Project will construct a 1.5-mile extension of the trail through West Falls hamlet center < Back ECRT Project in West Falls Awarded NY Forward Funds Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail May 23, 2025 Project will construct a 1.5-mile extension of the trail through West Falls hamlet center ECRT is thrilled to be among the 7 Aurora Projects awarded funding from the recently announced $4.5M NY Forward award!! The projects include: Expand Programming Capacity of the West Falls Center for the Arts ($1,245,000): Enhance the programming services provided through interior and exterior upgrades to the Center for the Arts along with the construction of an art trail and outdoor performance stage and pavilion. Expand Capacity at the Blueberry Treehouse Farm ($784,000): Adaptively reuse a historic general store by converting it into retail space and five apartment units, while improving parking and accessibility to the Blueberry Treehouse Farm. Transform Veterans Park, West Falls-Colden Library and West Falls Community Playground into Local Destinations ($758,000): Enhance three existing public spaces in the hamlet center that will establish new pedestrian connections, expand the total area of green space and create new family-friendly recreation. Reinvent the West Falls Depot ($725,000): Restore a historic 1917 train depot into a mixed-use development with trailside commercial space and short-term lodging. Building Access to West Falls by Converting a Rail Corridor into a Multi-Use Trail ($420,000): Construct a 1.5-mile extension of the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail from Jewettville through the West Falls hamlet center. Artist's rendering of ECRT's NY Forward Project to develop the trail through West Falls to the West Falls Historical Train Depot. Preserve the Dog Bar ($392,000): Preserve and enhance the only existing dining establishment in West Falls with upgraded interior and exteriors along with new outdoor dining space. Celebrate Local Flavor at the Florence Market ($176,000): Transform a mixed-use building into a vibrant, go-to spot for fresh produce, artisan goods and daily essentials, featuring a stylish facelift with new siding, lighting and a mural. Full announcement at: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-22-transformational-projects-western-new-york-part-downtown-0 . Previous Next

Sign up today - the price goes up to $89 on 8/21! < Back 100 Riders are Registered ! Are YOU? Beth Lasky Jul 2, 2024 Sign up today - the price goes up to $89 on 8/21! https://www.givesignup.org/Race/NY/EastAurora/EA2EVLFondo Previous Next

Celebrate Earth Day with a walk, bike or run on the trail today < Back Happy Earth Day! ECRT Apr 22, 2024 Celebrate Earth Day with a walk, bike or run on the trail today Share your earth day activity or simply what you love about the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail! Email your photos or comments to info@ecattrail.org and you might see them shared on our website or social channels! Previous Next

So many ways that YOU can help! < Back Fondo Volunteers Needed Deborah Stellrecht Aug 24, 2023 So many ways that YOU can help! We n eed volunteers to help out with our EA2EVL FONDO 42-mile charity bike ride on September 30th. Volunteer tasks include: Start assistants: Help with registration and Start area of event at 42 North Brewery in East Aurora. Includes handing out registration packets, event giveaways, and associated items. Course Pointers: Help ensure participants remain on-course, particularly in potentially confusing intersections, sometimes calling out instructions in potentially confusing locations along the route. Water stops: Provide water and snacks to riders, answer questions and cheer them on! Finish line assistants: Help in handing out food, water, and Gatorade, answer rider questions and help with clean-up of finish area. As a small token of our appreciation for helping with the ride, you'll receive a ride t-shirt, as well as drink and food tickets to the after ride party at Holiday Valley. Past years' volunteers' tell us that it's also a great time! Please sign up at our website today to help us make the ride a safe and fun one for all riders! https://www.givesignup.org/.../NY/EastAurora/EA2EVLFondo . Can't volunteer? Donate! Every little bit helps! Previous Next

