Planning for Growth

March 9, 2017 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Construction, Development, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, Member Institution(s), Parking, Transportation, Wellness

Planning for Growth

With over $750 million of investment, three cranes in the air and 700 construction workers on the Medical Campus this past year, our growth is undeniable as we continue to build the New Buffalo! We’re celebrating these developments to our great city and are looking forward to future advancements in the years ahead.

We’ve been planning and coordinating with our member institutions for many years to accommodate the influx of patients, visitors, employees and students on our transportation system and infrastructure. As the Campus grows, our Transportation Management Association (TMA), a collaboration of the BNMC, our member institutions, and regional transportation-related entities, continually monitors, plans for, and manages parking and transportation options.

We adhere to smart growth principles as we seek to build a dense, walkable urban environment that is attractive to local employers and companies outside the region looking for a wonderful place to relocate and grow. We work with a number of stakeholders to develop better options for the people who work on this Campus, as well as patients, students, and visitors, and our overall community and region.

Here’s a brief overview of our recent transportation planning efforts:

We continue to enhance options for people traveling to the Medical Campus, through the NFTA Metro rail and bus, carpooling, ride-matching, pedestrian & bicycle infrastructure and communicate these options as a part of GoBNMC, our campus-wide initiative to create a more sustainable and active transportation system for employees.

We are increasing our on-Campus parking supply with a new garage located at 854 Ellicott St., which will double the number of parking spaces at that location and provide a connector bridge to Children’s Hospital. We are also adding nearby surface lots to our system.

Through GO Buffalo Niagara, a region-wide community outreach program, we continue to identify and address transportation and mobility issues in surrounding neighborhoods and to share job and transportation information with residents.
We’re working together with the city and state to implement multi-modal streetscape enhancements that improve Campus access, promote health and safety, and support our overall placemaking efforts.

Planning for parking and transportation has been a critical component of our work for our 15 year history. Learn more about transportation and parking plans for the Medical Campus on our website.

BNMC Launches New GO BNMC Website

January 24, 2017 by BNMCin Employees, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, Member Institution(s), Parking, Sustainability, Transportation, Wellness

Get Going in 2017 with GO BNMC

With 2017 upon us, the BNMC is rolling out several exciting tools with employees in mind. The front of these changes is a new GO BNMC website where employees who work on the Medical Campus can learn more about our program that encourages smart and healthy commuting options; get introduced to the carshare and rideshare options and discounts available; and sign up for your parking pass with ease. Let’s celebrate a healthy lifestyle this year, starting with taking a deeper dive into all that the GO BNMC program has to offer!

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. Launches “Try Transit” Program to Promote Bus and Rail Service to Employees

March 28, 2016 by BNMCin GO BNMC, Homepage, News, Outreach, Transportation5 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kari Bonaro
202-904-7034/ kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. Launches “Try Transit” Program to Promote Bus and Rail Service to Employees

Free NFTA-Metro Passes for April for Employees New to Transit

Buffalo, N.Y., March 28, 2016 – In an effort to promote alternative transportation options on its expanding campus and to familiarize employees with the benefits of transit, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is launching a month-long “Try Transit” campaign aimed at employees through its GO BNMC program. The centerpiece of “Try Transit” is a free NFTA-Metro pass for Medical Campus employees who are new to transit that can be used for unlimited bus and rail trips throughout April.

The aim of “Try Transit” is to introduce bus and rail service to employees who may not be familiar with the service and to provide an opportunity for trial to determine if it can work for them. The program will be launched at a “Try Transit” information session on March 30th at noon in Learn at the Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street. Interested employees who are new to transit can request a pass by emailing gobnmc-old.local or by calling 716-218-7162. Supplies are limited and will be available on a first-come basis.

