There is a new coalition in Buffalo aimed at improving your ride to work. It's called "Go Buffalo Niagara" and its mission is to improve transportation options for commuters in the Buffalo region.
Go Buffalo Niagara is a consortium of transportation organizations in the region such as the NFTA and Go Bike Buffalo, as well as business-related organizations.
"As we're seeing greater investment now back into our downtown and the trend of employers and residents moving back in to these existing communities and certainly places like the medical campus which are continuing to grow, it's important that we have different choices for people getting to work in these locations," notes Kelly Dixon, a Senior Planner with the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council.
"We know from major data sources like the census that back in around 1970, 33% of people in the region got to work by taking alternative transportation options, but currently today it's only about 18% of workers in the region that get to their jobs by using public transportation, walking, biking and carpooling. Certainly with this trend of reinvestment happening back into the city of Buffalo and other dense locations we really need to strengthen the options available," says Dixon.
Go Buffalo Niagara has initiated a survey to better understand people's perceptions about transportation what options they currently have. (You can find Go Buffalo Niagara's survey by clicking here.)
Dixon says Go Buffalo Niagara's first step is to ensure people are aware of transportation options and to work toward improving those existing options.