What’s Next for ECRT in Orchard Park Lots of ECRT supporters are asking “what’s next” as a result of the controversial Orchard Park Board meeting on October 7, 2020, so let’s bring you up to speed. In a nutshell, the Orchard Park Town Board voted on October 7 on a “Resolution of opposition to the conversion of the abandoned Buffalo & Pittsburgh rail bed for use as a recreational trail“, an agenda item that was added the day before without adequate notice. Despite the short notice and concerns about crowd safety, dozens of trail supporters came to the meeting, and many spoke passionately and eloquently on behalf of the trail, voicing concern over how this resolution was handled. Only two spoke in opposition, and yet Supervisor Patrick Keem, in his final meeting, and Councilman Gene Majchrzak voted in favor of the opposition resolution, stating that ECRT never shared a plan. ECRT provided the Town Board with an 86-page strategic plan in 2019, along with 241 letters of support. It’s important to note that Councilman Conor Flynn voted against the resolution and shared why in this FaceBook post . Read the full story in the Orchard Park Bee . What does this mean for the future of the trail in Orchard Park? Here are the facts: THANKS! First off, ECRT would like to thank all of our supporters who attended the meeting, spoke on our behalf, and sent letters to the Town Board both before and after this meeting. This vote, while disappointing, has galvanized our supporters, and increased awareness of trail and passion for this important community asset. We have overwhelming support in Orchard Park and your voice matters! ONWARD and UPWARD: The vote cannot and will not change our plans to build this trail. The 27-mile inactive rail line is privately owned by the railroad. This property has been federally designated for use as a recreational trail by the Surface Transportation Board. Its use as a trail is pre-empted by federal law and local regulations designed to frustrate the use of the corridor as a trail are also pre-empted. THE REAL DEAL: The only thing this vote could potentially do is discourage funding to provide further enhancements and mitigations to the trail. CHECK IT OUT! In August, in response to the public need for more access to safe outdoor spaces, ECRT opened a picturesque 2-mile section of the trail in Orchard Park from Ellicott to Jewett Holmwood Roads for local residents. That section is still open and can be accessed from either end of the trail. Today, this is a rough, unfinished trail that is best used for walking, hiking, and mountain bikes. EYES ON IT: We have patrollers and trail cameras in this section. We’re seeing about 100 people per week enjoying the trail. Many are adjacent homeowners who say they are loving it! HEADS UP: ECRT sent a letter to the Town Board in May notifying them of our intentions to open this section. We also notified local police and fire responders before we opened, and posted trail rules at both ends of the trail. PLAN ON IT: ECRT is working on a design plan with Alta Planning and Design, a national trail design company, and GoBike Buffalo is leading an effort to build the 80-mile Southern Tier Trail. A trail study by the two companies is expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. WHAT’s NEXT IN OP: Our first priority is to continue to improve the open 2-mile section. Now more than ever, we can use your help! Please consider donating at www.ecattrail.org/OPtrail Thank you for your support! The volunteer team at ECRT *For more information on the Orchard Park section that has opened, please select this link .

Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail recognizes its volunteers with personal stories. Volunteer Spotlight Archives Dave Stahley Carol & Tim Goff Lisa Rood Jim Cielencki WNY Snowmobile Club of Boston

Rest in peace, Rick. We'll miss you around here! < Back Remembering Rick LeFeber Mary Brummer May 9, 2025 Rest in peace, Rick. We'll miss you around here! Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail (ECRT) has lost our good friend, Rick LeFeber, who was a past Board member of ECRT and a mentor to the Board members for many years. He died March 8th from complications of bone cancer. After his cancer diagnosis several years ago , he remained active on the Board during his initial cancer treatments, and is responsible for many key steps in ECRT's progress. He was a generous, funny, smart, and engaging person. He loved ECRT, and he showed it. Rick was instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the 12.2-mile Pat McGee Trail in Cattaraugus County, and generously shared his trail building experiences and knowledge with ECRT, eager to help us create a similar trail in Erie County. If you knew Rick when he was alive, it won't surprise you that he wrote his own obituary, which you can enjoy here . Rest in peace, Rick. We'll miss you around here! Previous Next

