Yesterday, the commissioners of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) formally adopted a plan to cut 22% of service miles from their Metro transit system.

These cuts attempt to address NFTA’s $7.1 million budget shortfall, which stems from increased operating costs and reduced funding from Albany (money that’s known as State Operating Assistance, or STOA). Since 2009, Buffalo has seen a $3.6 million reduction in STOA and a $7 million increase in operating costs, and they’re not the only transit system in the state that’s suffered from these cutbacks.

NFTA, like many transit systems, isn’t scaling back service because people aren’t taking the bus. With 27 million annual passengers and over 1,600 employees, it’s the second largest transit provider in the state. Approximately 84% of metro riders use the system to get to work, and 77% of these don’t own a car. As a coalition of advocates noted last week, this means that these cuts “will undermine all other efforts to spur economic development in our region—even if we create jobs, people won’t be able to get to them.”

In a city with the 3rd highest poverty rate in the country, these cuts will deeply constrain access to economic recoveryfor many low-income Buffalonians.  Additionally, as America’s 6th most segregated city, these cuts will also likely create a heavy burden on people of color who use the system.  As many vulnerable communities are concentrated near transit hubs, reductions in service will impair their ability to access their jobs.  Riders who “reverse commute” from inner urban areas out to jobs in the suburbs will also be negatively affected as many of these routes will be cut.

Faced with this hard reality—an economically vital transit system that can’t make ends meet—NFTA has requested $10 million from Albany during the 2012-13 fiscal year. They also requested eight megawatts of low-cost power from the New York Power Authority, which would provide $1.8 million in annual operating savings. Buffalo officials have been joined by Erie County and New York State legislators in their calls for help from Governor Cuomo. NYSTEA and several other advocacy organizations have joined this fight.

The situation is dire. Unless NFTA gets more funding, it will have few choices beyond cutting routes and raising fares. Across New York, transportation authorities are implementing cost saving measures, but they can only fasten their belts so much before they cut off circulation entirely.

To help NFTA and other New York transit agencies stay alive, demand that Albany stand up for transit.

By Vision Long Island

Long Island Bus has dominated transportation discussions for the last several months, not only on Long Island but in the entire tri-state region. Essentially, one of the nation’s largest suburban bus systems is about to make the switch from a publically-run system to a privately-run one. The process has been a debacle, with new developments unfolding every week for the last several months.

Several months ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposed severe service cuts as a reaction to an ongoing funding dispute. At the same time, the public felt that the imposition of the MTA payroll tax should at least hold the line on bus service provision through these difficult times. County residents, business owners and lawmakers were furious. Unfortunately, MTA and Nassau County leadership chose a hardball approach to bargaining that left bus riders in the cold.

Now the central player is Nassau County – who owns the buses. The process of ending ties with the MTA and awarding the private bid to Veolia Transportation – a French-owned company with American offices – has been defined by a lack of transparency. The County has yet to hold a public hearing, and the system’s 100,000 daily riders are terrified that their routes will be cut and fares increased. Veolia quietly signed a contract in October, but the details of that contract were not released to the public or the County Legislature—who must review and approve the contract before it is enacted—until two days after Election Day. The latest news is that the contract has passed through the Rules Committee into the full Legislature, who will finally hold a public hearing on December 5th and vote on the contract shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, the MTA has issued 981 layoff notices, and the County passed a 2012 budget with only a $2.5 million contribution for LI Bus – representing a 73% decrease from 2011. Our neighboring suburban counties, which have slightly smaller bus systems than Nassau County, pay between $25 million and $35 million a year to run their public-private partnerships. If Veolia does not take a substantial loss, there will most certainly be service cuts, fare increases and/or layoffs.

There seems to be little hope, but Nassau bus riders and supporters are fighting back and making an impact. Community and business groups have come together to wage a campaign to save Long Island Bus. Vision Long Island is a partner in a long list, which includes Tri-State Transportation Campaign, LI Jobs With Justice, NYPIRG, NY Communities for Change, LI Federation of Labor, Transport Workers Union Local 252, local religious leaders, Chambers of Commerce, and many others. Thousands of bus riders, drivers, students, disabled AbleRide users (who are also at risk of losing service) and more have been mobilized to let the County know how important the buses are to their daily lives.

