This document summarizes a public open house meeting for a transit study between Amherst and Buffalo, New York. It presented the study process, alternatives being considered, and results of screening so far. Light rail transit and bus rapid transit alternatives on Niagara Falls Boulevard and Bailey Avenue were identified to advance to further analysis in the next phase of the study. The meeting provided information on the alternatives and sought public input to help identify a locally preferred alternative for the corridor by fall 2015.

1. WELCOME
Amherst - Buffalo Transit Options
Public Open House Meeting
Sponsored by
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council

2. Where do you work?
Where do you live?
Indicate with
green dot
Indicate with
red dot

3. Study Process Flow Chart
Tier 3
Detailed Evaluation
of Alternatives
Define No-Build
Alternatives
(current year &
horizon year)
Detailed
Alternatives
Screening Methodology &
Evaluation Criteria
Public Involvement and
Agency Coordination
Goals and
Objectives
Detailed Evaluation
Methodology
(FTA rating criteria)
Needs
Define Detailed
Build Alternatives
Identify Long List of
Multi-Modal
Alternatives
Conceptual
Alternatives
Tier 1 & Tier 2
Screening Steps
Locally Preferred
Alternative

4. Alternatives Analysis Study Process
Fatal Flaw Analysis – Tier 1 Screening
Establish Universe (Long List) of Alternatives
Apply Purpose and Need Test and Market Assessment (transit mode)
Reasonable Test #1 and Test #2
Fatal Flaw Results (Tier 1 Results)
Public Open House Meeting – November 2014
Conceptual Analysis – Tier 2 Screening
Identify Alternatives that Advance to Tier 2
Provide High Level Conceptual Engineering and Apply Evaluation
Criteria to Screen Alternatives
Conceptual Analysis (Tier 2) Results
Public Open House Meeting
Detailed Analysis – Tier 3 Screening
Identify Reasonable Range of Alternatives that Advance to Detailed
Level Analysis
Conduct Detailed Definition of Alternatives
Apply Evaluation Criteria to Alternatives
Alternatives Analysis Results (Tier 3 Results)
Public Open House Meeting – Fall 2015
Recommendation of a Locally Preferred Alternative
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Fall2014Winter2014–Spring
2015
Summer2015–Winter
2015
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4 We Are Here

5. Draft Purpose and Need
Purpose
• Provide a fast, reliable, safe, and convenient
transit ride in the Amherst-Buffalo corridor
• Link activity centers
• Support planned regional economic
development
Need
• Expanded transit service is needed to serve:
» Ongoing development and redevelopment
» Existing and new activity centers
» Transit-dependent populations in the study
area

6. Study Area

7. • Conventional buses or special BRT
vehicles
• Interior (seats, doors) for:
» Efficient boarding, alighting
» Easy internal
circulation
• Permanent, weather
protected
• Passenger information, amenities
• Secure, well-lit
• Convey system identity with branding
Stations & Terminals
• Variety of sizes, floor heights
Priority Bus Lanes
• Operate in a broad
variety of physical and
operating environments
• Vehicles receive priority to move
faster than general traffic
• Critical design parameters:
» Safely supports rapid, reliable
service, enforcement
» System identity
Systems
• Passenger information
• Off-board, advanced fare
collection
• Traffic signal prioritization
• Automatic Vehicle
Location
Vehicles
What is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

8. What is Light Rail Transit? (LRT)
• Buffalo’s Metro Rail is an example of LRT
• Can operate on streets or dedicated Right-of-Way
• Can have raised platforms or street-level boarding
of passengers
• High passenger capacity
• Increased reliability
Buffalo, NY NFTA Metro LRT

9. Long List of LRT Alternatives

10. Proposed LRT Alternatives Advancing to Tier 2
Niagara Falls Blvd. Bailey Avenue Millersport Highway

11. Long List of BRT Alternatives

12. Proposed BRT Alternatives Advancing to Tier 2
Niagara Falls Blvd. Bailey Avenue Millersport Highway

13. Preferential and Enhanced Bus Alternatives
to be Evaluated in Tier 3
Preferential Bus Alternative Enhanced Bus Alternative

