Buffalo’s metro expansion offers up an example of light rail transit that can both drive ridership and development along the corridor, something the city of Buffalo has recognized it needed for decades. With just over six miles of track, the system has a per mile ridership on par with many more transit rich cities throughout the country, and is advancing an expansion proposal that will further connect vital economic centers, finally completing what was once known as Phase One for metro. One system that has achieved this balance, on a small scale, is the Niagara-Frontier Transportation Authority’s (NFTA) Metro Rail, located in Buffalo, New York. While there are many reasons for the success or failure of each individual project, one of the most prominent reasons is the lack of connectivity between where people live and where people work. Cities across the country have poured money into expanding light rail systems for several decades, with few achieving the success they had promised.

Metro nfta