BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — There are 4500 bus stops across Western New York, 257 of them have bus shelters, leaving some residents wondering why there stop isn't one of them.
Cheryl Jordan and Samantha Walker volunteer at the Seneca Street CDC, and said taking the bus to the corner of Seneca and Babcock Streets is the only option for many of the people who come to the center.
"You could stand there from anywhere from 15 minutes to a half an hour if your bus is late, and if you have bad knees like I have you can't really stand there," Jordan said.
That's why Walker wrote an email to the NFTA asking for shelters at stops in the area. Writing in her email:
"I am contacting you on behalf of this community. I noticed there are no bus shelters at the stops located on the corners of Babcock and Seneca. It seems crucial that this community have bus shelters, especially being in a lower socioeconomic environment where many of these community members may not have the proper clothing/equipment to protect themselves from rain or the cold harsh winters."
The NFTA said it uses a scoring system to decide where the shelters go. A main consideration of the system is ridership. According to the NFTA, many of the stops that get shelters see 100-200 passengers a day.
Other factors include feasibility, and safety like how well drivers could see the stops.
Some businesses, who have the funds, work with the NFTA and will pay for a shelter themselves.
The NFTA said expanding bus shelters is a top priority, and that it hopes to add 150 of them to Western New York over the next five years.
