Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "We're just looking for improvement," said Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns, who shared on Tuesday the findings of the year-long "Rate Your Ride" survey, seeking to gauge the Western New York community on how public transportation, specifically the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), can improve to better serve the region.
The survey, conducted and presented voluntarily by law students of Columbia Law School in New York City, found that an overwhelming majority of the 2,305 respondents have serious concerns regarding the "subpar accessibility, service, and safety in the region's transit system, exclusively provided by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority."
Nearly one-third of those surveyed during the past year in Erie and Niagara counties said they are dissatisfied with overall service, notably cleanliness and safety.
“A goal of this survey was to ensure individuals and families who use public transportation and the Paratransit Access Line service have reliable, safe, and easily accessible transportation,” Kearns said. “I am very happy with the survey results, from the number of responses we received, to the positive and negative comments made. I look forward to sharing these results with NFTA officials, along with members of the Buffalo Common Council and the Erie County Legislature.”
The law students, who have previously worked with Kearns on prior initiatives, summarized the predominant issues of the public transit and paratransit users such as safety and cleanliness, detours, lack of available routes, winter/dangers caused by lack of snow removal, bus drivers, accessibility, reliability and information availability, customer service, and the effect on employment.
These problems can mount and make life more difficult, especially for the disabled community who rely on the NFTA to be punctual.
"In order for paratransit to be effective, the NFTA needs to recognize the Americans Disabilities Act, upon which they operate our services is a floor, not a ceiling," says Todd Vaarwerk, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at WNY Independent living. "It is the minimum they must do, not the maximum they can do. So they really need to be looking at opportunities where they should be going beyond the ADA minimums to be able to serve people safely and efficiently. Perhaps looking at picking up people outside of the three quarter mile radius at a bus stop, especially in the suburban areas."
Vaarwerk also notes, “This reports highlights the NFTA success needs to be based on more than just on time performance. I look forward to joining Clerk Kearns in an upcoming meeting with NFTA officials to create workable, immediate solutions for all who use public transportation."