Executive Director's Message

 The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is a multimodal entity encompassing a skilled and dedicated workforce. We are firmly committed to providing efficient and professional transportation services that enhance the quality of life throughout the Buffalo Niagara region in a manner consistent with the needs of our customers.

The NFTA's goal is to go beyond serving current needs of our customers with an eye toward the future. Our efforts to attract low fare airlines to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport has had a positive effect of lowering overall airfares, making our airport more affordable for our customers. In 2009 the airport served 5.3 million passengers, surpassing the five million mark for the fourth consecutive year.

In addition, the BNIA has undergone a cosmetic makeover in its access area with a $5.9 million expansion of the checkpoint area. We now have nine security lanes that have dramatically reduce the time it takes to clear security to a maximum of approximately 15 minutes. We have also expanded the size of our food court that now features local favorite The Anchor Bar with its famous Buffalo chicken wings and pre-security, have added the Lake Erie Pub to cater to “meet and greeters”.

We opened a new state-of-art $31.5 million terminal at the Niagara Falls International Airport in December 2009. Designed to better accommodate modern passenger jets and improve passenger’s security experience, the new terminal at 69,430 square-feet is more than triple the size of the current one. The creative design of the new terminal reflects the grandeur of the Niagara community, promoting a positive "Gateway Image" to the region. The two-gate facility provides for efficient, customer friendly passenger processing, a two level layout for jet bridge boarding, food/beverage concessions, fully functional TSA inspection facilities, in-line baggage screening, eight stationary ticket counter stations, car rental and a multi-model Metro transit center.

At NFTA-Metro we are aggressively working to enhance the quality of life of residents and visitors by providing the highest level of responsive and reliable transportation through a coordinated and convenient bus and rail system. In the coming months our Metro Bus system will be undergoing numerous changes, designed to improve the way it delivers service and implement a simplified fare structure that will make Metro more user friendly. In addition, Metro Rail will start to receive the first of its rebuilt railcars that will provide riders with a much smoother ride.

Over the next two years Metro will be adding 91 news buses to its fleet. We are scheduled to receive 11 hybrid buses in this spring, with an additional 24 arriving in January 2011. We also will be adding 56 efficient diesel buses starting September 2010.

Utilizing clean running hybrids is part of our GO GREEN commitment and demonstrates the NFTA’s willingness to explore every possible alternative for cost-effective, clean-air transportation. By adding hybrid bus technology to our current fleet, we are not only being socially responsible by reducing air pollution, we are lowering our operating costs based on improved fuel consumption and a decrease in maintenance costs.

Our property department continues to diligently manage the NFTA Boat Harbor and develop NFTA owned real property to optimize the generation of self-supporting discretionary revenue to support our transportation businesses while fostering economic growth.

On behalf of the 1,543 dedicated men and women who work at the NFTA, it is our collective hope that you find favor with the various services that we provide. I also hope that you find our Web site, nfta.com to be helpful and informative while at the same time opening another channel of communication for you to reach us. Please send us an e-mail if you have a question or a comment. We love to hear from our customers, as it allows us an opportunity to provide you with the best and most informative customer service possible.

Sincerely,

Lawrence M. Meckler