WELCOME

Amherst - Buffalo Transit

Options Public Open House

Meeting

Sponsored byNiagara Frontier Transportation Authority

Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council

Where do you work?

Where do you live? Indicate with green dot

Indicate with red dot

Study Process Flow Chart

Tier 3Detailed

Evaluation of Alternatives

Define No-Build Alternatives

(current year & horizon year)

DetailedAlternatives

Screening Methodology &Evaluation Criteria

Public Involvement and Agency Coordination

Goals and Objectives

Detailed EvaluationMethodology

(FTA rating criteria)

Needs

Define Detailed Build

AlternativesIdentify Long List of

Multi-Modal Alternatives

Conceptual Alternatives

Tier 1 & Tier 2 Screening

Steps

Locally Preferred Alternative

AlternativesAnalysisStudyProcessFatal 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 ScreeningIdentify 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 ScreeningIdentify 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

Fall

2014

Win

ter 2

014

– Sp

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2015

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5 –

Win

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Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4 We Are Here

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

Study Area

• 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)?

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

Long List of LRT Alternatives

Proposed LRT Alternatives Advancing to Tier 2

Niagara Falls Blvd. Bailey AvenueMillersport Highway

Long List of BRT Alternatives

Proposed BRT Alternatives Advancing to Tier 2

Niagara Falls Blvd. Bailey Avenue Millersport Highway

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

Tier 2 Screening CriteriaSUPPORT FOR

TOD

Consistency with local and regional plans and strategies

Number of stations with transit supportive zoning - total of high and medium stations

SYSTEMCONNECTIVITY

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

Typical Cross-Sections: Side Platform LRT Station OptionsDraft Works in Progress - For Discussion Purposes Only

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Section 3 Section 4

Typical Cross-Sections: Center & Tunnel LRT Station OptionsDraft Works in Progress - For Discussion Purposes Only

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Typical Cross-Sections: BRT OptionsDraft Works in Progress - For Discussion Purposes Only

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Section 3 Section 4

Tier 2 Screening Results Matrix

F lood- plains (acres)

W et-lands (acres)

Stream s(feet)

Niagara Falls B lvd LRT 1 (via Bailey, Eggert, Niagara Falls B lvd, Maple and I-990) 1 0 .2 1 1 .0 0 % 4 4 % 2 4 ,0 0 0 1 4 ,7 0 0 1 6 2 6 3 4 3 8 2 1 6 1 6 6 1 2 1 3 .8 1 .3 4 1 9 .0 0 .0 2 1 1

Ni a ga ra Fa l l s B l vd LRT 2 (vi a B a i l e y, Egge rt, Ni a ga ra Fa l l s B l vd , Ma p l e , Jo h n

Ja m e s Au d u b o n Pa rkw a y a n d Mi l l e rs p o rt) 9 .6 1 1 .2 0 % 3 9 % 2 3 ,2 0 0 1 4 ,7 0 0 1 6 2 6 1 7 8 7 8 6 5 1 4 6 1 0 2 1 .1 1 .4 4 9 5 .9 0 .0 2 5 4

Ni a ga ra Fa l l s B l vd LRT 7 (vi a B a i l e y, Egge rt, Ni a ga ra Fa l l s B l vd , Me ye r Rd ,

u n d e r I -290, I -990) 1 0 .2 1 0 .7 0 % 3 9 % 2 4 ,1 0 0 1 4 ,7 0 0 1 5 2 5 3 5 7 8 6 0 5 1 7 6 1 2 1 1 .7 0 .8 3 9 8 .8 0 .1 2 4 4

B a i l e y Ave LRT 1 (vi a B a i l e y, Ma p l e , I -990) 9 .3 7 .0 0 % 4 3 % 2 3 ,5 0 0 1 4 ,6 0 0 1 5 2 5 5 5 6 8 2 5 6 1 6 6 1 2 1 1 .0 0 .7 3 8 5 .8 0 .0 1 8 9

B a i l e y Ave LRT 2 (vi a B a i l e y, Ma p l e , Jo h n Ja m e s Au d u b o n Pa rkw a y a n d Mi l l e rs p o rt) 8 .7 8 .3 0 % 3 6 % 2 2 ,8 0 0 1 4 ,1 0 0 1 5 2 5 4 0 7 7 9 0 5 1 3 6 1 0 2 0 .4 1 .4 4 6 2 .8 0 .0 2 3 2

Mi l l e rs p o rt H w y LRT 1 (vi a B a i l e y, G ro ve r Cl e ve l a n d , Mi l l e rs p o rt, F l i n t, Jo h n Ja m e s

Au d u b o n Pa rkw a y, Mi l l e rs p o rt) 8 .2 4 .7 0 % 2 8 % 2 2 ,9 0 0 1 3 ,5 0 0 1 3 2 3 9 7 6 3 9 8 7 8 5 7 2 1 .2 1 .5 6 2 9 .4 0 .0 1 9 4

