RT&S 5/8/20
Setback for advancement of Buffalo light-rail extension
The Federal Transit Administration has requested that the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) include looking at the option of bus rapid transit along with extending the Buffalo Metro Light Rail as part of the planning and environmental review process. This could delay advancement of the project by three to six months.
The NFTA also needs to review existing annual local, state and federal financial funding levels. This is to ensure they will have sufficient capital resources over the next 20 years to ensure that the existing NFTA bus, paratransit and rail fleets have vehicles, maintenance facilities, stations, track, power, escalators, elevators, communications, fare collection, bus shelters and other equipment in a state of good repair. This is necessary so riders can count on the safe and reliable service they depend on before embarking on either extending Metro Light Rail to Amherst or bus rapid transit on the same corridor. The NFTA should make public their Five Year and Twenty Year Capital Needs Assessment planning documents. This would confirm that they can maintain a state of good repair for Metro Bus, paratransit and light rail along with system expansion.
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