Deb Fenn Steve Williams As we turn our thoughts to ones of gratitude during the holiday season, ECRT feels especially grateful for the hard work and positive energy that so many of our volunteers have contributed this past year. And Steve Williams, a resident of Orchard Park, is one of them. You may have seen or spoken with him at the Orchard Fresh Farmer’s Markets last summer, enthusiastically engaging with the public on behalf of ECRT. “This past summer volunteering at the Orchard Park farmers market was a great experience to reach out to neighbors and share our mission to make ECRT a reality,” Steve reports. “The response was overwhelmingly positive with great anticipation by all.” Steve believes that joining the Orchard Park Friends of ECRT allows him to connect with nature and support his community. He wants to make his love for bike riding and the outdoors safer and better for everyone. Connecting with nature Steve boasts a lifelong enjoyment of the outdoors. As a young boy on Long Island, he would ride his bike to meet friends, play in the woods, travel to baseball games and deliver newspapers. And he’s still riding locally and in Florida, Boston and everywhere in between. Today every member of his family always had a bike—and they still do! Supporting the community Steve’s career in banking allowed him to work in NYC, Wilmington DE, and Buffalo. In 1988, he moved to Orchard Park, with his wife Theresa, and their two sons, Chris and Dan. While raising their family, Steve was also an Odyssey of the Mind coach and a Quaker Marching Band dad. Now that Steve is retired, he has more time to spend with family and friends. “As time flies by, my childhood, school, career, marriage, parenting, and now growing older, I want to be outside and enjoy nature even more,” says Steve. “OP is a beautiful place to raise a family and enjoy the outdoors. As a grandparent, I look forward to one day riding/walking the trail with my grandson, Lucas!” Thanks, Steve, for all you do for your family, the community, and for ECRT! December 1, 2019 Written by: Deb Fenn Previous Next < Back

Deb Fenn turns over rail trail Board leadership to Mary Brummer in 2023 after years of progress. < Back Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Welcomes New President Beth Lasky Jan 17, 2023 Deb Fenn turns over rail trail Board leadership to Mary Brummer in 2023 after years of progress. Deb Fenn , one of the founding ECRT Board members, stepped down as Board President at the end of 2022, a role she has held since 2016. Ms. Fenn will continue to manage government relations and community engagement for the organization. On January 1, 2023, Orchard Park Village resident, Mary Brumme r, became the new ECRT Board President. Brummer joined the ECRT Board in 2018, shortly after she retired as a small animal veterinarian at the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center. She previously served as ECRT Secretary and Governance chair. In her new role, Brummer’s first priority is to build funding and team capacity to ensure that ECRT can continue to improve and open more miles of trail. History of Progress In the 15 years since ECRT was incorporated, the organization has made tremendous progress. In 2018, ECRT, Inc. signed a long-term, federal railbanking lease with the Buffalo Pittsburgh Railroad to build and manage the trail. Since that time, ECRT has secured grants and public support to open 10+ miles of natural surface trail. During Fenn’s tenure, the ECRT Board: Expanded the Board of Directors to include strong leadership in design and construction, development, communications, maintenance and legal expertise. Launched ECRT Friends groups in Orchard Park, West Falls/Colden, and Springville/Concord along with an extensive trail support network with 4,500 members and nearly 600 volunteers. Gained support from national and regional trail organizations, and support from all levels of government for trail development, including resolutions of support from the Town of Aurora and from adjacent towns for major projects. Hosted trail events, including National Trail Day observances, winter walks and clean up events, and the highly successful EA2EVL 42-mile charity bike ride from East Aurora to Ellicottville held in 2021 and 2022, raising $100k in donations. Looking to the future In 2022, Brummer led the Board’s effort to upgrade and launch a new 3-year strategic plan for ECRT, which includes many critical projects and priorities that the Board will work to implement in the future." “It became clear during the pandemic just how important trails are to our communities, especially here in the southtowns where we have limited access,” Brummer explained. “Under Deb’s leadership, ECRT gained great momentum and made enormous strides. I’m excited to build on that momentum, to weave in local community flair and flavor, and to deepen our relationship with our Friends and supporters. "It has been a privilege and an honor to build and serve this dedicated volunteer organization,” said Fenn. “I’m incredibly proud of the amazing progress we’ve made, especially in the last 5 years, and I know Mary is the very best leader to take this trail and team into the future." Previous Next

