![Fireworks over Rochester. [PHOTO: Aaron Giambattista]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-new-year.jpg)
Effective at 11:59 p.m. Friday December 31 2010, Mayor Robert Duffy will no longer be Rochester’s Mayor. Duffy will be sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of New York on Friday night. The inauguration ceremony will take place at noon on Saturday, January 1.
Mayor Duffy Submits Resignation. Oh, and uh, happy New Year.
December 30th, 2010Posted in Rochester News | No Comments »
Tags: Bob Duffy, Lovely Warren, Mayor Duffy, Mayor Patrick Duffy, New York, Rochester, Rochester NY
Crafty Rochester Subway Gifts
November 20th, 2010Posted in Rochester Gifts, Rochester Subway | No Comments »
Did you know when Santa Claus is in a pinch to get toys delivered to all the good little boys and girls on time he jumps on the Rochester Subway? No, of course not—that’s stupid. The Subway closed over 50 years ago.
But, when his crafty elves are looking for gift ideas they check the RochesterSubway.com gift shop. That part is true!
Here are a few nifty ideas shared with me by Rochester Subway fans last year…
Tags: cufflinks, gift idea, Gift Shop, Glen Moscoe Jewelers, holidays, necklace, NYC Metro Cuff, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway map, South Clinton Avenue, subway gifts, tokens, transit tokens
Mark Aesch Moves To Consolidate Upstate Transit Authorities
November 14th, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 5 Comments »
I just read an article in Sunday’s Albany Times Union that has me scratching my head. Mark Aesch, CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, wants to consolidate
the four big transit authorities of upstate New York—Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. On the surface it seems to make sense. They each do the same thing in relatively similar cities in a single state. But does Aesch really believe consolidating operations across a 250 mile wide region will lead to better public transit service for all four regions? Or are we witnessing the beginning of a power grab?
Tags: Albany, Albany Times Union, Buffalo, Genesee Transportation Council (GTC), Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mark Aesch, mass transit, New NY Agenda, New York, public transportation, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, Syracuse, transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
You Park Like An Asshole (.com)
November 13th, 2010Posted in Rochester News | 10 Comments »
You know that creepy dude at your office who always parks his Dodge Neon diagonally across two parking spaces so it won’t get dinged? Pisses you off doesn’t it? Well now you can do something about it.
ABC News ran a story today about a brilliantly simple web site with printable notices you can leave under that jerk’s windshield-wiper…
Tags: ABC, automobile, car, NBC, parking, Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY
Would We Build the Subway Today? Commentary By Chris Matthews
November 10th, 2010Posted in Opinion, Transit + Infrastructure | 1 Comment »
Hardball talkshow host Chris Matthews had posed a very blunt question for President Obama, Democrats & Republicans, and America at large…
Tags: Chris Matthews, Hardball, high speed rail, highspeed rail, infrastructure, MSNBC, New York, NY, President Obama
Rochester’s (inspiring) Old Railroad Stations
November 6th, 2010Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Train/Railroad Stuff | 21 Comments »
Lots of news has been brewing lately over the future of Rochester’s beat-up, 32-year-old Amtrak station on Central Avenue. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter recently announced that a $1.5 million federal stimulus grant has been awarded to New York state to plan for a new multi-modal station on the site. A $2.5 million appropriation to pay for the station design is expected to pass Congress next month. And Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo has just made it abundantly clear
So for now, let’s just assume that something very interesting is in the works for our pitiful excuse for a train station. This is the perfect time to take a step back in time—to be inspired by Rochester’s grand old stations…
Tags: Auburn Railroad Shed, Bragdon Station, Broad Street, Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad, Claude Bragdon, Clinton Avenue, Court Street, Erie Railroad, Eugene Sintzenich, Exchange Street, High Falls, history of Rochester, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Main Street, New York, New York Central Railroad, old photos, old photos of Rochester, railroad, railroad station, Rochester, Rochester Amtrak Station, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Saint Paul Street, vintage postcard, vintage views
72 Conkey: The Tide May Be Turning
November 4th, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 1 Comment »
I can’t put my finger on it but for some reason this little building in an all-but-forgotten part of our city has claimed a big spot in my heart. Maybe because it’s human nature to root for the underdog? Maybe I see the story of Rochester being played out as some sort of metaphor—it’s storied past and it’s uncertain future? And so we fight—with everything we’ve got—to turn the tide.
