Background

Project History

Bailey Avenue, and the East Side of Buffalo, has been the focus of studies by various groups in recent years to identify issues and develop solutions to address disinvestment and improve transportation for all those who live along, work in, or visit the corridor. Based on the analysis, research, community engagement, planning, and conceptual design work done as part of these efforts, NFTA is moving forward with the planning and design for transit and related infrastructure improvements in the corridor and have secured funding to make the project a reality. Below is a review of some of the key studies and planning initiatives that led to the creation of NFTA’s Bailey Ave BRT project.

In August 2018, the University District Community Development Association (UDCDA), an organizer in Northeast Buffalo, completed the Better on Bailey: Infrastructure Plan which summarized challenges identified by residents for a section of the corridor. The study examined the Bailey Avenue Corridor between Winspear and Kensington Avenues and identified potential short-, mid- and long-term improvements to calm traffic, improve the environment for pedestrians and support enhanced retail activity. Roadway issues and solutions were identified to address traffic volumes, traffic speeds, traffic safety, by improving sidewalks, street markings / crosswalks, and other mobility options.

The cover of "Better on Bailey Infrastructure Plan" (2018).

Better on Bailey Infrastructure Plan (2018)

The cover of "Better on Bailey Infrastructure Plan (2018)". It depicts an out of service pedestrian crosswalk button that is labeled "push button to change Bailey".

Prior Studies & Plans

The Buffalo Billion II: East Side Corridors Economic Development Fund (2019)

The Buffalo Billion II dedicated $65 million to revitalization efforts on Buffalo’s East Side to stabilize neighborhoods, ensure opportunities for homeownership, strengthen commercial corridors by promoting mixed-use, walkable districts, and other factors. Provides a profile of the Bailey Avenue corridor including major employers, workforce trainers, number of jobs, acres of vacant land and daily transit ridership, as well as a demographic snapshot of people within a half mile of the corridor. Discusses the need for complete streets on Bailey Avenue incorporating road diets, bike lanes, crosswalks, bike libraries and other amenities.

The cover of "The Buffalo Billion II: East Side Corridors Economic Development Fund (2019)", depicting various neighborhood efforts around East Buffalo.

"The Buffalo Billion II: East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund" (2019).

The Bailey Avenue Corridor Improvements Study (2021)

In January 2021, the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC), in collaboration with the City of Buffalo and NFTA, completed the Bailey Avenue Corridor Improvements Study. The study analyzed existing transportation infrastructure along Bailey Avenue and developed alternative transit enhancements to improve mobility with enhanced bus service along the corridor as well as other investments to upgrade infrastructure, make safety upgrades, and improve the public realm. The study included three alternatives with various levels of service upgrades and transit-specific infrastructure investments. It included recommendations for various elements of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system including stations, running way treatments, fare collection, vehicles, branding and other components.
Ultimately, Alternative C is the basis for the final planning and design that will happen in the Bailey Ave BRT project.

The cover of "Bailey Avenue Corridor Improvements Study", depicting a NFTA bus moving along the Bailey Ave corridor.

The cover of "Bailey Avenue Corridor Improvements Study" (2021).

Emphasis on Equity

Explore Equity in Buffalo

The Bailey Avenue corridor is home to approximately 100,000 City residents, many of whom are people of color, lower-income, new Americans, or from another group that has historically been underrepresented in planning and policy decisions or disproportionately burdened by the negative impacts of those choices. Most of the census tracts along the corridor meet the criteria to be defined as “disadvantaged communities” by either New York Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) or the federal Justice40 Initiative. Additionally, nearly the entire corridor falls within what the US Department of Transportation considers an Area of Persistent Poverty. These programs are aimed at identifying the places where investment in a cleaner energy future should be focused to deliver more benefits and address historic inequalities.
The corridor includes unique neighborhoods with rich histories and significance to the City of Buffalo, as well as community-based assets upon which residents rely, such as employment, education, and training resources. The Bailey Avenue corridor is home to nearly half of the East Side’s residents, making it one of the most densely populated, low car use household areas in the region. While the corridor is served by public transit (Route 19, plus many connecting routes) and sections are walkable, the quality of the infrastructure and the emphasis on the importance of transit can be greatly improved. This project will work to repair the harms of past disinvestment by providing high-quality, efficient transit, making street safety improvements, enhancing community spaces with new landscaping and amenities, and encouraging economic growth in the area through a historic amount of investment in public infrastructure.

The interactive map below shows the extents of the three disadvantaged community programs, as well as the proposed Bailey Ave BRT corridor and political boundaries.
How to use the map:● Click and drag to move the map around (computer) or use your finger (mobile)● Scroll in and out to zoom (computer) or pinch (mobile)● Click the check boxes to turn layers on and off● Click on a map feature to open an informational pop-up

Funding

Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program

Areas of Persistent Poverty

Community Connectors

Federal Planning Grant

Buffalo has received $102.7 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Neighborhood Access and Equity Program, under the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood (RCN) opportunity, to improve Bailey Avenue and expand transportation on Buffalo’s East Side. The goal of this grant is to provide construction funding to projects that support neighborhood equity, safety, and affordable transportation access and reduce negative environmental impacts. Providing affordable access to essential destinations through transit helps accomplish these goals.

$650,000 will come from the Federal Government’s Areas of Persistent Poverty Grant Program. The goal of this grant is to support underserved communities, protect public health, and address the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through effective and accessible transit.

The Community Connectors Program, a partnership between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Smart Growth America among others, has awarded the Bailey Ave BRT project $130,000 to reconnect communities that have been divided by infrastructure in the past.

$1 million in federal planning grant funds have been awarded to guide Transit Oriented Development (TOD), supportive of public transit and future BRT operations.

A graphic depicting the funding for the Bailey Ave BRT project. $104M comes from federal funding, $3M comes from state funding, and $130K comes from other entities.

A graphic depicting the funding for the Bailey Ave BRT project.