East Side Metro Rail Extension Analysis by Citizens for Regional Transit President Doug Funke. Presented at the CRT Fall Quaterly Public Meeting, 27 October 2021.
Our Metro Rail Expansion comments as submitted to the FTA on 14 October 2021.
These were our comments provided for the NFTA's Public Hearings between August 23 and 25, 2021.
Citizens for Regional Transit provides this document outlining our infrastructure policy recommendations.
Here is the recording of the May 13th CRT Quarterly Meeting, along with our slideshow presentation.
At the 2021 CRT Annual Meeting, Hal Morse, Executive Director of the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council presented exploration of expectations after the recent elections.
CRT President Doug Funke submitted an Another Voice essay to the Buffalo News, about the need of increases in rail transport to mitigate the effects of global climate change.
https://buffalonews.com/2020/04/29/increased-rail-transport-needed-to-m…
The world is changing in ways that demand a bold new vision for mobility based on clean, reliable public transportation. The 20th century dream of a car in every driveway has become unsustainable. Our cities have been turned into parking lots, our “freeways” are clogged with stop-and-go traffic, our air is polluted with gases and particulates that cause cancer and asthma, and our climate – planet-wide – is changing in ways that increase the frequency of dangerous weather events and threaten our coastlines and economies. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Erie County is not electrical energy generation or industry, but rather transportation (at 40%, primarily from cars). If we expect people to drive less, alternatives must be provided.
Statement by Citizens for Regional Transit President Doug Funke:
"As the President of Citizens for Regional Transit, I want to personally thank Assemblyman Sean Ryan and Assemblywoman Karen McMahon for their leadership and support for public transportation in Buffalo-Niagara, and specifically for their effort to increase state financial support for NFTA maintenance, operations and capital improvements. Without an increase in state transit operating assistance (STOA), which have not kept up with our cumulative maintenance needs for many years, our bus and rail system will continue to degrade, as will the public transportation service that we all depend on. Lack of adequate funding for public transportation invariably leads to more deferred maintenance and degraded service, and ultimately digs a deeper and deeper fiscal hole to dig out of. Further, an inability to keep up with system maintenance and needed capital investments, not only degrades transit service, it also jeopardizes our ability to qualify for the federal funds needed for critical projects like the Buffalo-Amherst extension. Leadership and support from Assemblyman Ryan and Assemblywoman McMahon are critical and greatly appreciated.
We have a new petition out to call upon the Erie County Legislature to begin significant investments in sustainable public transit.