Tags: Bret Garwood, City of Rochester, Clifford Avenue, Conkey Avenue, Jim Fraser, Jo Dickinson, Rochester, Rochester Fire Department, Rochester NY, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Struggle in Smugtown: A History of Rochester’s Working Class
October 27th, 2010Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | No Comments »
Shawn Wilkinson, a friend and member of Reconnect Rochester
, recently tipped me off to this documentary; Struggle in Smugtown. “Smugtown” is the not-so-flattering nickname given to Rochester by newspaper writer G. Curtis Gerling and also the title of his book Smugtown, USA. The “Struggle” refers to that of the working man and woman. I think you’ll find this to be a fascinating look into the social and economic history of our little town.
Watch all 15 segments of this film
(including this one on Transportation in Rochester).
Tags: Flour City, Flower City, history of Rochester, movie, Rochester history, Ronald G. Pettengill Labor Education Fund, Struggle in Smugtown, video
See What’s Possible at 72 Conkey
October 24th, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 5 Comments »
![With a little help from Photoshop, I've taken a shot at illustrating how the storefront at 72 Conkey Avenue could look if the City gave local resident Jim Fraser a chance to apply his skills and vision to the property. [Illustration: Mike Governale]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/72-conkey-avenue-after-cropped.jpg)
As an artist, I think I maybe I see things in the world around me that other people can’t or just don’t want to. I find myself squinting all the time; trying to imagine what could be. I can’t look at a paper cup without imagining what it might become if Jonathan Ive had his way with it. I know there are a lot of people who probably see 72 Conkey Avenue as nothing more than an eyesore; and then there are people like me who see something different. And that boys and girls, is why there’s Photoshop…
Tags: Bill Johnson, Bret Garwood, City of Rochester, Clifford Avenue, Conkey Avenue, Evergreen Street, Genesee Land Trust, Ibero, Jim Fraser, Jo Dickinson, photo, Photoshop, Project Hope, Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Help Save 72 Conkey — Part III
October 21st, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development, Video | No Comments »
Yesterday the little boarded up Victorian house on Conkey Avenue caught the attention of Rachel Barnhart, reporter for WHAM 13 News. And for all of my ranting and raving on this site, I could never have told the story as eloquently as she…
Tags: Bret Garwood, City of Rochester, Clifford Avenue, Conkey Avenue, Evergreen Street, Ibero, Jim Fraser, Jo Dickinson, Project Hope, Rachel Barnhart, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban renewal, urban revitalization, WHAM
Help Save 72 Conkey — Part II
October 19th, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 4 Comments »
![The Rochester Fire Dept. put these gaping holes in the roof of 72 Conkey 5 days after RochesterSubway.com readers emailed the City asking to please save this historic building. [PHOTO: Jim Fraser]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/72-conkey-avenue-demolition.jpg)
If you responded to my plea last week and sent an email to Bret Garwood asking him to stop the demolition of 72 Conkey Avenue, I offer you my sincerest appreciation. As “coincidence” would have it, less than a week after that post on RochesterSubway.com the City Fire Department used the 1879 Victorian building to hold a training session. The photo above was taken on October 18. Now there are great big gaping holes where there was once a roof.
Is this really happening? I know Mr. Garwood received dozens of emails from RocSubway readers, members of Reconnect Rochester, and myself. I can’t help but ask myself is this act in response to those letters? Is the City reading our letters and giggling to themselves? Come to think of it, I didn’t receive a response to the email I sent last week… did you?
Tags: 19th Ward, Bret Garwood, City of Rochester, Clifford Avenue, Conkey Avenue, Evergreen Street, Genesee Land Trust, Genesee Street, Ibero, Jim Fraser, Jo Dickinson, Project Hope, Rochester, Rochester Fire Department, Rochester Jewish Orphan Asylum, Rochester NY, urban renewal, urban revitalization
iPhone Band Rocks It Out On NYC Subway
October 18th, 2010Posted in Art + Culture, New York City Subway, Subways Around the Globe, Video | No Comments »
The latest subway performance making the rounds actually has a tech-angle. A band known as Atomic Tom recently staged an “impromptu” show on the B train, but played one of their songs using only iPhones. The video was uploaded to YouTube and has since logged more than 633K views.
