metro rail

Citizens for Regional Transit submitted public comments for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the UB/Amherst Metro Rail Expansion.

CRT Public Comments

NFTA Metro Transit

19 August 2025

My name is Douglas Funke. I am a 45-year Amherst resident (Willowridge area) and the President of Citizens for Regional Transit, a nonprofit transit advocacy organization.

We strongly support this project and the light rail transit (LRT) alternative, which we believe is the only one that meets the project objectives, especially:

• “Providing attractive high-quality transit service.”
• “Mitigating growth of traffic congestion ...”
• “Supporting sustainable economic growth ...”
• “Minimizing adverse community and environmental impacts.”

Here’s why the bus rapid transit (BRT) alternative fails to meet objectives.

• BRT retains the transit barrier at University Station. Riders must exit high-capacity trains (hundreds per train), go to street level and wait for the next 60-person bus.
• BRT buses will operate in mixed traffic on Main and Kenmore, degrading speed and reliability.
• Articulated buses can have trouble in snow. Just ask Toronto.
• BRT will attract fewer riders pushing more people to drive – more congestion and disease-causing pollution.

Here’s why LRT is the best (and only viable) choice.

A video on Bus Rapid Transit that explains why it's the wrong choice for the UB/Amherst Extension (but right for Bailey Avenue!)

Jim Gordon went on to WBEN Radio to talk about Metro Rail expansion.

https://www.audacy.com/podcast/hardline-73616/episodes/jim-gordon-7-9-5…

Updated 2022 by DARSHANA SUBRAMANIAM, CORNELL UNIVERSITY HIGH ROAD FELLOW
Original Work by ELIZABETH TABER, 2021 CORNELL UNIVERSITY HIGH ROAD FELLOW

Citizens for Regional Transit offered comments on the proposed 2023-24 budget for the NFTA. Click the link below to read them.

Our Board member Bradley Bethel contributed a guest article about Metro Rail expansion in Buffalo Rising magazine, which you can find here.

This extension analysis was performed for Citizens for Regional Transit by Cornell University High Roads Fellow Elizabeth Taber in 2021.

Citizens for Regional Transit submitted comments to the Federal Transit Administration on the DEIS for Metro Rail's proposed UB/Amherst Extension.

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.