UB's North Campus could become the next stop on Buffalo's metro-rail line. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) has been awarded $1.2 million that will allow for a study on the Amherst-Buffalo Corridor's transportation system.
The NFTA received the grant from the Federal Transit Administration as a part of an alternative analysis program. The study will allow the NFTA to become eligible for "new starts" funding that will allow for the study's recommendations to be implemented.
"[The grant] will be used to identify ways to increase speed, ease and convenience of commuting in the well-travelled Amherst-Buffalo corridor," said C. Douglas Hartmayer, director of public affairs for the NFTA. "[The study] will analyze every which way possible to increase that speed, ease and convenience."
The NFTA will conduct the analysis in conjunction with the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Transit Council, Erie County, the City of Buffalo, the Town of Amherst, and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
The possible rail extension to the North Campus is one of many things that will be examined by the study. In addition, a combination of bus rapid transit, enhanced bus services, and park-and-ride locations can all make improvements to the transportation system, according to Hartmayer.
The study is based on what Hartmayer said are the "significant developments" taking place at UB and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
Commuter traffic will increase as UB moves its medical campus downtown, which will "intensify" the demands for public transport, according to Maria Wallace, director of Parking and Transportation Services at UB.
Expansions of the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus will increase its employment to nearly 12,000 by 2012, further increasing the traffic in a heavily traveled area.
"Expansion of the light rail will be pivotal; there are many untapped areas." Wallace said. "The connectivity to the North Campus and its surrounding neighborhoods will truly link our campuses and our city."
Bobbie Hangen, a junior pre-med, exercise science and psychology major, thinks the rail extension would be helpful beyond just those in the medical program. Hangen thinks it could provide students with the opportunity to get a better perspective of what the City of Buffalo has to offer. She also thinks students will be more apt to get out of the "Amherst bubble" if the direct line to North Campus is constructed.
"Not only will they be able to try new restaurants, see Buffalo's art culture, and attend festivals, [but] it will also provide greater access to jobs and internships," Hangen said. "It brings students to the heart of the city."
Around Jan. 1, bids will go out to begin the selection process for vendors and consultants who will conduct the analysis. A selection committee will make the final decisions.
"We want to make sure we have the best company possible to do this work, that has a track record of success in the area," Hartmayer said.
The analysis will evaluate "all reasonable public transport" and "the general alignment options to address transportation needs and opportunities throughout the [Amherst-Buffalo Corridor]," according to Hartmayer.
"The medical campus, of course, is downtown and is helping revitalize downtown," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer in a statement to WIVB-TV on Oct. 13. "UB and a lot of the scientists and researchers are out there by Amherst. So if we can get the link together, it will help improve both ends."
The analysis is expected to begin in March and will last 18-24 months.
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
