating National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 21st with our first-ever BNMC Open Streets Event! Here’s some more details:

BNMC Open Streets

Being able to enjoy the outdoors – walking, exercising, getting fresh air – is an important part of living a healthy, hwp-contenty life.  With limited park space in our area, and the need to still stay safely socially distant from one another, we’re rethinking how we use our streets.   We will be closing Washington Street between Carlton and High Streets to traffic and we will be using the street for healthy living activities throughout the day, starting off with a Bike to Work Day breakfast for anyone who rides their bike to the event. More details about the event and how to register are here.

Bicycle Programs:

This year, we’re also continuing to add more bicycle perks for members of our community:

  • Free annual REDDY Bikeshare memberships for employees and neighbors and a campus-wide free parking zone;
  • Exploring micro-mobility options on campus in collaboration with Shared Mobility, Inc.
  • Indoor, member-only bicycle parking in collaboration with GObike as well as numerous other bike parking racks throughout the campus;
  • A Bicycle Fix-It Station at the corner of Ellicott and Virginia Streets;
  • Free memberships for our Green Commuter Club which provides prizes and a Guaranteed Ride Home Program to employees who walk, bike, take transit, or carpool to work. To learn more and sign up for our programs, click here.

Streetscape Projects:

The next few years will be transformational for our shared campus.  We continue to work with the City of Buffalo on creating new bicycle infrastructure and amenities through new streetscape projects.  Currently, Virginia Street between Main and Ellicott is being reconstructed to include wider sidewalks and bicycle lanes (mid-block pedestrian crossings will also be added on Washington Street and Ellicott Street as part of the same project); and in 2022, the City will start construction on the Middle Main Street Project, which will feature protected bicycle lanes from at least Goodell to Ferry Streets. Best Street is also being repaved this year and that project will include new bicycle lanes as identified in the City’s Bicycle Master Plan.

Drive Green: The Truth About EV Winter Worries

by BNMCin Buffalo, Campus-wide, Community, Electric Vehicle, Electric Vehicles, Energy, Environment, News

If you’re thinking about making the switch to an electric car, you might be nervous about winter driving. Not to worry! Here are some quick truths and tips about driving your electric vehicle (EV) through a New York winter, with tons more info here.
TRUTHS

Your range will decrease in the winter. Because batteries operate less efficiently when they’re cold, your EV will get fewer miles per kilowatt-hour in the winter. However, the range for gas powered cars also decreases by as much as 22% in the winter!

 Snow and ice are not usually a problem for EVs. Because the battery often makes up the floorboard of the vehicle, EVs have a low center of gravity and evenly distributed weight, which makes them stable and easy to maneuver, and increases traction on snow or icy terrain.

TIPS

Precondition your vehicle. Warm up your car while it’s still plugged in so that you don’t deplete your battery’s reserves. Getting into a warm car also means you don’t have to crank the heat as much once it’s unplugged!

 Use the special heating features for your vehicle. If your car offers heated seats and steering wheels, use them! They will use less energy and allow you to comfortably keep the cabin temperature slightly lower.

 Drive efficiently. Use regenerative breaking to capture any energy that might otherwise be lost and avoid speeding as it increases drag, which decreases mileage.

 Park and charge somewhere warm. If you must park outside, try to find a sunny spot to keep your battery warm.

To learn more about the ins and outs of driving your electric vehicle in the winter, please visit drivegreen.nationalgridus.com/learn/winter.

Electric Vehicles 101

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Education, Electric Vehicles, Employees, Energy, Environment, Infrastructure, Sustainability

Did you know that the BNMC has installed more than 30 electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) across the Medical Campus, with the ability to charge almost 50 vehicles? We are committed to ensuring that our infrastructure supports sustainable transportation, everything from making it easy to charge electric vehicles, to installing hundreds of additional bike racks, to providing reduced-rate transit passes. We are building an innovation district known for accessible, environmentally-forward ways for everyone to get here.
With so much talk about electric vehicles and charging station infrastructure, we thought we should help answer some questions we hear often. What is an electric vehicle, what isn’t, and why should I care? Here’s a quick Electric Vehicles 101.

Your basic conventional car runs on an internal combustion engine: you add gasoline, it ignites and releases energy that is translated into motion. In the process, however, the vehicle releases carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. In the United States, the transportation sector is responsible for 28% of our greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other sector (hint: this is part of why you should care!). Learn more about how our team is a part of the national conversation.

