Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center

The Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center is located on the southeast corner of North Division and Ellicott Streets in Downtown Buffalo, New York. The transportation center is open 24 hours daily.

Managed by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, it operates as a major transportation hub for a number of NFTA Metro bus routes, as well as inter-city bus services. Its location is also of importance in that this terminal sits as normally the first stop on the busy Toronto-New York City bus corridor in the United States.

Built in 1977, the architectural firm of [http://www.cannondesign.com Cannon Design, Inc.] created a terminal that is a "pleasant and even exciting space to experience, with views of travelers, buses and the city beyond afforded by comparatively large areas of glazing". [cite book |last=Kowsky |first=Francis R. |title=Buffalo Architecture: A Guide |publisher=MIT Press |location=Cambridge, MA |year=1981 |page=85 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gAwO1bacaqIC]

Inside the Terminal

Aside from being the main offices for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and the Buffalo area base office for Greyhound Lines, Inc. (which does ticketing for the majority of the bus service from the terminal) there are businesses that are made available for passengers and employees of the bus station.

* Craig and Craig Twin Bakery
* NFTA Metro Information Kiosk
* NFTA Transit Police sub-station
* Vending Machines

In the past, Burger King had an outlet in the terminal that was later turned into a "Travelers Cafe", operated briefly by Greyhound Lines. The space for the restaurant has now been converted into a waiting area for passengers waiting for local bus service. In addition, a gift shop existed for a number of years and has been vacated and turned into a larger office area for the NFTA Transit Police sub-station.

Intercity Bus Lines Serving the Terminal

Greyhound Bus Lines

* Buffalo to Batavia, Rochester, Geneva, Ithaca, Binghamton, New York City

* Buffalo to Batavia, Rochester, Syracuse, Cortland, Binghamton, New York City

* Buffalo to Batavia, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, Albany, Boston

* Buffalo to Erie, Cleveland

Greyhound Lines of Canada

* Buffalo to Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby, Oakville, Toronto

Coach USA - Erie

* Buffalo to Lackawanna, Angola, Dunkirk, Fredonia, Jamestown

* Buffalo to East Aurora, Holland, Machias, Arcade, Franklinville, Olean

= Megabus =

* Buffalo to Toronto (non-stop only)

* Buffalo to New York City (non-stop)

* Buffalo to Binghamton, New York City (semi-express)

Coach Canada-Trentway Wagar

* Buffalo to Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby, Toronto

New York Trailways, Adirondack Trailways, Pine Hill Trailways

* Buffalo to Batavia, Rochester, Geneva, Ithaca, Binghamton, New York City

* Buffalo to Batavia, Rochester, Syracuse, Cortland, Binghamton, New York City

Lakefront Trailways

* Buffalo to Dunkirk, Erie, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Fairfield

Fullington Trailways

* Buffalo to Springville, Olean, DuBois (PA)

NeOn Bus

* Buffalo to New York City (Penn Station)

Sources: Russell's Motor Coach Guide (various editions)

Local Bus Routes directly serving the Terminal

* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_040.asp 40 Grand Island] (Niagara Falls) at gate 14.

Board on Ellicott at North Division Streets

* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_006.asp 6 Sycamore] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_008.asp 8 Main] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_014.asp 14 Abbott] (inbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_016.asp 16 South Park] (inbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_024.asp 24 Genesee] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_036.asp 36 Hamburg] (inbound)

Board on North Division at Ellicott Streets

* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_003.asp 3 Grant] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_005.asp 5 Niagara] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_011.asp 11 Colvin] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_015.asp 15 Seneca] (inbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_020.asp 20 Elmwood] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_025.asp 25 Delaware] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_060.asp 60 Niagara Falls Express] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_074.asp 74 Boston Express] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_076.asp 76 Lotus Bay Express] (outbound)
* Route [http://nfta.com/metro/route_204.asp 204 Airport Express] (outbound)

Nearly all buses operating into Downtown Buffalo come within a short walk (maximum of three city blocks) of the transportation center.

Gate Assignments

Additionally

In the later part of 1999, proposals were made for an updating of the terminal, including a new shopping area, restaurant, and updated passenger waiting area for NFTA Metro passengers, as well as intercity bus passengers.

The Buffalo News continued stories on this, as well as progress made on the creation of an intermodal transportation facility on the site of the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, effectively linking Amtrak Trains with intercity buses, and local buses under one roof...similar to the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center partway across the state in Syracuse, New York.

References

External links

* [http://www.coachcanada.com Coach Canada]
* [http://www.coachusa.com Coach USA]
* [http://www.greyhound.com Greyhound Lines]
* [http://www.megabus.com Mega Bus]
* [http://www.neonbus.com NeOn Bus]
* [http://nfta.com Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority]