BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Senator Tim Kennedy was in Buffalo on Thursday to kick off the NFTA's Bailey Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project and announced $3 million in state funding.
“We’re digging ourselves out of decades of neglect,” Senator Kennedy says. “And we have begun to really restore the level of finances that they need to be, but we have a long way to go and that’s why we’re aggressively working on the budget.”
The NFTA is investing $3.2 million into this project.
“As the bus approaches the traffic signal it will connect with a transponder that we have in each and every bus so that the light turns green for our buses,” says Kim Minkel, executive director of NFTA. “Keep in mind a portion of this project will be dedicated for our buses so not all sections of Bailey Avenue will be sharing traffic with other vehicles.”
Aja Threet, a single mother and NFTA rider, isn’t too pleased with the idea.
“My honest opinion, I don’t think the plan that they have for Bailey Avenue is going to be that successful,” she says. “We’re asking for more routes. we’re asking for more bus drivers. we’re trying to get to the jobs that pay the amount of money we need in order to survive and live.”
This route will run from Bailey, South Park Avenue to Bailey, Main Street.
“The vehicles that would be put on the streets are higher capacity vehicles,” says Minkel. “So although we do have a shortage of operators we will be able to fit more people on these vehicles which will help some of the drivers shortage.”
Business owners are cautiously optimistic.
“It's a very good idea. It’s the safety of the transit,” says Rajpel Singh, owner of City Fashion Buffalo. “But at the same time, they have to find a solution for small businesses when construction starts. We’re already hurting.”
Senator Kennedy says this project will prevent 14 fatal crashes, over a thousand injury crashes, and over 800 property damage crashes.
“That means lives saved, injuries reduced and unnecessary costs prevented," says Kennedy.
The project is expected to have a preliminary design and environmental review completed by 2026.
"If the traffic can be controlled and people have more easy access to the transit then it’s a really good idea,” says Singh.
“The NFTA is a public transportation for a reason because they’re part of our community and we need to work together as a community to make it work for all of us,” says Threet.