According to William Smith, Director of Access and Safety for the BNMC, “Rail or bus service may be a great option for many people working on the Medical Campus, so we are making it easy for employees to give it a try with the free pass. We hope employees recognize the many benefits of transit including a lower environmental impact, the ability to let someone else drive, and in avoiding the challenges of parking. As the Medical Campus continues to grow, we know that reducing the number of single driver cars is critical, so we hope that this program will introduce a new option for employees.”

Through its GO BNMC program, the BNMC has been an active advocate for alternative transportation options including transit, carpooling, biking and walking. The non-profit has also worked to ensure that infrastructure on the Campus and within the surrounding neighborhoods supports and promotes alternative transportation options.

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.

City Officials Announce Tentative Agreement re: Long-Term Lease of Ellicott Goodrich Garage

October 13, 2015 by BNMCin Community, Employees, GO BNMC, Parking, Transportation5 Comments

Mayor Brown and Council President Pridgen have announced a tentative agreement between the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for a long-term lease of the Ellicott Goodrich Garage which, if passed, would allow the BNMC to build a new parking garage on that site which is adjacent to the Buffalo General Medical Center, Gates Vascular Institute/CTRC, and the Oishei Children’s Hospital and Jacobs School of Medicine (both currently under construction). This would add parking for patients, visitors, and employees to the current transportation system.

Where will the displaced parkers be temporarily located during demo/construction?

Parking occupancy overall the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is currently at 70 percent, meaning we have ample additional parking to accommodate those who currently park at the Ellicott Goodrich Garage (EGG) in other locations. We have space in the Michigan Goodrich Garage (MiGo) to temporarily accommodate the parking needs of patients and visitors who are currently parking in the EGG. The MiGo is located on the northwest corner of Michigan Avenue and High Street, directly adjacent to the Buffalo General Medical Center (BGMC) and the Gates Vascular Institute (GVI), and provides relatively easy access via walking or shuttle to and from the hospital facilities.

The BNMC Transportation and Parking Project Management Group (including staff from the BNMC, Kaleida Health, UB, and Roswell Park) have been working diligently on a strategy to ensure that that all patients and visitors can easily be relocated to the MiGo, as the garage was built with this additional capacity during reconstruction in mind. Kaleida and BNMC will also operate a complimentary and wheel-chair accessible shuttle service to safely and efficiently move patients and visitors between the MiGo and BGMC/GVI main entrances. Valet services will also be enhanced at both the GVI and BGMC entrances to accommodate an anticipated increase in valet traffic.

No existing MiGo parkers will be displaced from the garage, although employees will be asked not to park on those levels reserved for patients and visitors.

How are you mitigating additional employees parking in the neighborhoods during this time?

We do not expect any of the temporarily displaced parkers from the EGG to park in the Fruit Belt and/or Allentown neighborhoods. The vast majority of people who park in the EGG are patients and visitors of BGMC and GVI. We will continue to direct them to first-class valet services at the main hospital entrances as well as parking and shuttle options in the MiGo. In addition, the relatively low number of employee permit holders who currently park in the EGG will also be given access to the MiGo.

The BNMC continues to work to mitigate the impact of employee parking in the Fruit Belt. The BNMC and our partners are also in the midst of a Parking Study funded by the NYS Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) and NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to help inform legislation and develop a model residential parking program in the Fruit Belt neighborhood. We are currently in the data collection phase of the Parking Study, working with Fruit Belt residents, institutional partners, and local elected officials to assess current employee parking behaviors and surveying residents to determine their unique parking challenges and needs. The BNMC staff hosted several events and went door-to-door to survey residents, churches and business owners; we expect to have results to share by November 2015.

How will this new garage fit into the BNMC’s overall parking strategy?

This new garage provides a dramatic increase in convenient parking and improved customer service for the growing number of patients, visitors, and employees on the Medical Campus, in particular within the Buffalo General Medical Center, Gates Vascular Institute, the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. As a quickly growing Medical Campus in a dense and urban area, there is a critical need to ensure ample parking for patients and visitors while at the same time ensuring safe, efficient and sustainable transportation access for employees, students and neighborhood residents alike.