An electric vehicle (EV), in contrast, runs on an electric current. There are three main types of vehicle commonly called “electric”, and it’s worth knowing the difference:

  1. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) run only on electricity. With a BEV, you charge the car’s battery with electricity. That battery then powers the electric motor, which propels the car forward. Since the car itself is not burning a fuel to generate movement, there are no tail-pipe emissions. Instead, the carbon footprint of a BEV depends on how the electricity that runs it is produced.
  2. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) combine a battery-powered electric motor with an internal combustion engine. You charge your vehicle with electricity and use it much like an all-electric vehicle. However, if and when you run out of charge, the gasoline provides fuel as a back-up. While running only on electricity, a PHEV’s carbon footprint again depends on the fuel mix that generated the electricity. As soon as the internal combustion engine switches on, the engine’s tail-pipe emissions add to the vehicle’s carbon footprint.
  3. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) also combine an internal combustion engine and an electric propulsion system. However, you cannot plug them in to charge them with electricity, so they are not strictly speaking “EVs”. However, HEVs are more efficient than traditional internal combustion engines because they take advantage of technologies such as regenerative braking.

The more you know!

Tobacco-Free BNMC

by BNMCin Employees, Environment, Health care, Healthy Communities, Wellness

A reminder that the entire Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is tobacco-free. As a Medical Campus, the health and safety of our patients, visitors, and employees is our top priority. Please help us to build a culture of health here and don’t make our visitors and employees breathe second-hand smoke. Need help quitting? Contact the NYS Smokers’ Quitline today.

BNMC Awards Micro-Grants to 17 Local Organizations  

by BNMCin Art, Community, Education, Entrepreneurship, Environment, Healthy Communities, Innovation, Neighborhood Engagement, Neighbors

BNMC Awards Micro-Grants to 17 Local Organizations  

Awarded programs and projects aim to showcase creative ideas and strengthen community

 The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus has selected 17 organizations out of more than 60 wp-contentlicants to receive a total of $36,500 in its first annual BNMC Spark micro-grant program. Local community members and organizations were invited to wp-contently for grant funding for projects and programs that help to showcase the neighborhoods adjacent to the Medical Campus as active, vibrant places. Among those selected include El Museo’s Art in Transit Project, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor’s “Salute to African American History Makers,” and a Community Wellness Initiative organized by the Mulberry Street Block Club.   Funded programs include art projects, wellness programs, preservation efforts and skills development initiatives and many others.  A full list of winners can be found at www.bnmc-old.local/spark.

According to Marc Pope, Community Program Manager for the BNMC, “The scope and variety of wp-contentlications was very impressive and it was difficult to narrow down the field to our final choices. The number of innovative ideas we received speaks to the community’s grassroots initiatives and creativity that will truly benefit local neighborhoods. We are proud to support the efforts of these community leaders to get their programs and projects off the ground or over the finish line.”

The Spark grants help programs or projects in a targeted zone around the Medical Campus that align with BNMC’s key goals of cultivating a safe accessible, active, and inclusive district that fosters health and wellbeing and is supported by smart sustainable infrastructure; strengthening the community with economic opportunities benefiting local youth, residents, businesses, and neighborhoods; and driving innovation, job growth, and economic development. Priority was also given to those initiatives that focus on access to healthy food and active living opportunities; neighborhood improvements including beautification, walkability and enhanced transportation options; arts and culture; energy and sustainability; youth and education; and access to jobs and economic opportunities.

BNMC Spark grants are designed to help organizations address funding needs or gaps for programs or projects that can be completed in 2018. While the BNMC has supported local organizations and initiatives for many years, the BNMC Sparks micro-grant program was developed to formalize the process and to attract new programs and organizations that are aligned with the BNMC’s overall goals.

Green Team Keeps the BNMC Shining While Building Skills And Gaining Employment

by BNMCin BNMC Team, Campus-wide, Employees, Environment, Workforce and Procurement

Green Team Keeps the BNMC Shining While Building Skills And Gaining Employment

If you have spent time on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus or in the BNMC’s Innovation Center, you have probably encountered one or more members of our “Green Team,” a group of individuals currently working as part of an wp-contentrentice-style program while handling building maintenance and landscaping for the BNMC.  The small but impactful program helps nearby residents gain a variety of skills so that they can obtain, keep and realize success in future jobs.

The Green Team currently includes members of Buffalo’s refugee population who are working to improve their language skills along with their knowledge and abilities in areas that will provide opportunities for full-time employment.  A total of 11 residents of the City of Buffalo have successfully completed or are currently part of the program, with members successfully “graduating” into new full-time, permanent jobs.

The workforce development program was created to provide a holistic wp-contentroach to preparing people who may have barriers to employment with the practical and life skills needed to be successful.  In addition to building skills and experience by maintaining the BNMC’s multiple properties on the Medical Campus, the team also has classroom training in skilled trades such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC, and horticulture.  A dedicated workshop, built by Green Team members and the BNMC team together at the Innovation Center, is used for both practical purposes and hands-on training.

Recognizing that life circumstances can create issues that negatively impact successful employment, the program also includes education and guidance in areas such as communication, financial literacy, time management, computer skills, resume writing and much more.  We also work with our team to overcome hurdles to employment including obtaining a driver’s license and or finding childcare when necessary. Personal mentoring for team members is also an integral part of the program to better understand some of their challenges and to help them overcome barriers to future success.