Tags: Apple Computer, Atomic Tom, B Train, iPhone, New York, New York City, New York City Metro, New York City Subway, subway video, video, YouTube
You Can Help Save 72 Conkey Avenue
October 13th, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 14 Comments »
![Jim and Jo are in the process of saving and restoring 6 abandoned Rochester properties. They want to save this storefront on Conkey and Clifford Avenue. The City wants to tear it down. You can help. [PHOTO: heckeranddecker.wordpress.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/72-conkey-avenue.jpg)
Jo and Jim are quite a remarkable pair. She is a retired school teacher. He works for a company that makes all kinds of machine parts, gauges, and valves. Together they represent nothing short of divine intervention for the City of Rochester.
See, Rochester has a ‘list’. On that list are 200 properties, residential and commercial, that have been given the death sentence. These buildings are on the City’s Demolition List
Tags: Bret Garwood, City of Rochester, Clifford Avenue, Conkey Avenue, Evergreen Street, Genesee Land Trust, Ibero, Jim Fraser, Jo Dickinson, Project Hope, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Councilmember Carla Palumbo: “We Have a Transportation Plan”
October 8th, 2010Posted in Interviews, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 10 Comments »
Can I just say I love WXXI, public radio, and the Bob Smith Show. One day the topic might be the economy or politics; the next might be how to avoid lead poisoning. His guests are always relevant and the conversation is always thought provoking. Also, what other show (besides Wease) can a guy from a blog called RochesterSubway.com call and actually be put on the air?
Yesterday, Councilmember Carla Palumbo was Bob’s guest and the topic was the Mortimer Street Bus Terminal. Most of the callers denounced the project for it’s poor placement or lack of inter-connectivity with other modes of transportation. I wanted to try to move the conversation forward—beyond just this one project.
Take a listen to the show and pay special attention to Carla’s answer to my question at around 45 minutes in…
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bob Smith Show, bus station, bus terminal, Carla Palumbo, city council, Councilmember Palumbo, mass transit, mass transportation, Mortimer Street, public transportation, Rochester City Council, RTS Transit Terminal, transit, transportation center, Transportation Plan, WXXI
River Romance and the Subway. Saturday 10/9
October 6th, 2010Posted in Events, Rochester News, Rochester Subway, Urban Exploration | 1 Comment »
![The Canal Society of New York State will be hosting tours of the Broad Street Aqueduct and subway tunnel this weekend. [PHOTO: Dag Lindquist]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-dag-lindquist.jpg)
Two weeks ago the World Canals Conference took Rochester by storm and offered the public a glimpse inside the Broad Street Aqueduct Bridge and abandoned subway tunnel. Thousands attended and many tour-goers shared their great photos on our Facebook page . Did you miss all the fun? Well I’ve got good news for you. This Saturday, October 9th, you’ll have another chance to explore Rochester’s historic underbelly…
Tags: aqueduct, Broad Street, Erie Canal Aqueduct, Facebook, Genesee Aqueduct, photo, River Romance, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, subway tour, World Canal Conference
Vote for Your Favorite Rochester Subway Photo…
September 22nd, 2010Posted in Events, Freebies, Rochester Subway | 1 Comment »
Word of our Rochester Subway Facebook photo contest has gotten out. At least 20 photos have been uploaded to our Facebook wall since Sunday night and the votes/Likes are piling up. The photo with the most “Likes” by midnight Friday will win a Rochester Subway Poster modern or old-style. All of these photos are outstanding—only one will be crowned. So if you haven’t voted for one (or all of them) yet… hop on over to the RocSubway Facebook page and give that little “Like” button a workout. Or upload your own photo. Here’s a look at the front runners…
![Like' this one? Go to Facebook.com/RocSubway and vote! [PHOTO: Brian Killmore]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-brian-killmore.jpg)
Tags: aqueduct, contest, Facebook, free stuff, Freebies, photo, photography, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, subway tour
Rochester Subway Tour and Facebook Contest. A Win-Win.