What is the timing for garage construction?

Demolition of the current EGG and construction of the new garage is expected to take 18-21 months depending on start date. The parking facility is expected to be partially occupied in May 2017 and fully constructed by November 2017. The contract will include MWBE construction goals.

How many spaces will this add to the BNMC parking system, and is it enough to accommodate the expected growth in the number of employees?

The EGG will expand from its current 892 parking spaces to just over 1,800 spaces. We are also in the process of acquiring additional off-Campus parking which will provide a modest increase to our overall parking inventory. It is the BNMC’s mission to work with our partners to develop a wide array of parking and transportation options to accommodate nearly all commuting needs for the entire BNMC population.

Currently, BNMC, with the assistance of its Transportation Project Management Group, has been exploring a number of nearby satellite parking options, including those on the NFTA Metro Rail line to the north and south.

In addition, we continue to work with our regional partners to manage and grow the GO BNMC commuter toolkit, an innovative program designed to provide employees with better access to healthier, greener and affordable transportation options.

Has GO BNMC been successful?

Yes, over the past three years we have developed several programs that have successfully encouraged drive-alone commuters to consider changing over to alternative modes of transportation (e.g. transit, carpool, biking, and walking). This includes incentive programs, educating employees about their options, and providing infrastructure improvements for safer and more efficient travel modes. Since launching GO BNMC, we have seen a 4% reduction in the number of employees driving alone to the Medical Campus. Moving forward, we are also seeing an increase in housing options in the downtown area, in the surrounding neighborhoods, and along the Metro Rail line. BNMC and partners are also working to create programs to encourage employees to live in these areas, which provide greater access to these alternative commuting modes and, in turn, dampen our on-campus parking demands.

BNMC Fit

July 14, 2015 by BNMCin Employees, Event, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Wellness4 Comments

This year’s BNMC Fit event will feature health enhancing activities, raffle prizes and giveaways.
Don’t miss this fun event on Thursday, August 20, 2015. All BNMC employees and neighboring community members are encouraged to attend.

The purpose of the BNMC Fit event is to motivate, inform, and empower employees by offering knowledge and support of eating healthy, active living, and making small steps towards success in building a healthy future. The event will feature displays and demonstrations related to fun and active exercise options as well as demonstrations related to bike and pedestrian safety and education and transportation demos.

The event is scheduled to between the hours of 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with an intended audience of 1000 employees from our nine member institutions.

BNMC Statement in Support of Parking Permit Legislation for Fruit Belt Residents

June 23, 2015 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Fruit Belt, GO BNMC7 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2015

BNMC Statement in Support of Parking Permit Legislation for Fruit Belt Residents

The BNMC, the not-for-profit organization formed to address shared issues among institutions on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and our adjacent neighborhoods, strongly supports legislation proposed by State Senator Tim Kennedy and Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes and supported by Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen, that would ensure that Fruit Belt residents have access to parking in their neighborhood through a new parking permit system designed specifically for the Fruit Belt.

We are very cognizant of the fact that as the Medical Campus grows, the need for an adequate parking and transportation system for local residents, employees, patients, and visitors will continue to grow as well. We have been working diligently with a number of local stakeholders including our neighbors, the Medical Campus institutions, the NFTA, Department of Transportation and the City of Buffalo to develop overall strategies and programs to address parking and transportation needs, including providing various parking options, enhancing and creating new alternative modes of transportation, and programs aimed at incentivizing use of carpooling, public transit, biking, and walking.

The BNMC, working closely with nearby residents and local elected officials, has secured funding from NYSERDA/NYSDOT to facilitate the planning and implementation of a residential parking benefits district that will effectively manage the on-street parking supply and demand as well as improve the access, mobility and quality of life of Fruit Belt residents.

