Buffalo to Erie

[David W Pratt]

Has any one done the Underground Railroad route in this area?  It looks like the south shore of L Erie would be fun, I'm wondering about getting out of Buffalo.  I plan to start from either Buffalo Airport, or Niagara Falls Airport.  The latter looks a little nicer.  The grand plan is to link up with the Pittsburgh spur of the UGRR, then GAP and C&O, and train back to Vermont.
Thanks in advance

[canalligators]

Getting away fro the Buffalo airport is challening but doable for a skilled cyclist.  See the bike map:
https://www.gbnrtc.org/maps

It is a nicer ride starting at the Niagara Falls airport.  Find your way to the river-canal junction in Tonawanda, then take the Riverwalk trail to downtown Buffalo.  Leave half a day to visit the Naval & Servicemens Park.  Then follow NY Bike 517 south, to connect with either the UGRR or Northern Tier, or just take 517, to Erie PA.

I have ridden both NY 5 and NY 20 along the lake shore.  5 has occasional views of the lake and is more pleasant, but both are OK routes.  Neither has stunning scenery, after three times on 5 and once on 20, I'm bored with them.

[David W Pratt]

Thanks.  I'm definitely leaning towards Niagara Falls Airport.  It looks like a short ride to the remains, or beginning, of the Erie Towpath trail along the water.  Does 5 become cars only?  Everybody seems to take a due South shot to about Hamburg then turn West to the lake.

[canalligators]

Correct, you must go inland.  Don't trust Google Maps on this one.  The part of NY 5 between Ridge Rd. and Big Tree Rd. has part bikes prohibited, waterways in the way and would require riding on private industrial roads which are gated.

The Google Maps routing from the NF airport to Tonawanda is decent.  The roads are busy but have shoulders or a side path.  After crossing the bridge over the canal, from North Tonawanda to Tonawanda, make a left on the sidewalk and immediate hard left onto the trail.

Riverwalk gets a little confusing south of LaSalle Park, and none of the printed maps are very good.  I'd use an online map like Google and zoom in - and pay careful attention.

[jcostanz]

There has been a new (end of 2018) paved multi use train opened up from Ridge Road and RT 5 to the old steel plant entrance(called the shoreline trail), just north of the railroad bridge.  This leaves a gap on Route 5 without shoulders and no sidewalk south bound but it is not prohibited. to cyclists.  There is a new traffic light where this trail ends, on the other side of RT 5 there is a narrow sidewalk under the railroad bridge.  This short section of route 5 is not very cyclist friendly, 2 lane wide road southbound no shoulders or sidewalk.  South of the rr bridge the road widens and has a shoulder, just before the overpass and circle at Mile strip road a multi use path starts on the lake side of route 5.  This trail has been adjusted in the past couple of years, it now parallels rt 5 and then turns into Hoover RD, which doesn't connect to RT 5 anymore and then ends at big tree rd.

[canalligators]

Tnx for that update.