Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
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The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) is the local provider of public transportation for Erie and Niagara counties in New York.
Additionally, the semi-public authority functions as a ports authority, managing Buffalo's harbor Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Niagara Falls International Airport.
NFTA employs 1,119 full time and part-time employees and carries 94,000 passengers per day with 8.9 million miles traveled every year.
The first bus operations in Buffalo dates back to 1923 under the private operator International Railway Company. The proposed Niagara Frontier Rapid Transit Commission in 1947 gave way to the creation of the Niagara Frontier Transit System, Incorporated in 1950 and replaced by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Corp or NFTA in 1967. Today the bus fleet consist of 332 buses and 4 trolley style buses.
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[edit] Bus Fleet
Current Fleet (All buses are Wheelchair-accessible 
)
- 1994 New Flyer Industries D40HF (9301-9375; to be retired in 2006-07)
- 1995 NABI (American Ikarus) 416 (9501-9564)
- 1996 NovaBus Classic TC40-102A (9601-9641)
- 1999 NovaBus LFS TL-40102 (2001-2021)
- 2001-2002 & 2005 Gillig LF Advantage T-40 (2101-2142,2201-2242 & 2501-2517)
- 2004 Gillig LF Advantage T-29 (2401-2417)
- 2006 Gillig LF Advantage Diesel-electric Hybrid T-40 (2601-2630)
Other Vehicles
Retired Fleet
- 1966-1969 GMC BusesT8H 5304A-(7501-7799 {except for 7754})(102" versions 7401-??)
- 1975-76 AM General Metropolitan Bus - retired (4001-4099)
- 1975 Flxible 111CC-D5-1 (ex-RGRTA Rochester) (301-305)
- 1976 GMC Buses S8H 5304A (3051-3063)
- 1979 GMC Buses RTS 03 (5001-5065)
- 1980 GMC Buses RTS 03 (5066-5075)
- 1983 GMC Buses RTS 04 (6001-6110)
- 1977 GMC Buses RTS 01 (ex-DART Dallas) (322-365)
- 1985-90 Orion Bus Industries Orion 01.051 (601-607;701-773;801-816;851-852;861-867;901-911;921-925)
- 1991 Orion Bus Industries Orion 05.501(201-222)
- 1992 Motor Coach Industries Classic TC40-102A (401-417)
- 1993 Orion Bus Industries Orion 05.501 CNG (501-505)
The NFTA has 10 CNG vintage style green trolley style buses are used for the USA Niagara Link route and makes approximately 17 stops in Downtown Niagara Falls, New York. Internally, Metro refers to it as Route 205, but there are no references to that number on buses. Additional service (as of Summer of 2005) operated along nearly the same route as 55-Pine Avenue buses between Downtown Niagara Falls and The Summit Transit Center. These trips were noted as "55T" trips, and ran once hourly from 7:00am - midnight, 7-days-a-week.
[edit] Bus Routes
Many of the core routes in the City of Buffalo operate almost along the same alignment of the previous International Railway Company's streetcar lines. Some adjustments in routing downtown, but nothing major.
[edit] Current Routes
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[edit] Past/Previous Routes
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[edit] Properties (Stations/Garages/Barns)
[edit] Bus and Rail Depots
All buses are stored at three depots:
- Cold Spring Terminal (Main & Michigan, Buffalo)
- Frontier Terminal (Kenmore & Military, Buffalo)
- Gisel/Wolford Terminal (Babcock nr. William, Buffalo)
- South Park Terminal (South Park nr Main, Downtown Buffalo)
[edit] Transportation (Intermodal) Centers
Most buses operating to the city centers operate to or near:
- Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center Ellicott & North Division, in Downtown Buffalo - built in 1977
- Niagara Falls Transit Center on Portage near Cedar, near Downtown Niagara Falls
[edit] Suburban Transit Centers
In addition, a number of transit centers were created in suburban locations to allow passengers to transfer between other routes in a coordinated location.
- Summit Mall off of Plaza Road near northeast corner of mall property
- Thruway Plaza off of Harlem Road on west end of plaza property
- Appletree Business Park off of Bennett Road on south end of property
- Southgate Plaza near Citibank
- Athol Springs on Big Tree Road @ NYS 5
- Victory at corner of South Park at Ridge Road, Lackawanna
[edit] Bus Loops and Terminals
[edit] Active Loops
- Andrews Loop northwest corner of Genesee St and Andrews, Buffalo
- Fernwood Loop at foot of Rossler at Clinton St, Buffalo
- Goethe Loop southeast corner of Lovejoy Av and Goethe St, Buffalo
- Michael Loop southeast corner of Broadway and Michael St, Sloan
- Vulcan (Baxter) Loop northeast corner of Vulcan and Baxter St, Buffalo
- Jersey Left on exit from Main St at Bailey Av, Buffalo
- Paramount Loop on Colvin at Paramount, Tonawanda
- Huntley Loop on Kensington nr Huntley, Buffalo/Cheektowaga
- City Line (Wildwood) Loop on Seneca at Buffalo City Line
- Southside Loop northeast corner of Bailey Av. and Abbott Rd., Buffalo
- Orchard Loop on southeast corner of Delaware at Orchard, Tonawanda
- Walden/Bailey (St. Mary's) Loop on Walden, west of Bailey Av
- Ellicott Loop bounded by North Division, South Division, Ellicott and Oak, Buffalo
[edit] Inactive Loops
- Blanche Loop southwest corner of Elmwood at Kenmore
- Ensminger Loop on Esminger, near Sheridan Parkside Dr.