Niagara Falls B lvd BRT 1 (via Niagara Falls B lvd, Maple, I-990) 1 1 .5 2 5 .7 1 7 % 3 5 % 2 1 ,1 0 0 1 3 ,8 0 0 3 0 4 0 1 3 2 9 6 1 5 1 7 4 1 7 1 5 .3 2 .2 7 8 2 .1 0 .4 3 0 5

Ni a ga ra Fa l l s B l vd B R T 2 (vi a Ni a ga ra Fa l l s B l vd , Ma p l e , Jo h n Ja m e s Au d u b o n

Pa rkw a y, Mi l l e rs p o rt) 1 0 .9 2 5 .8 1 9 % 3 3 % 2 0 ,8 0 0 1 3 ,6 0 0 3 4 4 4 1 6 7 9 5 8 5 1 7 6 1 6 2 1 .3 1 .9 8 5 4 .3 0 .4 3 6 6

Bailey Ave BRT 1 (via Bailey, Maple, I-990) 9 .8 7 .4 2 7 % 3 9 % 2 0 ,4 0 0 1 3 ,3 0 0 2 3 3 3 1 3 5 8 4 6 5 2 3 4 1 4 1 5 .6 1 .9 5 5 9 .8 0 .0 2 0 7

B a i l e y Ave B R T 2 (vi a B a i l e y, Ma p l e , Jo h n Ja m e s Au d u b o n Pa rkw a y, Mi l l e rs p o rt) 9 .0 6 .8 3 0 % 3 6 % 2 0 ,4 0 0 1 2 ,9 0 0 2 3 3 3 2 6 6 8 4 4 5 2 3 6 1 3 2 1 .3 1 .5 6 3 2 .1 0 .0 2 6 2

Millersport H wy BRT 1 (via Bailey, Grover Cleveland, Millersport, F lint, John Jam es

Audubon Parkway, Millersport) 8 .5 4 .1 3 5 % 3 5 % 1 7 ,8 0 0 1 1 ,5 0 0 1 8 2 8 2 5 1 4 3 2 7 2 1 5 8 2 1 .2 1 .5 5 6 4 .0 0 .0 2 0 1

# OF PROPERTIESAFF ECTED

Projected Park- and-Ride

Patrons, 2035LENGTH OFALT (miles)

Percent Mixed Traff ic

Operations

ENGINEERING / RIGHT OF W AY NEEDS

ALTERNATIVE

PRIVATE LAND AREA AFF ECTED BY GUID EWAY

(acres)

2035 Total Project Boardings (Average

W eekday)

# OF STATIONS W ITH TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE

ZONING - 1/2 m ile station radius - total of high and m edium

stations

Percent Signalized Intersections of

Total Intersections

Travel Tim e between UB

Cam puses (UB South,

University Station- UB

Car H H (Average North, GreinerW eekday) H all), m in.

IM PA CTS TO PA RKS/ RECREA TION /

OPEN SPA CE (acres)

BUS

RAPI

D

TRA

NSI

T

Travel Tim e between UB

Cam puses (D owntown,

Allen Station - UB North,

Greiner H all), m in.

LIG

HT

RAIL

2035 TotalBoardings by 0

COMMERCIAL /RETAIL AREA # OF PARK AND

SERVED (acres) - 1/2 RECREATION AREAS CONNECTING NFTAm ile station radius SERVED BUS ROUTES

Consistency with local and regional

plans and strategies

SUPPORT FOR TOD ENVIRONMENTAL / COMMUNITY IMPACTS

IMPACTS TO W ATER RESOURCES

RIDERSHIP / MARKET SYSTEM CONNECTIVITYDESCRIPTIVE

Niagara Falls Blvd. LRT Alternatives 1 & 2

Niagara Falls Blvd. LRT Alternative 7

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

Niagara Falls Blvd. BRT Alternatives 1 & 2

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

University at Buffalo North Campus

LRT BRT

Millersport Alternatives for UB North Campus

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

What do you like? What would you change?

Remaining Study ScheduleJune 2015 Jul 2015 Aug 2015 Sep 2015 Oct 2015 Nov 2015 Dec 2015 Jan 2015

Tier 2 Decisions

Tier 3 Process

Refine EvaluationCriteriaDefine Alternatives

ConductEvaluation

Develop Life Cycle Costs/Financial Info

LPA Selection Process

Project Steering Committee Meeting

Project Advisory Committee Meeting

Public Open House Meeting

Proposed Alternatives Advancing to Tier 3• LRT» Niagara Falls Boulevard 1

• BRT» Niagara Falls Boulevard 1» Bailey Avenue 1» Millersport Highway 1