As a coalition we have held press events, ranging from a funeral for LI Bus to a recent “trick-or-treat” themed event with petitions and letters that we delivered to the County Executive. We have attended countless County Legislature hearings, and even caused some disruptions there. Recently the Presiding Officer walked out of a budget hearing due to riders and drivers yelling at the Legislature to hold a public hearing and preserve the bus system. We have written letters, given testimony, and held meetings with elected officials, as well as the MTA back when they were still involved. In August we held a “People’s Hearing” in absence of a County-run public hearing, where over 200 riders and supporters showed up to voice their concerns along with a bipartisan handful of dedicated County Legislators.

A tremendous amount of local press coverage has been garnered, and earlier this month we were glad to see the media’s decision to make LI Bus an election issue, as all 19 County Legislator seats were up for grabs.

Time is running out to come to a solution. The MTA’s contract expires on December 31st, 2011. Ties with the MTA are severed and there is no alternative private company lined up if the County does not like the Veolia contract. The MTA has made it clear it is willing to continue running the system, but there’s no indication the County will do anything but rush into a contract with Veolia. We can only keep pushing in hopes that the bus system remains reliable, safe and transparent.

We ask that you contact the Nassau County Legislators, and ask that they not adopt a contract that does not adhere to a “Bus Riders’ Bill of Rights.” This includes at least a 5-year freeze on any service cuts and fare increases, free transfers with other MTA transit service as exists today, safe and efficient service, equipment that is in a state of good repair, and transparent and responsive administration of service, which includes giving riders and taxpayers a way to provide input into how county transit is run.

In late September, advocates in New York City told state and federal lawmakers, “Don’t X Out Transit” at two events. That message is just as resonant when it comes to the transit systems in upstate New York. Officials at the Buffalo-area Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority have outlined fare hike and service cut proposals. Earlier this year, the Central NY Regional Transportation Authority hiked bus fares in Syracuse by 75 cents (to $2 per ride, a 60% increase).

In 1998, dedicated tax revenue ("PTOA Receipts") covered almost 90% of non-MTA transit appropriations, but now covers less than half. (Click for larger version.)

A big part of the problem is an outdated funding structure that no longer meets the needs of upstate transit riders. Non-MTA transit systems overwhelmingly rely on state aid and local taxes for their operating needs.  While the MTA’s budget includes a set of dedicated taxes and fees in the 12-county MTA region, the sole source of dedicated funding for upstate transit systems is a portion of the petroleum business tax (PBT).  Tax revenues have stayed relatively flat over the years, while operating expenses have increased over time.  Those revenues have covered less and less of what non-MTA transit systems need annually.

As a result, the upstate transit operating account has become increasingly reliant on one-shot transfers from the General Fund, redirected revenues from the downstate transit account, and redirected capital dollars. But relying on one-shot general fund transfers is not sustainable, especially given Albany’s own financial problems.  In 2009, Governor Paterson and the State Legislature swept $120 million in dedicated transportation revenues to the general fund.  In 2010, the state again deferred $55 million in transit operating aid to 2011 in hopes that the state economy would be on better footing.

In recent years, state funding for the Central NY Regional Transit Authority has declined.

This has led to declining state support for upstate agencies in recent years (see, for example, the Central NY RTA’s figures at right).

Unfortunately, according to projections by the New York Public Transit Association, transit riders upstate and downstate alike will face more fare hikes and service cuts unless Governor Cuomo and the Legislature prioritize transit. Albany officials should keep this in mind when they address transportation funding this fall. Concerns over both the NYSDOT and MTA capital construction programs will have to be addressed by the end of the year; upstate transit needs to be part of the conversation.

By Ya-Ting Liu

Graphics: Top – NYSDOT. Left – Tri-State Transportation Campaign using data from Central New York RTA.