Partnership will gather and analyze Community feedback < Back ECRT and UB invite Public input on trail plans Mary Brummer Sep 10, 2024 Partnership will gather and analyze Community feedback As part of its ongoing effort to develop a multiuse recreational trail in the Southtowns, ECRT is specifically targeting input from residents in Orchard Park and Colden for their viewpoints on trail development. “It has been some years since we sat down with residents and formally collected their thoughts on the project. As we consider developing the next sections of trail, we will be guided by the visions of each community”, said ECRT President Mary Brummer. State University of New York at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning has structured a fall semester graduate course around the process of community engagement. Two free workshop-style meetings will be facilitated by the UB Planning graduate students to gather ideas, dreams, visions, and concerns from residents. UB faculty, Dr. Kelly Gregg, advised, “Engaging community stakeholders will be a critical part of the design process and project development for the ECRT. The students are looking forward to meeting with residents and helping to understand all viewpoints and ultimately assist the ECRT in project development.“ Meetings will be held in two locations and will build on each other, so interested residents are asked to attend both sessions for the full duration. The first meeting will take place at the Orchard Park Community Activity Center on September 25 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm . The second meeting will take place at the Colden Fire Company on October 30 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm . Pre-registration is required and may be found below and at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094AA5A62CA5F9CE9-50690046-ecrt#/ . Following the two engagement meetings, the UB students will synthesize the community feedback into future visions for building the trail. These visions will be presented at a summary meeting and public celebration held on December 10 at 6:30 pm at the Orchard Park Community Activity Center . In addition to the community engagement sessions for Orchard Park and Colden a community wide survey is underway to better understand residents’ perspectives of existing and future use of the trail. The survey link is https://sunybuffalo.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6SDQzg4sOV2yB5I?Q_CHL=qr and the QR code is below. About State University of New York at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning: Embedded in our urban contexts here and around the world, we approach the study and practice of architecture, urban planning and real estate development hands on, full scale, and all in. The University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning offers graduate and undergraduate paths of study in architecture, urban planning and real estate development, all within the most comprehensive public research university in the Northeast. Learn more about the life and programs of the school at https://archplan.buffalo.edu/ . Previous Next

Join fellow ECRT Members for a walk on the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail in Orchard Park as the sun sets and the full moon rises. < Back Members Sunset/Full Moon Trail Walk Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Apr 13, 2025 Join fellow ECRT Members for a walk on the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail in Orchard Park as the sun sets and the full moon rises. As a benefit of ECRT membership, you are invited to enjoy new sensations on the trail in a totally different nighttime setting, and to celebrate at the Orchard Park Depot afterward with complimentary refreshments! Listen to the unusual sounds of the night, smell the crisp night air, see the shadows of the trail caused by the full moon and enjoy the trail in a totally different setting! Peer through our telescope for a closer look at the night sky. ECRT members: Check your inbox - you have already received a personal email invitation to this member event. Cost: This is a Free Event for registered ECRT Members Location: Starts and ends at Orchard Park Train Depot Check-in Time: 7:30pm - Orchard Park Train Depot Trail Talk: 7:40pm Walk Start Time: 8pm Light refreshments to follow: Approximately 8:45pm Walk distance: 2.6 miles – from Orchard Park train depot to Jewett Holmwood Rd and back Parking: Available on-street parking and in the Orchard Park Library parking lot adjacent to the OP Train Depot. Previous Next

Bring your friends & family to Community Night at 42 North Brewing Company! < Back ECRT and 42 North Community Night 2026 Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Aug 13, 2026 Bring your friends & family to Community Night at 42 North Brewing Company! Join us for ECRT Community Night @42 North Brewing! Invite your friends, family & coworkers to eat, drink and support the trail You are invited to 42 North Brewing in East Aurora on Thursday, August 13 to raise a glass of your favorite beverage in support of the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail! 42 North will donate $1 for each beer purchased between 5-8 p.m. to ECRT to help extend and improve the multiuse recreational trail that runs from Orchard Park to Ashford, NY. Join in the fun! Take a chance to win our split club raffle. Register or volunteer for the EA2EVL Fondo 42-mile charity bike ride October 3 Wear your ECRT shirt or hat and receive a free gift! Join ECRT as a supporting Member. Buy a beverage & grab a bite to eat from Fat Bob’s! Donate to ECRT and receive an ECRT swag item FREE! (prior years swag only) Buy your tickets for our Mongoose Malus 26” Fat Tire Bike Raffle! Winner drawn October 3! ECRT Board members & volunteers can answer questions and share maps and plans for the trail. See you there! Location: 42 North Brewing Company: 25 Pine St., East Aurora, NY 14052 Previous Next