For the Medical Campus to be successful, we must consider the needs of our adjacent neighborhoods as well as the needs of the employees, patients, and visitors. We believe this legislation will help to ease the current situation that often leaves local residents with few options for parking near their homes. We wp-contentlaud the work of Senator Kennedy and Assemblymember Peoples-Stokes and the rest of the Western New York delegation, as well as Councilmember Pridgen, and urge the New York State Legislature to pass this legislation.

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Allen Medical Campus Metro Rail Station Temporary Closure

April 9, 2015 by BNMCin Allentown, Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Construction, Employees, GO BNMC, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Parking, Transportation5 Comments

Beginning on Monday, April 20, 2015 the Allen Medical Campus Metro Rail Station will be temporarily closed. The station is expected to be closed for wp-contentroximately 3-4 weeks. Between these dates, there will be no passenger access to the Allen Medical Campus Rail Station. The closing is a result of ongoing construction taking place at the Allen Medical Campus Metro Rail Station, as the University at Buffalo continues to build its new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences facility, which will be built over the existing rail station.
During the temporary closure, there will be free, daily Metro Bus Shuttle service (see schedule) available to avoid disruption of service to Metro Rail customers. Shuttle intervals will coincide with the daily rail schedule at 10- minute intervals during peak periods. Shuttle buses are ADA accessible for individuals with mobility devices.

Here are some tips to help make your commutes stress free:

On your way to work get off the Metro Rail at the Summer-Best station.
Make sure to have your rail card with you for access to shuttle busses.
Take the shuttle bus to the Summer-Best station.
Take the Metro Rail to your final destination.

For your safety, NFTA officers will be amping up surveillance along the temporary Metro Bus Shuttle route. Specific attention will be paid at and near all shuttle route stops.

Questions? NFTA Metro staff will be present at rail stations during peak hours between

April 14 – 17 to help answer any questions you may have. Also, for more information, you may call the NFTA at 855-7211.

Looking for a healthier, greener and more affordable ways to get to work? Checkout out GOBNMC.

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

May 16, 2014 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Environment, GO BNMC, Homepage, News, Sustainability, Transportation4 Comments

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 16^th 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

May 7, 2014 by BNMCin Allentown, Biking, Community, Employees, Environment, Event, Fruit Belt, GO BNMC, Homepage, Sustainability, Transportation5 Comments

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

BNMC, Inc. Awarded $1 Million from NYSERDA to Develop Green Commons

December 18, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Energy, Environment, GO BNMC, Homepage, Model Energy Home, Sustainability, Transportation4 Comments

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) in partnership with National Grid, was recently awarded $1 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop the BNMC Green Commons. The Green Commons, located at 927 -937 Washington Street, will involve the adaptive reuse of three historic buildings located adjacent to the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA Metro Rail Station and the site of the soon to be constructed University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The buildings will showcase sustainable best practices in land use, energy, and transportation.
“The Green Commons is a manifestation of the programs and partnerships that BNMC has been developing over the past few years around alternative transportation and energy,” said Bill Smith, director of campus access for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Thanks to this generous award from NYSERDA, we will be able to create a unique, highly accessible, and sustainable complex of facilities that provide a number of important services for the campus and community.”

The design and construction of the Commons will follow low-impact development principles, including energy efficiencies, utilizing renewable energy sources, and featuring on-site storm water management.

A major component of the project involves the creation of an Integrated Mobility Hub (“the Hub”) where employees and residents can access and learn about an array of alternative transportation services in a centralized and highly accessible location. The Hub will be home to a large indoor bike parking facility and community bike workshop operated by GObike Buffalo; Buffalo CarShare vehicles and Buffalo BikeShare bicycles; as well as an outreach and education center for the GO Buffalo transportation initiative.

Another large component of the BNMC Green Commons will be Smart Home Buffalo, an initiative of energizeBNMC, a Medical Campus-wide partnership with National Grid, to create a model energy home that demonstrates how to make energy improvements to existing buildings practical and tangible. Visitors will learn about energy creation and delivery, consumption, conservation and what is in store for the future of energy.