Despite the struggling economic recovery and 9.2% unemployment rate, the debate in Washington D.C. and state capitals around the nation is centered around a singular vision of blindly slashing government spending, rather than creating jobs for Americans.  Transportation funding has not been left off Congress’s austerity agenda.  House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, John Mica (R-FL), recently released his draft transportation re-authorization outline, which proposes transportation funding cuts of roughly 35% and eliminates any set-aside of transportation funds for pedestrian and cycling projects.  These cuts are estimated to result in over 44,000 jobs lost for New York State.

In front of Sen Kirsten Gillibrand's office: Buffalo Urban Leauge, New York Communities for Change, NYSTEA, Reconnect Rochester, Transportation Alternatives, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, and WE ACT

The release of this proposal coincided with a conference in D.C. hosted by the Transportation Equity Caucus, a national transportation coalition working on the re-authorization.  NYSTEA members were invited to this conference to discuss our state’s transportation equity issues as well as share experiences with other organizations throughout the country.  During our visit to D.C. we also delivered our message to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and key members of New York Congressional delegation.

All across New York State, transit agencies are cutting service and increasing fares.  Long Island bus riders like Angela Davis (a member of New York Communities for Change) who participated in the D.C. visit, are facing the privatization of their transit system.  Congestion, sprawl, dangerous roads for bicyclists and pedestrians, and transit worker layoffs are the norms in many cities and towns across the nation.  The current GOP vision for the transportation bill does not address these issues nor does it help our economy and our nation get on the path towards a 21^st century transportation system that benefits all New Yorkers regardless of race, color, class, ability, age, and preferred mode of transportation!

The Senate is currently working on their version of the re-authorization and it is critical that New York elected officials stand up against the Mica proposal and support a transportation bill that moves our country and state in a new direction. Before the August recess, NYSTEA plans to deliver a letter to the New York delegation with a strong statement of support from a broad coalition of groups around the state.  Please review our letter here and email info@nystea.net to add your organization’s voice to our effort.

The NYSTEA steering committee completed its upstate NY tour last week in Buffalo.  This most recent town hall meeting was co-sponsored by local groups: Citizens for Regional Transit, Green Options Buffalo, and Buffalo Carshare.

These organizations and others in the community (notably VOICE Buffalo and Push Buffalo) have been working on local, state and national transportation issues for quite sometime.  Overwhelmingly the audience of over 45 community residents who attended the meeting was very familiar and organized around issues of transportation equity.

Buffalo is struggling with many of the same issues that we have heard in other parts of the state:

• Suburban sprawl
• Transit cuts and fare increases
• Population loss and economic growth
• Public input in decision making

Transportation has been key to the success and growth of Buffalo as a city starting with the development of the Erie Canal in the early 1800’s.  The 1950’s era of suburbanization, facilitated by the building of the interstate highway system, brought to Buffalo routes like U.S. 190 and Route 33, which permanently divided neighborhoods by dramatically changed the physical and socio-economic layout of the city.  The sprawl not only has increased greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel dependency, and unsafe streets, but also has directly led to Buffalo being one of the nation’s top 10 most segregated cities.

Buffalo also struggles with high poverty rates. According to US Census data over 1 in 4 residents live below the poverty line.  With over 30% of Buffalo’s population not having access to a car and 77% of the transit users in the city “transit dependent”, mass transit cuts and fare increases have a disproportionate effect on communities of color and low-income.

The region’s transit service provider, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, carries 94,000 passengers per day with their NFTA Metro subsidiary, totaling 8.9 million miles traveled every year.  The agency is working hard to address many issues related to access and affordability, but with declining local, state, and federal revenue, they are expecting more budget constraints in the coming years.

Community organizations and leaders who were at the meeting are a strong voice for a more pedestrian friendly, pro-transit, sustainable and fair Buffalo moving forward. NYSTEA hopes to continue our partnership and advance both federal and state policies that will get us closer to that shared vision.  A special thanks to our partners in Buffalo and all those who attended.