NFTA proposed plan cuts all Southtowns runs

Bus service in the Southtowns may be going the way of the dodo bird if the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority’s service reduction plan is put into place.

According to the NFTA, the only way it can reduce its over $15 million deficit, is by making many internal revisions and cuts, along with removing and reducing many of its bus routes, including cutting all routes into Hamburg, Boston, Eden, Evans, East Aurora, Farnham, Orchard Park, North Collins and Gowanda.

Hundreds of people came to the Erie Community College South Campus Thursday, Feb. 2 to hear NFTA officials explain this proposal at its fifth and final public hearing.

Attendees were encouraged to look at maps detailing current bus service routes and those that would be eliminated, including Southtowns route numbers 16, 36, 74, 76 and 216.

It was clear by the maps there would be little, if any NFTA service outside the City of Buffalo.

NFTA Executive Director Kimberly Minkel gave a powerpoint presentation explaining how the NFTA is addressing $7.7 million of the debt through administrative cuts, internal control, overtime reduction, scaling back the NFTA police force to the 2005 levels, use of hybrid buses, utility and energy audits and implementing a college/university pass program as a new revenue source.

NFTA officials also pointed to reductions in federal, local and state assistance have also greatly impacted its funds.

To eliminate the other $7.1 million deficit the NFTA has proposed eliminating 81 runs in and around the City of Buffalo, all the outlaying areas and reducing the frequency of service for 14 runs, including the Metro Rail services.

Not only will regular bus services be eliminated but also paratransit services, which supplies much needed transportation to disabled residents.

“This is detrimental to the community as a whole,” said Assemblyman Kevin Smardz (146th District). “The Town of Hamburg has about 60,000 residents, and many of these people use the transit system for jobs. You are segregating where our people are able to travel in this area.

“It is very important to look again internally to make adjustments, this is not the answer,” Smardz said.

Legislator Lynne Dixon echoed these sentiments.

“It is important to have a fully functioning mass transportation system,” Dixon said. “One of the things that businesses look at when they consider moving into to the area, is the quality and efficiency of the mass transport.

“We also have an aging population which need public transportation and our younger people look to it to get to work or school,” she said.

“The Southtowns have been hit hard with this, we need to look at ways to be creative with this,” Dixon said.

Town of Boston Councilmen Jay Boardway and Lawrence Murtha spoke out against the plan, which would see all service stopped within the town.

“Imagine my surprise to hear that Route 74, the only route into Boston, was being eliminated,” Boardway said. “People use it to get to work, school, for health reasons.”

“We are doing our part to help with the public transportation, We provided a 37-space parking lot and are committed to building a $13,000 bus shelter,” he said.

“There is top heaviness within the NFTA which should be eliminated,” Boardway said.

Murtha turned in seven and a half pages of signatures from Boston residents to keep the buses.

He also suggested that NFTA officials should ride the buses in Rochester and see how an efficient mass transportation system is run.

The loss of the bus runs in the Southtowns would heavily hit students at ECC and Hilbert College.

ECC Football Coach Dennis Greene spoke on behalf of his students.

“You eliminate the shuttles between the campuses, our students will not be able to graduate,” Greene said. “We don’t have dorms here and my guys won’t be able to go home.”

“You do this, it will kill ECC,” Greene said.

“We have 50 students who come to college using the NFTA buses,” said Jon Hulbert, student president of Hilbert College. “Without the bus route, these students will not graduate.

“You are supporting poverty by cutting these route,” Hulbert said.

“I took a position in the City of Buffalo because I could take No. 74 to work,” said Karen Bergman of Boston. “I choose to take the bus, if the buses are eliminated, how will the city provide parking for all the people who would now have to drive in there? There is no parking now.”

“We can’t allow this to happen,” Ray Waterman of Hamburg said. “It is time for us to speak up for Southern Erie County. Gowanda is still in Erie County and deserves service too.”

Close to 40 people spoke out against the proposals.

Suggestions were made to possible reduce the frequency of the runs and instituting a moderate price increase in the fares, but everyone asked for the services to be kept.

NFTA officials said they will take all the comments into consideration and a decision will be made by March/April and they estimate they will implement whatever plan they decide on by late April.