- Greenwood Loop on Abbott Road, near Greenwood, Lackawanna/Blasdell
- Preston Loop on East Delavan, near Preston St, Buffalo
- Pine Hill Loop on Genesee near Pine Ridge Road, Buffalo
- Robbins Loop on Porter at Robbins Road, Niagara Falls
- Delmar Loop on Oliver at Ward, North Tonawanda
- Virgil Loop on Kenmore at Virgil St, Buffalo
- Pacific Loop on Hertel, east of Pacific St, Buffalo
- Seabrook Loop on Kenmore Av at Vulcan, Buffalo (used by Buffalo Public Schools)
- Highgate Loop on Bailey Av, near Highgate St., Buffalo
[edit] Light Rail (a.k.a. Metro Rail)
Light Rail
Buffalo's street railway began operations in 1832 with horsecar routes on Pearl Street and Terrace (to Canada Ferry terminal). In 1860, the Buffalo Street Railway Company was established. Electric street cars began operating in Buffalo in 1889 and the last horsecar retired in 1894. In Niagara Falls village, the first electric cars began in 1883, In 1902, the International Railway Company was created for the merger of the Buffalo's first street railway operator and Buffalo Street Railway Company. The trolley service end in 1950 and would not resume until the LRRT was created in 1979, and opened on May 1, 1986.
The 6.1 mile line makes stops at: Erie Canal Harbor, Seneca, Church, Lafayette Square, Fountain Plaza, Theater, Allen-Medical Campus, Summer-Best, Utica, Delavan-Canisius College, Humboldt-Hospital (Sisters), Amherst Street, LaSalle, and University (South Campus).
The Citizens Regional Transit Corporation (CRTC) has pushed for extensions to the current system utilizing many abandoned track beds of old railway lines.
The proposed Airport line follows the Division Street area, cutting through to the old New York Central Terminal around Jefferson Avenue, following old track bed through the CSX line between Walden and Broadway to Thruway Plaza, Galleria Mall and Buffalo Niagara Airport.
The proposed Tonawanda line follows the old Erie RR right-of-way (ROW) from LaSalle Station through to Tonawanda.
These and many other proposals have hit various roadblocks, but the CRTC has not wavered in their support for these extensions. Lately, a number of political figures have shown their support.
The NFTA operates over fifty bus routes and a 6.1 mile LRRT (light rail rapid transit) system named Metro Rail. This system carries over 23,000 riders daily. The Operations Control Center at Oak and Eagle Streets control both the bus and rail fleet.
The light rail cars are stored at the former Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad station in the lower Main Street in Downtown Buffalo. This terminal is referred to as the South Park Station because of its location at Main & South Park.
LRV details:
- Manufacturer: Tokyu Car Corporation, Japan
- Fleet size:: 26 (one car {125} damaged in transit upon delivery in 1983)
- Fleet No.:: 101-127
- Length: 66 feet 10 inches
- Width: 8 feet 6.5 inches
- Weight: 35.5 tons
- Normal capacity: 140 (including 51 seated)
- Control: 4 chopper controlled Westinghouse motors
- Track gauge: 4.7 feet
[edit] Color Scheme
Just before the beginning of the year 2000, the NFTA's Metro system operated its vehicles using an extremely outdated color scheme using the colors of brown, yellow and orange ("Earth Tone"). This color scheme is easiest to recognize on all the 400 series and 9600 series coaches. As of 2007, this color scheme can now be found on only a handful of busses, as most of the busses featuring it have been either been re-painted in the new color scheme (see below) or retired. However, most of the Metro Rail trains still retain the old "Earth Tone" color scheme (for now).
Even further back, the Niagara Frontier Transit Metro System had worked with a yellow and black scheme (early 1970s), and a red and cream color scheme (1950-1960s).
The current color scheme (navy, grey and burgundy) first showed up on the 2000 series (Nova Bus LFS) coaches in early 2001. The color scheme was immediately met with approval on most side.
According to a past news article, the colors and logo were chosen to link the area's "water" image with the company. The force of the Niagara River, and Niagara Falls contribute to the idea of the "wave" design that was chosen.
[edit] Important Historical Dates
- May 18, 1985 Metro Rail officially opens for regular service between Downtown and Amherst Street Stations. Due to construction issues at LaSalle Station, LaSalle and South Campus stations opened later, in 1986.
- March 24, 1993 The "New" Metro was introduced, creating a number of new routes, and destinations.