What’s next for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus?

by BNMCin BNMC Team, Buffalo, Business Development, Campus-wide, Career Opportunities, Children's Hospital, Community, Construction, Development, Employees, Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Environment, Expats, Health care, Healthy Communities, Infrastructure, Innovation, Innovation Center, Member Institution(s), News, Students, Technology, Transportation, Workforce and Procurement, Youth And Education

What’s next for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus?

By Karen Robinson | The Buffalo News | Published | Updated

The newly opened $270 million John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital was a page turner in the latest chapter of the burgeoning downtown Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

So was the December opening of the University at Buffalo’s $375 million new home for its Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The completion of the new projects mark a turning point for the 120-acre campus at the epicenter of Buffalo’s renaissance.

In 2002, the campus was in its infancy with just three companies. Now boasting 4.5 million square feet of development and $1.4 billion in investments, the campus has moved beyond just medical institutions. It has taken shape with a diverse mix of health care, life science and technology companies, becoming fertile ground for entrepreneurs and their startups.

There is still more to come.

Campus planners are aiming for BNMC to rival medical campuses in places like Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Among the next steps are strengthening ties with higher education and the private sectors.

“We are so well positioned with all the institutions and assets that are here and now want to embrace the excellent universities and colleges,” said Matthew K. Enstice, CEO and president of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Inc. “We plan to build out” – meaning renovate – “more space for them to have a location so they can interact and be a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that we have here.”

A big part of that vision is twp-contenting into local small and large companies, especially mature ones, and including them in the campus’ vision for its innovation district. “The world is changing so quickly in technology, that we’re putting a structure in place to help multiple, different companies innovate,” Enstice said.

Here’s what’s coming next on the Medical Campus:

• Design work is expected to start for renovation of existing buildings on the former Osmose Holdings site. In 2016, BNMC bought the 4.4-acre parcel, which is located at the northern edge of campus at Ellicott and Best streets and has parking for 200. It is expected to be a magnet for mature private-sector companies, along with universities and colleges, but will not be a second incubator, BNMC officials say.

• Ellicott Development Co. has a $4 million adaptive reuse development project underway at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, just north of the campus at Main and Best streets. To the south, Ellicott is planning a six-story retail and office building at 1091 Main St.

• Along the western edge of the campus, design work will begin for a redo of a critical stretch of Main Street from Goodell toward Canisius College. Meanwhile, a $7.5 million overhaul of Allen Street, including redesigned sidewalks and widened sections of the street, is expected to begin. Work will be done in phases, stretching from the eastern end of Allen toward Wadsworth.

• Workers will put the finishing touches on the exterior of UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, which opened to students earlier this month at 955 Main St. Final terra cotta panels are being installed on the Washington Street side of the building by spring. Most of the university’s labs are being moved in from mid-January through mid-March. With the medical school fully operational, 2,000 faculty, staff and students will be there daily.

• The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s newly renovated Allen Medical Campus Station has been integrated into the medical school. The station features “Gut Flora,” a colorful public art sculpture by Shasti O’Leary Soudant, and a newsstand opens this month. A one-block tunnel that serves as a pedestrian passageway to Washington Street will open beneath the medical school.

• The campus’ ninth pedestrian skybridge will be designed and constructed later in the year. It will span High Street, linking the Conventus medical office building to the UB Medical School. The new $1.5 million connector comes after three other skybridges just opened in November: one from Conventus to Oishei Children’s Hospital, another from Children’s Hospital to Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, and a third leading out the back of Children’s Hospital to a new parking ramp at 854 Ellicott St.

• By late May, the $40 million, 1,825-space parking ramp behind Oishei Children’s Hospital at 854 Ellicott will be completed. The top half of the eight-story ramp has been under construction since late 2017. The bottom half of the eight-story ramp opened Nov. 10 with Oishei Children’s Hospital.

• The 128,000-square-foot Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott St. will be completely full by the end of March.

BNMC to Create Smart Corridor for Main Street

by BNMCin BNMC Team, Campus-wide, Community, Environment, Infrastructure, News, Technology, Transportation

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) to Create Smart Corridor for Main Street

Plan to be developed to integrate smart transportation infrastructure and technology to create an innovative, greener, safer, and more accessible street

Buffalo, N.Y., January 11, 2018 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) has received $75,000 in funding to develop an innovative solution for smart transportation infrastructure and technology, on Main Street along the BNMC, in downtown Buffalo. The BNMC project will complement the City of Buffalo’s ongoing Complete Streets initiative.

The project, Creating a Smart Corridor Plan for Main Street in Buffalo, N.Y., will focus on the current conditions, best practices and opportunities for improving energy efficiency, emissions reduction, access and mobility, and traffic safety on a densely populated section of Main Street. The study will result in specific recommendations and anticipated costs for improvements to the City’s central thoroughfare that runs from downtown, northeast to the City’s northern suburbs.