September 18th, 2010Posted in Events, Freebies, Rochester Subway | 7 Comments »
I’m raising the stakes on Sunday’s Subway/Aqueduct Tour
Tags: aqueduct, contest, Facebook, free stuff, Freebies, photo, photography, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, subway tour, World Canal Conference
Mortimer Street Public Workshop: Wednesday, 6-8pm
September 14th, 2010Posted in Events, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
There’s really no comparison between this proposed $4 Billion transit station in San Francisco and Rochester’s Mortimer St. Bus Terminal. But watch the video anyway. It just might inspire you enough to come to the Hyatt Hotel tomorrow night…
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night RGRTA will host a 2-hour public workshop from 6-8pm to take ideas for the soon-to-be-built Mortimer St. Bus Terminal. You can protest and “Give ’em Hell”… Or you can give ’em your ideas… and help influence one of the most important public projects in Rochester’s history.
No signup is necessary, and no designs will be presented. Attendees will cycle through four workstations staffed by city and RGRTA officials, who will record people’s ideas for the center’s design. Those ideas will be posted on RGRTA website, www.rgrta.com
UPDATE: Did you miss the RGRTA Transit Terminal design workshop? To submit your comments or ideas by mail use this form. New designs will be presented to the public on October 27.
Read the comments from public.
Tags: bus station, bus terminal, Mortimer Street, New York, Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, San Francisco Transbay Transit Center
Random Subway Memories from Curlew Street
September 11th, 2010Posted in Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway Stories | 36 Comments »
![Subway tracks from Lexington Avenue bridge near Curlew Street (1940's). [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-lexington-avenue.jpg)
Jim Hall, age 62, of Farmington NY, recently stumbled upon RochesterSubway.com and was immediately taken for a ride down memory lane. So much so that he decided to share with us a few of his fondest memories of the Rochester Subway—his final ride on the very last day of service, and of his grandfather who was a streetcar conductor during the Great Blizzard of 1900! Jim says he and his two older sisters were brought up with a healthy fear of the subway because he was told of a tragic story where a ‘boy lost both legs’ being a bit too close to the tracks. As Jim points out, “it seems strange these days that memories stick with you.” But they certainly do. And the fun part is, we never know which ones will stand out in our mind a half century from now. Here’s Jim’s subway story…
Tags: B&O Railroad, Badge #834, Car #401, Curlew Street, Jim Hall, Lexington Avenue, old photos of Rochester, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway
Rochester’s Bike Master Plan—It’s Not Just for Cyclists
August 29th, 2010Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 3 Comments »
![Rochester is a great city for off-road cycling. The City's Bicycle Master Plan Project will seek to elevate Rochester to full 'Bicycle Friendly Community' status with the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly Communities Program. [PHOTO: from Tobo's Flickr stream]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester_genesee_riverway_bike_trail.jpg)
Something outstanding is happening in our community—Rochester is catching Bike Fever. Over the past decade or more Monroe County and local municipalities have been steadily making investments in existing off-road trails and in new ones, especially around our colleges, universities and along the river and lake shore. You may have noticed some new ones near you. Bicycling Magazine even placed Rochester on their list of America’s Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities this year. Albeit at #50, but hey, it’s a good start!
Tags: Bicycle Magazine, bike lanes, bike plan, Butterhole Seneca Park Trail, Chuck Thomas, city planning, El Camino Trail, Erie Canal Path, Erik Frisch, Frank Regan, Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists (GROC), Genesee Riverway Trail, Genesee Transportation Council, Greenway Trail, infrastructure, Monroe County, New York, Ray LaHood, Regional Trails Initiative, Rochester, Rochester Bicycle Master Plan Project, Rochester Cycling Alliance (RCA), Rochester Environmental News Examiner, Rochester NY, transit, transportation, Transportation Secretary
![\"RochesterSubway.com\"](\"https://rochestersubway.com/images/pixel_white.gif\"){kind=tracking}
