BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is working to make sure service is not disrupted for any commuters after a year of decreased ridership and travel put a big dent in the budget.
The NFTA received $84 million from the federal CARES act which helped to sustain the expenses across airport, rail, and bus operations for 2020.
But, it’s looking for another $50 million in this next round of funding from the package being hammered out on Capitol Hill now in order to maintain all services for next year.
The budget that was passed on December 10 exists with about $10 million in cuts, but mostly on the administrative side with hiring freezes, overtime reductions, and service changes to express and low-ridership routes.
The change in routes took place at the beginning of the pandemic to help with maximizing social distancing and maintenance of schedule on high traffic routes.
Riders we spoke with say they have not noticed any changes to their normal service except for more mask-wearing, new on-and-off boarding procedures, and additional sanitation stations.