The study, which is being funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and New York State Department of Transportation, supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s nation-leading energy goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

The study will be conducted at the same time that the City of Buffalo is beginning the design process for a large-scale $13 million streetscape improvement project on Main Street from Goodell Street to Ferry Street, adjacent to the Medical Campus. The BNMC and the City of Buffalo plan to work together to identify opportunities for the implementation of smart transportation infrastructure and technology at the same time. The primary goal of the project will be to create a more innovative streetscape to ensure a greener, safer, more efficient and integrated transportation system for the future.

Main Street in the City of Buffalo, already a densely populated, mixed-use street with a multiple transportation options, has undergone a tremendous amount of new development, particularly near the thriving BNMC. It has been identified as a top priority for reconstruction though multiple planning efforts.  As the area grows, there has been increasing interest in updating aging infrastructure, adding traffic calming measures, improving pedestrian and bicycling access and infrastructure, and improving access to the Metro Rail Stations along Main Street.

According to William Smith, Director of Access and Planning for BNMC, “The funding affords us the ability to identify opportunities to improve the street for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists while at the same time, to plan for the future with new technologies such as sensing technologies, wireless communications, autonomous vehicles, and dynamic and smart parking technologies that can help Buffalo become a model of efficiency, safety, and more sustainable environmental wp-contentroaches.”  He added, “The timing is ideal, as we have the opportunity to work with the City of Buffalo as they embark on streetscape improvements that may allow us to integrate our recommendations simultaneously, vastly improving Main Street for all.”

“The Main Street corridor through the Medical Campus area is ripe for infrastructure improvements to compliment the development that continues to transform this area.  My administration has led the way in initiating the transformation of Buffalo’s transportation network following the Complete Streets model that accommodates bicycles, pedestrians and motorists in an equitable manner.  Working with the BNMC on this grant will afford the opportunity to advance the Complete Streets model with the latest technology,” Mayor Byron W. Brown said.

Work on the Smart Corridor Plan will begin this year and include developing an RFP process to choose a subcontractor who will work with BNMC and the City on smart corridor design considerations, anticipated benefits and associated costs; developing a project steering committee to guide the project, ensure coordination among stakeholders, provide relevant data, insight and information, and to review and comment on project findings; and developing a Smart Corridor recommendations report  which will include a review of existing plans, technologies and conditions, an outline of best practices and potential opportunities, and specific recommendations and anticipated costs.

As part of its effort to develop a set of recommendations on design and technology considerations, BNMC expects to focus on elements including wireless communications; sensing technologies; connected and autonomous technologies including connected safety systems; dynamic traffic control and crossing signalization; smart parking technologies; transit technologies including real time data and systems coordination; and renewable energy and energy efficiency wp-contentlications.

In addition to the City of Buffalo, BNMC expects to work with representatives from BNMC member institutions, transportation service providers, utility companies, surrounding neighborhoods, and local and national experts in the field of smart transportation and city planning. The overall project is expected to be completed in 12 months.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.           

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. www.bnmc-old.local.

 

For more information, contact:
Susan Kirkpatrick, BNMC, skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local
716.866.8002(m)

New Year, New Look!

by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Community, Development, Employees, Environment, Infrastructure, News, Transportation

There’s a new gateway to the BNMC, for both pedestrians wp-contentroaching from the Allentown neighborhood, as well as transit riders disembarking at the Allen-Medical Campus station. UB’s new building, the state-of-the-art Jacobs School of Medicine, provides employees, students, and neighbors a new experience as they enter the Medical Campus. Transit riders come up the escalator into a gleaming new station, complete with bright public art and digital wayfinding. The Medical School, Buffalo’s signature transit-oriented development, allows passage through to the Medical School today, and will soon help connect employees and patients to many of the buildings across the BNMC.  In addition, the Washington Street side of the transit station has reopened, providing easy access into the heart of the BNMC.
Learn more about our healthier, sustainable and more affordable transportation options at GoBNMC.org.

 

Give Transit a Try For Free!

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Employees, Environment, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, Member Institution(s), Outreach, Transportation, Wellness

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is offering employees who work on the Medical Campus the chance to try transit for free, either using the bus or train to get to work during the month of November, December, or January. With two train stations and multiple bus routes directly serving the Medical Campus, transit is a great way to get to work.

If you are interested in giving transit a try, please fill out this short survey. Eligible participants must work on the Medical Campus and not use public transportation as their primary commute mode. They must also put their parking pass on hold for the month in which they choose to try transit. Passes may be picked up at the front desk of the Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street between 8 am to 8 pm.

Already a GoBNMC member? We want to thank you for being awesome! Starting in November, we’ll be raffling off four $50 gift certificates every month until January to local businesses in our surrounding community. Register now for a chance to win!

