Students will now have the chance to explore Downtown Buffalo with new discounted rail passes. For $20 per year, students will be able to enjoy various activities downtown without the worry of purchasing a ticket for every ride.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) and UB Parking and Transportation Services have established an agreement to allow students on the rail system with discounted passes.
"We have been working for years to try to work together with the university for a university pass program, and this is of course a success," said Lawrence Meckler, executive director at the NFTA. "We have programs at five other colleges in the area, and this is a partnership that will help both SUNY and the NFTA."
The discounted pass system is set up at numerous other colleges in the Buffalo area. Students at Canisius College, Erie Community College, Buffalo State College, Medaille College, and Bryant and Stratton College all ride both bus and rail at a discounted price.
"The school pays the NFTA a fee for each semester. Depending on the school, it's roughly $30 per pass," Meckler said. "Some schools may charge the students. Some build it into a transportation fee."
Many students who attend UB and other schools are financially dependent on their families. These students can encounter difficulties getting around Buffalo outside of their designated schools if they don't own a car or if they simply can't afford to.
Using public transportation is not only economical for students, it is also positive for the environment. By using the rail system, traffic can become less congested traveling to and from Downtown Buffalo. The number of vehicles seen on each campus may decrease as well.
"We probably carry about 27,000 people a day, and the more people that begin to use the rail system, it could create a mentality for students to look forward to and possibly make them riders for the long term," Meckler said. "Bus and rail is good for the community, and the better system you have, [the] better for the community to get around. It's just environmentally friendly."
Overall, by using public transportation, the school's carbon emissions should decrease considerably.
It isn't a secret that UB has parking issues. Many students are forced to come to campus earlier in order to find parking in time for class.
Students and faculty members now have the option of parking their cars at LaSalle station and getting to campus using the rail system. In just five minutes, they can expect to reach South Campus with the option of transferring on to one of the school shuttles for further transportation.
"The pilot program will support use of the NFTA's rail system, provide connectivity between our campuses, decrease the number of vehicles coming to campus, while reducing the university's carbon footprint," said Maria Wallace, director for Parking and Transportation Services in an interview with UB News Center. "It is another step forward toward greening UB."
Although the NFTA rail schedule does not run 24 hours a day, students are welcome to expect changes if the demand for rail use starts to increase.
"Right now, we haven't seen any immediate changes, but if the demand is there and the program is a success, then the NFTA would be open in going forward to extend the hours," Meckler said. "This is just the start and I think a lot depends on the success and the demand."
On the other hand, many people just don't want to deal with public transportation at all.
"People who drive do so just so they won't have to deal with public transportation. It's not that public transportation is horrendous, but you don't have to rely on anyone else to get where you need to go," said Melissa Magris, a junior psychology major.
If more members of the community begin to utilize the NFTA bus and rail system, they will be able to demand more dependable service and expect to receive it because of the increase in customers. The NFTA promotes the expansion of their service as long as the demand is there.
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
