NFTA 4 Broadway Bus

NFTA 4 Broadway Bus
Overview
Operator	Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
Garage	Gisel-Wolford (weekday), Frontier (weekend)
Began service	1885 (as streetcar line)
Route
Locale	Buffalo, New York; Cheektowaga, New York
Communities served	Downtown Buffalo, New York
Start	City Line (Michael), Thruway Plaza, Appletree Transit Center
Via	Broadway, Walden, Union

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) 4 Broadway bus line operates in Buffalo, New York.

The 4 Broadway bus serves the following points of interest:

• Buffalo's historic Broadway Market
• Buffalo City Hall
• Thruway Plaza
• Walden Galleria Mall
• Appletree Business Park
• Saint Stanislaus Church
• New York Central Terminal

1885 (beginning)

The 4 Broadway bus line had its beginnings in 1885 as a streetcar line between downtown Buffalo and Emslie Street. At its start, it was referred to as the "Broadway" streetcar.^[1]

1904

The Broadway streetcar operated from the C&B (Cleveland and Buffalo) Docks at the foot of Washington Street, near the site of the present Metro Rail terminal at the foot of Main and Washington Streets.

The line utilized Washington Street in both directions, and headed out Broadway to the city line (referred to then as the City Limits.^[2]

1916

In the middle of the Great World War (World War I), the Broadway streetcar carried the number "4", and originated in Downtown Buffalo at South Division and Ellicott Street, just south of the busy Shelton Square area of Main Street. At the time, east side streetcars did not connect directly with west side streetcars, necessitating a one-block walk west to transfer to the west side cars. The loop that the Broadway streetcars used, using Washington Street, South Division Street, Ellicott Street, and North Division Street would continue to be used until the end of streetcar service altogether in 1950. This trackage was also used by downtown-bound 6 Sycamore and 24 Genesee streetcars too.

From Washington Street, the streetcar service continued northbound on Washington Street, and then eastbound along Broadway to Wagner Street.^[3]

1950

The final day of streetcar service for the City of Buffalo came on July 1, 1950, when the 4 Broadway, 23 Fillmore/Hertel and 24 Genesee streetcars became the final streetcar lines to end service. Less than a half month earlier, on June 18, 1950, the 8 Main, 9 Parkside and 13 Kensington streetcars met the same fate.

The bus service that replaced the streetcar service began with frequent service operating for the first time across Main Street, instead of the Washington/Division/Ellicott/Eagle loop that it had followed for so many years before.

1960s

With the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority acquisition of Buffalo Transit routes during this decade, the 4 Broadway line began moving service eastward into the suburbs.

One branch of the line continued into Lancaster and Alden, using the "4 A", "4 B", "4 D" and "4 F" variations; one branch continued east, then south along Harlem Road towards William Street and Cayuga Creek Road, carrying the "4 J", "4 K", "4 T" and "4 W" variations; and the final variation continued east on Broadway, and north on Harlem to the then new Tiorunda Housing Projects, now Cedargrove Circle, carrying the "4 H" and "4 S" variations.

1970s and 1980s

The bus route 17 Central Terminal ceased operation about this time from the closing of the New York Central Terminal as a rail passenger station and the 4 Broadway line picked up a few trips and designated it as a "4C" variation, causing some buses bypass some of the Broadway Market area while it continued towards the city limits over Fillmore Avenue, Paderewski Drive, and Memorial Drive.

During the schedule change of March 23, 1993, the route "4C" variation was eliminated and service was completely removed from Paderewski Drive.

1993

In 1993, the NFTA system embarked on a new Metro System that streamlined a number of its services and removed some of the service on Broadway, in favor of adding the service to extend other lines.

Route 6 Sycamore was planned to take over service into the Village of Lancaster, but after passenger opposition, some modified service was returned to the Broadway bus line. At least 8 weekday trips were added to run into Lancaster, using Walden, Dick Road and Broadway, to end at Broadway and Central.

Route 1 William took over most of Cayuga service area, and operates more frequent service to Appletree Business Park. Route 4 Broadway still services the business park, but heads south from Walden Avenue using Union Road after serving the Walden Galleria Mall.

In 1994, the "4H" and "4S" variations were combined into a new "4M Main" variation that operated even further north to Main Street and the Park Club Lane area that has been experiencing expansion into a business park type setting. This variation operated for approximately two years before being discontinued, truncating service north of Broadway to terminate at the Thruway Plaza Transit Center.

2000s

The route 4 Broadway bus experienced even further streamlining so that the current alignment operates only to Michael Loop (City Line), Thruway Plaza (Harlem), and Appletree Business Park (Appletree).

References

1. ^ Pilkey Guide to Streets and Street Railways, 1897
2. ^ Pilkey's Street and Street Railway Service Guide, 1904
3. ^ Greater Buffalo's Street and Streetcar Service Guide, 1916

External links

• Current Route #4 - Broadway map, retrieved on August 5, 2008.