If you are new to public transit, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.The NFTA’s website is useful for schedule information.

BNMC Partners with Lyft

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Employees, Environment, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, Innovation, News, Outreach, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation

The BNMC is pleased to announce our partnership with Lyft to provide mobility solutions for employees who work on the Medical Campus, including services such as our guaranteed ride home program for employees using alternative transportation. Haven’t used Lyft before? Try it for free with promo code BNMC2017.
The code is only valid for new users and is worth one free ride, up to $10. The coupon will expire 21 days after it’s added to a Lyft account.

While we’re on promo codes, the Reddy Bike fleet will be downsizing for the winter in the next couple of weeks, so if you haven’t had a chance to sign up for your annual pass, there’s still time! Use promo code GOBNMC2017 for a free membership.

Takeaways from CleanMed Conference

by BNMCin BNMC Team, Conference, Employees, Environment, Healthy Communities, Sustainability, Wellness

Ever wonder what your doctor eats for lunch? If they were one of the 800 professionals attending the CleanMed conference in Minneapolis this year, they probably ate a locally grown organic vegan meal using biodegradable plates and utensils – without thinking twice about missing out on meat and potatoes.
This year two members of the BNMC team, Jonathan McNeice and Beth Machnica, attended the CleanMed conference to advance their efforts in the BNMC Farm To Hospital Initiative. With 1.5 million patients and visitors annually at the Medial Campus each year, and even more coming with the opening of the UB Medical School and Oshei Children’s Hospital, having healthy food options on campus is a must. But CleanMed is about more than healthy food.

If you think about it, large institutions such as hospitals in many communities are the largest provider of healthcare, purchaser of goods, and employer of the local workforce. They also are typically the largest user of chemicals. As Gary Cohen, Co-Founder and President of Healthcare Without Harm stated at the conference, “Healthcare is decreasing its impact on people by making them more sick through the environment.  If we embed environmental health into social strategy and healthcare we wouldn’t have disease tribes around the country – learning disability societies, cancer societies, diabetes societies, or constantly talking about ‘the cure,’ instead we’d be talking about prevention. “

With such power to impact the surrounding communities and environment, hospitals are critical players in taking the lead on healing people instead of polluting people. At one of the seminars the BNMC team attended, the speaker referred to “frogs on Prozac” in reference to medications going into the water system since clinical staff were trained to dispose of expired meds that way in the past. It represents the structural issues present in our current system, and is an example of the types of things that need to change. With the United States spending the greatest portion of its money on healthcare, and having the worst health outcomes of the top 50 industrialized countries in the world, we’re not very efficient when it comes to health.

The BNMC team is working on a series of sustainability initiatives on the medical campus – piloting a composting program in the Innovation Center, working on a Farm to Hospital Initiative with Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Kaleida, implementing a Community Supported Agriculture Program with Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and a Farm-to-Work program at the Innovation Center. Stay tuned for additional updates on the blog!

~The 2017 Clean Med conference was the fourteenth convening held in the United States, and the eighteenth held globally. It is an annual conference put on by the nonprofits HealthCare Without Harm and Practice GreenHealth and has an international reputation for being the premier conference on environmental sustainability in the healthcare sector.~

 

Editorial: Forward-looking Medical Campus is working on parking crunch

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Environment, GO BNMC, Infrastructure, Innovation, Transportation

Editorial: Forward-looking Medical Campus is working on parking crunch

By News Editorial Board

The Buffalo News

Credit is due to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for encouraging employees to use greener and healthier means of getting to and from work by taking advantage of public transportation and pedal power.

It is a good strategy for easing the parking crunch that will only get worse with thousands more workers about to join the workforce. And it will help those employees and medical school students develop lifelong habits that will benefit themselves and the environment.

The grounds of the Medical Campus have been bustling. Gates Vascular Institute and the University at Buffalo’s Clinical and Translational Research Center opened in 2012. Conventus Medical Office Building and Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Clinical Sciences Center opened within the past year.

The John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are scheduled to open by the end of the year.

There will be an astounding number of people in a relatively small space. It would be virtually impossible to create the parking infrastructure that would be needed if everyone drives to work.

Instead, the BNMC is taking a proactive wp-contentroach in getting its expected 15,000 employees to work each day. The nonprofit umbrella organization coordinates transportation and other neighborhood initiatives on the 120-acre Medical Campus.

Officials recently hired a new program manager, Thea Hassan, to work on neighborhood transportation initiatives. Hassan is trying to get folks out into the sunshine and fresh air by persuading them to bicycle to work.

For those concerned about which route to take or  who want to brush up on the rules of the road, Hassan is creating the Bike Sherpa. It’s an ingenious buddy system designed to ease the nervousness beginners might feel about a bicycle commute.

GoBike Buffalo and Reddy Bikeshare have been an integral part of the effort to replace pushing the gas pedal with pushing the bike pedals. Reddy Bikeshare had more than a half-dozen rental bikes on campus last year. This year a second station on the Medical Campus is being added, bringing the total to 200 bikes at 35 stations throughout the city. The bikes rent by the hour or through a yearly $55 membership. There will be a free trial membership to encourage employees to bike to work.

The Bike Sherpa service would be available once every few weeks for a limited time and is free and open to Medical Campus employees.

The nonprofit will also work to make it easier for commuters who want to use Metro Rail. The newly renovated Allen-Medical Campus Station is inside UB’s new medical school building, making it very convenient for workers, students and visitors. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is providing even more incentive to take public transportation with a six-month trial of a corporate discount program that could cut the cost of a $75 monthly pass to as low as $38.50 for some bus and rail commuters.

Parking crunches are signs of the growing importance of the Medical Campus. Plans to ease them show forward thinking.

Medical Campus explores shuttle to connect commuters to Metro Rail

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Environment, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, News, Sustainability, Transportation

Medical Campus explores shuttle to connect commuters to Metro Rail

By Karen Robinson
The Buffalo News

Catching that train to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus may soon have a silver lining, depending on where you live.

Those who commute to the Medical Campus and are looking to hop the Metro Rail, but live a good distance from it, may get some help to get to the train and back home so they don’t have to drive and search for parking.

The non-profit organization that coordinates transportation and other neighborhood initiatives on the Medical Campus is looking for ways to help smooth the way for would-be train commuters who don’t live close to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s Metro line.

“We’re trying to see if we can implement a shuttle service, bike share or van pool,” said Thea Hassan, BNMC’s newly hired transportation program manager. “It’s being considered.”

It all ties into the organization’s goal to encourage people working and studying on campus – and living near it – to choose healthier options and to help minimize parking crunches on the campus and neighborhood streets.

[Related: Medical Campus hires transportation program manager]

“Our goal is a new way of thinking. Instead of expanding the supply, we’re trying to reduce the demand,” Hassan said of BNMC’s transportation initiatives. “We’re trying to tackle from bottom up, top down, and all of our sides.”

Hassan has dubbed the shuttle idea “First mile, last mile.” The big focus is to help people who live a mile or so away from the Metro line. “How do we get them there and back home?” she said.

No decision has been made, but the organization is working on helping to make it easier for commuters to use the Metro Rail to get to the newly renovated Allen Street Medical Station, which is located inside the University at Buffalo’s new medical school building under construction at Allen and Main streets.

Active Living by Design

by BNMCin Environment, Healthy Communities, podcast

Active Living by Design/Episode 23/ Released March 28, 2017

Matt and Joanne Lee, Collaborative Learning Director for Active Living by Design, talk about keeping your feet on the ground while working on a national scale; local elected officials setting the tone to transform communities; social media lifting community voices; and the importance of carving out time to learn.

This podcast is available through iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher Radio.

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) named a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Business by the League of American Bicyclists

by BNMCin Biking, Community, Environment, Healthy Communities, Homepage, News, Transportation4 Comments on Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) named a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Business by the League of American Bicyclists 
GO BNMC Program has championed biking and other alternative transportation options for over a decade

Buffalo, N.Y., February 18, 2016 – The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) with a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business (BFBSM) award, joining more than 1,100 visionary businesses from across the country.  The City of Buffalo is recognized as one of only three bicycle-friendly communities in New York State by the League of American Bicyclists and the BNMC is the only organization to be honored with a Gold designation in Western New York.

With the announcement of 73 new and renewing BFBs today, the BNMC joins a cutting-edge group of 1,132 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies in 49 states and Washington, D.C. that are transforming the American workplace.

“The business community’s investment in bicycling is playing a central role in making the country a safer, hwp-contentier, and more sustainable place to live and work,” said Amelia Neptune, League Bicycle Friendly Business Program Manager. “We wp-contentlaud this new round of businesses, including the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, for leading the charge in creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone.”

The BNMC has been an active advocate for alternative transportation options including biking through its GO BNMC program. The non-profit organization, in partnership with GObike Buffalo, has worked for over a decade on increasing active living opportunities throughout the City of Buffalo, promoting biking to work, and ensuring infrastructure on the Campus and within the surrounding neighborhoods supports and promotes alternative transportation options. In addition to carpooling, transit and walking, the BNMC encourages bicycling as an easy option for transportation to and from the dense urban campus to promote active living, ease parking congestion and improve the environment by lessening pollution from motor vehicles.

The BNMC provides amenities such as ten dry, secure bike storage options throughout the Medical Campus, and incentives such as the Secure Bike Parking Bundle that includes access to a dedicated Bike Storage facility, the Guaranteed Ride Home program, and a GObike membership.  Buffalo BikeShare is also available on the Medical Campus as an amenity for employees and visitors who may want access to a bike for short-term use. Moving forward, the BNMC will have access to a variety of tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly.