“We’ve worked very hard to develop an integrated and innovative energy strategy for the BNMC, and this grant will help all the partners move that strategy along,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, regional executive for National Grid. “National Grid and the BNMC want to take what is learned and implemented on the campus and make it available more broadly. The Green Commons will help the campus meet its long-term energy goals, and will also serve as an education tool and model for the larger community.”

The project will also involve additional commercial and gathering space that will serve both the Campus and surrounding communities.

In addition, the BNMC, Inc. recently wrwp-contented up a mutli-year project with NYSERDA to help promote the use of alternative transportation modes to employees on the Campus. Through cost-shared research agreements from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), and two separate grants from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Job Access-Reverse Commute (JARC) program over the past two years, the BNMC has been able to advance alternative transportation efforts on the l Campus and surrounding neighborhoods. Read the final report.

Bigger Steps towards a Smaller Footprint

July 16, 2013 by BNMCin Biking, Construction, Environment, GO BNMC, Homepage

Summer on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus has been full of projects that are geared towards decreasing the campus’ ecological footprint. New incentives for alternate forms of transportation, particularly by bicycle, have been installed at the south end of the BNMC and along Ellicott Street. We are close to the completion of a secure bike storage unit and are currently beta testing Buffalo Bike Share. These amenities were designed to motivate our employees to contribute to our GO BNMC initiative by using a more environmentally friendly mode of commuting to work.
There are also new improvements coming for those arriving on our campus by car. The ongoing construction on Ellicott Street will soon replace the one-way street with a newly paved two-way traffic street and a sidewalk park, filled with gardens, trees, benches, bike racks, and electric vehicle charging stations. This construction will continue through the summer and conclude with the street going two-ways at the end of the year.

The bioswale at the south end of 589 Ellicott has been completed and is now a fully working bioretention facility that helps filter contaminants that would otherwise enter the Great Lakes System. It also lessens the pressures put on the Buffalo sewer system, while simultaneously growing a beautiful garden on our campus.

We are excited about the green improvements around our campus and look forward to updating their progress and announcing their completion soon!

GO BNMC Bicycle Commuter Breakfast Success In Part Due to Donors

May 17, 2013 by BNMCin GO BNMC, Transportation6 Comments

The GO BNMC Bicycle Commuter Breakfast that kicked off National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17th was successful in part due to the donations by the sponsors below:
Bagel Jay’s (located at 2130 Delaware Avenue) offers delicious deli favorites including fresh-baked bagels, signature tuna fish, and homemade cream cheese shmears, mouth-watering bagels, dark roasted coffees, deli sandwiches, soups, salads, and more.

Paula’s Donuts (located at 380 Kenmore Avenue and 8560 Main Stret) is a family owned and operated business. Hand cut donuts are baked fresh daily on the premises, the old fashioned way. Paula’s has over 30 varieties of donuts as well as pastries, muffins, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, carrot cake, coffee, cwp-contentuccino, tea, hot chocolate and cold beverages.

Coffee Culture (located at 448 Elmwood Avenue & 50 Fountain Plaza, Suite 115) offers high quality whole roasted coffee beans that are blended and roasted to our specifications to ensure each freshly brewed cup of coffee, espresso, latte and cwp-contentuccino is deliciously satisfying.

Mazurek’s Bakery (located at 543 S Park Avenue) is the neighborhood bakery, established in 1933, offering fresh breads, pastries, cookies, cakes and desserts from our brick oven.

Tops Friendly Markets is a local grocery chain store that has grown since its establishment in the early 1920s. Located within every Buffalo neighborhood and throughout the region, Tops provides fresh produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, a carry-out cafe, deli and pharmacy services.

Coverage about the event:

Peddling to a healthier lifestyle on ‘National Bike to Work Day’