UB students, faculty and staff can now travel to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus' downtown destinations for free with a UB card.
The newly added Blue Line Circulator Shuttle and the extended South Campus Orange Line will connect North and South campuses to the University's growing downtown campus.
The UB Stampede buses provide transportation from North Campus to South Campus. The Orange Line available at Main Circle on South Campus takes people directly to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Allen Medical Campus Station stop where the Circular Shuttle is available.
"At Main Circle you can hop on the Orange Line, which will take you downtown where you can walk to many of our UB properties or wait for the Blue Line Circulator Shuttle to drive you around," said Maria Wallace, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
The single shuttle, which was added last week, is marked by a 'UB believes in Buffalo Niagara,' wrap-around design.
"That's what people should look for when they are downtown. It makes travel between our properties seamless," Wallace said.
The route begins at the Allen Station and will continue to other UB-owned properties including the Research Institute on Addictions, Center of Excellence (COE) and the Ira G. Ross Eye Institute. The planned extension of the service to Roswell Park, Children's Hospital and Buffalo General will happen within weeks.
The expected growth of new university properties and student facilities downtown pushed the initiative to link the three campuses, according to Wallace.
"UB will continue to develop in downtown. There will be student labs perhaps at the Center of Excellence this coming fall," she said.
The Circulator Shuttle service will accommodate those with responsibilities on different campuses. Wallace explained that this free ride might also gain students' interest in the downtown area and the new campus.
"Providing the avenue to get downtown will perhaps spark interest to get downtown. And as labs and classrooms are added, students will need a way to get downtown (as early as next fall)," Wallace said. "It's promoted as a link to our Downtown Campus but there's much to be seen in the Buffalo area."
UB students who live and study on North and South campuses see the potential of using the new shuttle services when they need to attend classes there.
"I really don't have any classes there, but if I did I'd use it. It would save gas money," said Chelsea Aldrich, a junior psychology major.
Students who commute from areas close to North and South Campus like Hussen Moussa, a freshman exercise science major, do not see themselves using the shuttle to get to the downtown campus.
"I think it's a good idea if you have classes over there," Moussa said. "I live in Buffalo and I use the Metro, which I get for free."
More shuttles will be added if the demand rises, according to Wallace. This is the initial step in extending transportation services with the school's UB 2020 commitment.
The shuttle is also being offered as a service to students, faculty and university staff living in the zip codes along or within the Circulator Shuttle's route to get to North and South Campus, as an alternative to driving. Those living in these areas should expect correspondence from the UB Parking and Transportation Services making them aware of the new shuttle service.
"Hopefully that will be a use to me being a biomedical sciences major and I commute. I heard about the campus, but I don't know where it is. I might (use the shuttle) if I find out more information about it," said sophomore Britt Marshall.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