William Smith, Director of Access and Planning for the BNMC commented, “We are thrilled to join our partner, GObike Buffalo as a Bicycle Friendly Business in Buffalo. Over the past decade, our efforts to promote biking and build necessary infrastructure on Campus has resulted in a strong biking culture among employees. When our employees and visitors bike, great things hwp-contenten including a decreased carbon footprint, reduced health care costs, and an active and healthy work culture.  We are proud to set an example for our community on the benefits of biking, alternative transportation, and the benefits of active, healthy living.“

To wp-contently or learn more about the BFB program, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/business.  To learn more about GO BNMC, visit www.gobnmc-old.local.

About the Bicycle Friendly AmericaSM Program

The Bicycle Friendly CommunitySM, Bicycle Friendly StateSM, Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly UniversitySM programs are generously supported by program partner Trek Bicycle Corp and Silver-level BFA Sponsor Planet Bike. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA.

The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC)

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

 

 

Walking on Wednesdays is Back!

by BNMCin Allentown, Attractions, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Environment, Event, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Networking5 Comments on Walking on Wednesdays is Back!
Walk during your lunch hour with your co-workers! Walking on Wednesdays (W.O.W.) , a great mid-day break walk, will get you back to work refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon.

Join us at the RPCI Kaminski Park every Wednesday on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Walks are wp-contentroximately 1.5 miles. All walks begin at 12:10 p.m. and end at 12:40 p.m. Be sure to dress for the weather as walks take place whether it rains or shines, except if there is lightning.

Stop by the RPCI Farmer’s Market beginning June1 every Wednesday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. before or after each walk to get some fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, baked goods and more.

For your comfort and safety, please remember:

  • Wear proper, comfortable footwear
  • Watch for eye-level bushes and trees
  • Watch for broken concrete, potholes and uneven surfaces
  • Obey all traffic signs and signals
  • Alert walk leaders and other walkers of unsafe conditions
  • Walk leaders have cell phones and should be notified of any incidents so they can summon help if necessary
  • Sun protection: sun block, (should be wp-contentlied a half hour before exposure) sunglasses, wide-brimmed hat
  • Adequate hydration before, after and during the walk.
  • Have fun!

BNMC-0240 WOW poster update v2-page-001

Mayor to Announce Launch of Bicycle Master Plan at Bike to Work Day Breakfast on the BNMC

by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Environment, GO BNMC, Homepage, News, Sustainability, Transportation1 Comment on Mayor to Announce Launch of Bicycle Master Plan at Bike to Work Day Breakfast on the BNMC

Contact:Justin Booth
Executive Director, GObike Buffalo
(716) 220-1454
justin@gobikebuffalo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 Mayor to Announce Launch of Bicycle Master Plan at Bike to Work Day Breakfast on the BNMC

[Buffalo, NY] – On Friday, May 16th at 8:30am Mayor Byron Brown will join GObike Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) at a Bike to Work Day breakfast (927 Washington St) to announce the launch of the city’s development of a Bicycle Master Plan. The Bicycle Master Plan will be a document that will outline a network of bicycle lanes and paths prioritized for investment through community buy-in which will detail Buffalo’s commitment to becoming a premier bicycle friendly city.

In the past, Mayor Brown committed to adding 10 miles of bike lanes a year; a commitment he has honored to its fullest and continues to do so with complete street projects this year including Pearl Street, Niagara Street and Ohio Street among others. When asked why he endorses the Bicycle Master Plan, the mayor commented that, “Making bicycling and walking an integral part of life in Buffalo will not only benefit the city both financially and environmentally but will improve the health of our citizens.”

Businesses will also be pleased with the announcement that more bicycle racks will be available free of charge through the Mayor’s bicycle rack request form. The process is simple and business owners need only to place the request with the city by calling 311 or completing the form, which can be found here: http://www.city-buffalo.com/wp-contentlications/bikestandreq/default.aspx

Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo stated, “Thanks to the city’s consistent efforts, Buffalo has been awarded a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly City by the League of American Cyclists. This accolade demonstrates the success of Mayor Brown’s commitment of becoming a bicycle friendly city encouraging improved safety and accessibility of bicycling in Buffalo with the goal of being awarded Platinumin the future. The development and implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan will further lead the city toward this goal.”

The Bike to Work Day breakfast will be held at 927 Washington St., the future location of the GO Zone, a new project of the BNMC, Inc. The development of a robust multi-modal transportation and parking system is critically important on the growing, dense, urban Medical Campus. As one of the fastest growing employment centers in WNY and with a projected employee base of 17,000 by 2017, there is a need to ensure ample parking for patients and visitors, while creating sustainable and efficient access and mobility options for employees, partners and neighbors. The latest development is the GO Zone, a transportation resource center and bicycle commuter hub that will be managed by GObike.

