Letter to Therese McMillan, Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration - Link Between Buffalo and Amherst
Letter
Dear Acting Administrator McMillan:
I am pleased to write in support of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's application for funding under the Federal Transit Administration's Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning.
In 2013, the NFTA was awarded an Alternative Analysis grant to study transit improvements and enhancements in the Buffalo-Amherst corridor. The City of Buffalo, the Town of Amherst, Erie County, and the New York State Department of Transportation have all partnered together to support the expansion of public transit in the Buffalo-Amherst corridor, which would spur greater economic development, increase accessibility, save energy, and promote safety for residents and businesses in the area. The current TOD proposal would support the study of land use around the proposed transit improvements, and would identify areas for private investment and economic development to enhance the transit expansion from Amherst to Buffalo. With funding, the applicants would undertake comprehensive planning work that informs and engages the community and sets forth policies and tools to meet measurable performance goals.
The proposed work would establish a collaborative forum and engage elected officials, private developers, and other public and private sector players through working groups to coordinate planning activities and set performance measures for the level of engagement in the planning process. These groups would guide the analysis of existing conditions to address a lack of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) information. This analysis would be disseminated to the general public and local organizations through engagement forums to increase knowledge and gather community input on TOD. Armed with this information, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council would be able to target TOD infrastructure investments, policies, regulations, and innovative financing mechanisms to overcome the lack of TOD infrastructure in the corridor.
Thank you for your consideration. I applaud Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and their partners for their foresight, and I sincerely hope their application meets with your approval.
Sincerely,
Source