The Buffalo Exchange Street Station serves several trains and busses daily to support commuters and travellers in Buffalo, New York. To accommodate additional transit routes and future expansion in the area, the existing 66-year-old station needed to be restored. The outgrown station was rebuilt and moved closer to the street to improve access and visibility. It is also twice the size of the city’s previous station, providing riders with connections to local bus and light-rail service, offering more travel options.

Prior to the restoration, the station was considered dreary and unwelcoming. However, the travel experience was dramatically improved through the reimagined station architecture and several other exterior upgrades. Attractive hardscaping designed with Unilock plank pavers creates a modern pedestrian plaza that leads to a walkway under the interstate highway. These areas are brightly light with colourful LEDs, as well as other independent lights, to create a welcoming and safe public space for station users. Other exterior improvements include the covered and raised train platform, a planted area that features a buffalo statue, outdoor bench seating, and signage guiding travellers to the nearby Metro Rail station.

The chosen Unilock Plank Pavers of the plaza and walkways were manufactured with EnduraColor face-mix technology which provides a high performance and wear-resistant surface, perfect for this high-traffic space. The linear look of these pavers also aids in wayfinding, leading riders to the main station building. Besides the functional benefits of these pavers, the chosen color palette also beautifully complements the surrounding area; taking in tones from the station building and other nearby architecture.

This restoration investment transformed the previously ‘shoebox-sized’ station into a flourishing and vibrant transportation hub; receiving high remarks from commuters, travellers and passerby.