14. Tier 2 Screening Criteria
SUPPORT FOR
TOD
Consistency with local and
regional plans and strategies
Number of stations with
transit supportive zoning -
total of high and medium
stations
SYSTEM
CONNECTIVITY
Connecting NFTA bus routes
Number of park and
recreation areas served
ENGINEERING/
RIGHT-OF-WAY
NEEDS
Percent mixed traffic
operations
Percent signalized intersec-
tions of total intersections
Private land area affected
by guideway (acres)
ENVIRONMENTAL/
COMMUNITY
IMPACTS
Impacts to parks, recreation,
open space (acres)
Impacts to water resources
Floodplains (acres)
Wetlands (acres)
Streams (feet)
Number of properties
affected
RIDERSHIP/
MARKET
2035 total project boardings
(avg. weekday)
Travel time between UB
campuses (UB South,
University Station- UB
North, Greiner Hall)
minimum
Travel time between UB
campuses (Downtown, Allen
Station - UB North, Greiner
Hall) minimum
2035 projected park & ride
patrons
2035 total boardings by
zero car households
(avg. weekday)
Commercial/retail area
served (sf)
1/2 mi station radius

15. Typical Cross-Sections: Side Platform LRT Station Options
Draft Works in Progress - For Discussion Purposes Only
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
StaggeredSide
PlatformStation
StaggeredSide
PlatformStation
StaggeredSide
PlatformStation
StaggeredSide
PlatformStation
Section 1 Section 2
Section 3 Section 4

16. Typical Cross-Sections: Center & Tunnel LRT Station Options
Draft Works in Progress - For Discussion Purposes Only
TunnelNo
Station
Section 5 Section 6
Section 7 Section 8
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
CenterPlatform
Station
CenterPlatform
Station
TunnelSide
PlatformStation

17. Typical Cross-Sections: BRT Options
Draft Works in Progress - For Discussion Purposes Only
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
ExistingStreet
Section
MixedTraffic
Operation
Dedicated
Outside
Lane
Dedicated
InsideLane
Dedicated
Outside
Lane
Section 1 Section 2
Section 3 Section 4

18. Tier 2 Screening Results Matrix
Flood-
plains
(acres)
Wet-lands
(acres)
Streams
(feet)
Niagara Falls Blvd LRT 1 (via Bailey, Eggert,
Niagara Falls Blvd, Maple and I-990) 10.2 11.0 0% 44% 24,000 14,700 16 26 343 821 6 16 6 12 13.8 1.3 419.0 0.0 211
Nia ga ra Fa ll s Blvd LRT 2 (via Ba il e y,
Egge rt, Nia ga ra Fa ll s Blvd, Ma ple , John
Ja me s Audubon Pa rkwa y a nd Mille rs port) 9.6 11.2 0% 39% 23,200 14,700 16 26 178 786 5 14 6 10 21.1 1.4 495.9 0.0 254
Nia ga ra Fa ll s Blvd LRT 7 (via Ba il e y,
Egge rt, Nia ga ra Fa ll s Blvd, Me ye r Rd,
unde r I-290, I-990) 10.2 10.7 0% 39% 24,100 14,700 15 25 357 860 5 17 6 12 11.7 0.8 398.8 0.1 244
Ba il e y Ave LRT 1 (via Ba il e y, Ma ple , I-990) 9.3 7.0 0% 43% 23,500 14,600 15 25 556 825 6 16 6 12 11.0 0.7 385.8 0.0 189
Ba il e y Ave LRT 2 (via Ba il e y, Ma ple , John
Ja me s Audubon Pa rkwa y a nd Mille rs port) 8.7 8.3 0% 36% 22,800 14,100 15 25 407 790 5 13 6 10 20.4 1.4 462.8 0.0 232
Mille rs port Hwy LRT 1 (via Ba il e y, Grove r
Cle ve la nd, Mille rs port, Flint, John Ja me s
Audubon Pa rkwa y, Mille rs port) 8.2 4.7 0% 28% 22,900 13,500 13 23 976 398 7 8 5 7 21.2 1.5 629.4 0.0 194
Niagara Falls Blvd BRT 1 (via Niagara Falls
Blvd, Maple, I-990) 11.5 25.7 17% 35% 21,100 13,800 30 40 132 961 5 17 4 17 15.3 2.2 782.1 0.4 305
Nia ga ra Fa ll s Blvd BRT 2 (via Nia ga ra
Fa ll s Blvd, Ma ple , John Ja me s Audubon
Pa rkwa y, Mille rs port) 10.9 25.8 19% 33% 20,800 13,600 34 44 167 958 5 17 6 16 21.3 1.9 854.3 0.4 366
Bailey Ave BRT 1 (via Bailey, Maple, I-990) 9.8 7.4 27% 39% 20,400 13,300 23 33 135 846 5 23 4 14 15.6 1.9 559.8 0.0 207
Ba il e y Ave BRT 2 (via Ba il e y, Ma ple , John
Ja me s Audubon Pa rkwa y, Mille rs port) 9.0 6.8 30% 36% 20,400 12,900 23 33 266 844 5 23 6 13 21.3 1.5 632.1 0.0 262
Millersport Hwy BRT 1 (via Bailey, Grover
Cleveland, Millersport, Flint, John James
Audubon Parkway, Millersport) 8.5 4.1 35% 35% 17,800 11,500 18 28 251 432 7 21 5 8 21.2 1.5 564.0 0.0 201
# OF PROPERTIES
AFFECTED
Projected Park-
and-Ride
Patrons, 2035
LENGTH OF
ALT (miles)
Percent Mixed
Traffic
Operations
ENGINEERING / RIGHT OF W AY NEEDS
ALTERNATIVE
PRIVATE LAND
AREA AFFECTED
BY GUIDEWAY
(acres)
2035 Total
Project Boardings
(Average
Weekday)
# OF STATIONS WITH
TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE
ZONING - 1/2 mile
station radius - total
of high and medium
stations
Percent Signalized
Intersections of
Total Intersections
Travel Time
between UB
Campuses (UB
South,
University
Station- UB
Car HH (Average North, Greiner
Weekday) Hall), min.
IMPACTS TO PARKS
/ RECREATION /
OPEN SPACE (acres)
BUSRAPID
TRANSIT
Travel Time
between UB
Campuses
(Downtown,
Allen Station -
UB North,
Greiner Hall),
min.
LIGHT
RAIL
2035 Total
Boardings by 0
COMMERCIAL /
RETAIL AREA # OF PARK AND
SERVED (acres) - 1/2 RECREATION AREAS CONNECTING NFTA
mile station radius SERVED BUS ROUTES
Consistency with
local and regional
plans and
strategies
SUPPORT FOR TOD ENVIRONMENTAL / COMMUNITY IMPACTS
IMPACTS TO WATER RESOURCES
RIDERSHIP / MARKET SYSTEM CONNECTIVITYDESCRIPTIVE

19. Niagara Falls Blvd. LRT Alternatives 1 & 2

20. Niagara Falls Blvd. LRT Alternative 7

21. Bailey Avenue LRT Alternatives 1 & 2
and Millersport Highway LRT Alternative 1

22. Niagara Falls Blvd. BRT Alternatives 1 & 2

23. Bailey Avenue BRT Alternatives 1 & 2
and Millersport Highway BRT Alternative 1

24. University at Buffalo North Campus
LRT BRT
Millersport Alternatives for
UB North Campus

25. Next Steps
• Reach Consensus on Alternatives Advancing
to Tier 3
• Refine Alternatives (cross-section/ROW need,
possible truncation/MOS, station locations, etc.)
• Develop Analysis for Tier 3 Alternatives
• Identify Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)
• Hold Committee and Public Open House
Meeting on LPA
» Tentatively October 2015
• LPA moves to the next project phase
» Federal and State environmental review
» Preliminary and final engineering
» Construction

26. What do you like? What would you change?

27. Remaining Study Schedule
June 2015 Jul 2015 Aug 2015 Sep 2015 Oct 2015 Nov 2015 Dec 2015 Jan 2015
Tier 2 Decisions
Tier 3 Process
Refine Evaluation
Criteria
Define
Alternatives
Conduct
Evaluation
Develop Life Cycle
Costs/Financial Info
LPA Selection Process
Project Steering
Committee Meeting
Project Advisory
Committee Meeting
Public Open House
Meeting

28. Proposed Alternatives Advancing to Tier 3
• LRT
» Niagara Falls Boulevard 1
• BRT
» Niagara Falls Boulevard 1
» Bailey Avenue 1
» Millersport Highway 1