“We are proud to have worked with Go Bike Buffalo for a number of years to support their work in improving infrastructure to make our campus and surrounding neighborhoods more bicycle and pedestrian friendly,” said Matthew K. Enstice, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Working with strong community partners like GoBike, Buffalo CarShare, the City and GBNRTC as well as the FTA, NYSERDA and the NYS Department of Transportation, we are creating increased opportunities for alternative transportation on and around the Medical Campus, improving access to job opportunities, and building a healthier community.”

The Bike to Work breakfast was the culmination of the city’s first Bike to Work week challenge, hosted by GObike Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., for employees and residents on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, downtown, the Fruit Belt, Allentown, and Linwood neighborhoods; and Larkinville. Sponsorship was provided by Campus Wheelworks and Mobile Pharmacy Solutions.

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More about GObike Buffalo

Through advocacy efforts, infrastructure improvements and community programs, GObike Buffalo strives to make positive impacts on our environment, community, health and economy by making Buffalo a great place for bicycling. Visit us on the web at GObikeBuffalo.org.

More about Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is a consortium of the region’s premier health care, life sciences research, and medical education institutions, all located on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo, New York. The BNMC is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship. BNMC member institutions are the University at Buffalo, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Olmsted

Center for Sight, Upstate New York Transplant Services, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community.  bnmc-old.local

More about the GO Zone

The GO Zone, located directly behind the NFTA Allen/Medical Campus Metro Rail Station on Washington Street, is an under-construction adaptive reuse project that will transform a vacant historic building into an alternative transportation hub.  Funded through a cost-sharing agreement with NYSERDA and the FTA, the Go Zone will include an indoor bicycle parking center, a community bike workshop operated by GObike Buffalo, and a transportation resource center where employees and residents can come to learn more about the transportation services and programs available to them.  The GO Zone will also be a major Buffalo CarShare and BikeShare hub.  Phase 1 of the GO ZONE will open this summer.

GO BNMC Bike to Work Challenges

by BNMCin Allentown, Biking, Community, Employees, Environment, Event, Fruit Belt, GO BNMC, Homepage, Sustainability, Transportation5 Comments on GO BNMC Bike to Work Challenges

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and GObike Buffalo invite you to join the growing number of employees who are going green by riding their bikes to work. Between Monday, May 12th and Friday May 16th, we will host the City’s first annual Bike to Work Challenges!
Whether you’re a seasoned bicyclist or just interested in trying it out, now is the perfect time to hop on your bike, get some fresh air, and join your colleagues in a celebration of all things bicycle!

 To register and for more info: visit gobnmc-old.local

We have two fun and commitment-free challenges you can participate in for the chance to win some awesome prizes:

Bike to Work Week Challenge: If you bike to work 3 or more days between Monday, May 12th and Friday, May 16th, you’ll be entered in to a raffle for a chance to win a grand prize.

Bike to Work Day Challenge: Not ready yet to bike 3 days? That’s okay! If you bike to work the morning of Friday, May 16th, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a separate grand prize.

If you are participating in both Challenges, you’ll be entered in to both Grand Prize Raffles.

There will also be several smaller raffle prizes for Challenge participants. You just need to check-in at the GO Zone @ 927 Washington Street (corner of Carlton and Washington Streets) every morning you bike to work that week, so we know you’re participating! Check-in will only take a few seconds because our staff will be waiting for you!

Schedule of Events

Monday, May 12th – Friday, May 16
Bike to Work Week Challenge

  • Ride your bike to work at least 3 days during Bike Week and you’ll be entered into a Grand Prize Raffle. Participants must check-in at the GO Zone each morning they bike to work.
  • Check-in time is between 6:30 AM and 10:30 AM.

 

Friday, May 16th
Bike to Work Day Challenge

  • Ride your bike to work Friday morning and you’ll be entered into a separate Grand Prize Raffle. Participants must check-in at the GO Zone each morning they bike to work.
  • Check-in time is between 6:30 AM and 10:30 AM.

GO BNMC Bicycle Breakfast

  • Join us for a free bicycle breakfast the morning of Bike to Work Day. The event will feature free food and drinks and will be a great opportunity to meet fellow cyclists.
  • Location: The GO Zone @ 927 Washington St.
  • Time: 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM with a press event at 8:30 AM

Bicycle Commuting 101 Workshops

GObike will be holding three Q&A sessions and quick commuting workshops to help you prepare for the challenges.

Workshop 1

  • When: Tuesday, May 6th 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Where: The Innovation Center, 640 Ellicott St, First Floor Lobby

Workshop 2

  • When: Thursday, May 8th 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Where: Buffalo General Hospital, by the Tim Horton’s Coffee Shop (First Floor)

Workshop 3

  • When: Friday, May 9th 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Where: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Sunflower Café, Conference Rooms B & C