Letter to the editor- NFTA cutting routes

I agree with this letter writer. The NFTA's new plan to cut bus routes hurts the poorest among us. The poor, the elderly, and the disabled use buses most often. If the incompetent suits at the NFTA are looking to save some money, they should start with their own ridiculously high salaries. If they made service more convenient for people, they would have more customers. Most of the people making the decisions over there, have never used public transportation a day in their lives...

Cut fares, add routes to increase ridership

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is faced with a$14.7 million deficit and in good conscience did not increase fares. Officials decided instead to cut service.

Let’s step back and take a look at the reason for public transit. It is to provide basic transportation for citizens to get to work, recreation, medical visits, education, etc.

Low-cost, efficient public transportation should be a primary goal in this or any community. Increased use of public transportation will not only serve to reduce energy consumption but also will reduce traffic loads on overcrowded highways.

Making good, cheap public transportation a basic necessity needs to be supported by all entities—local, state and federal. Fares should be reduced and routes added. Public transportation needs to be so cheap and efficient that ridership will increase as a natural course of events.

Providing the cheapest and best transportation system possible must be the ultimate goal. The options of increased fares and/or reduced service are absolutely contrary to the need for affordable public transportation for all citizens.

It may be necessary to divert funds from other programs and allocations to do this, many of which are superfluous and not in keeping with the concept of maximum benefit for the greatest number of citizens.

Let us support the truly necessary public expenditures for the greatest good to all people.

Philip F. Frandina

Former Erie County Commissioner of Public Works Buffalo

Thank you, driver, for getting me here (Too much, the Magic Bus)
You'll be an inspector, have no fear (Too much, the Magic Bus)
I don't want to cause no fuss (Too much, the Magic Bus)
But can I buy your Magic Bus? (Too much, the Magic Bus)

I don't care how much I pay (Too much, the Magic Bus)
I wanna drive my bus to my baby each day (Too much, the Magic Bus)...

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