DECEMBER 5, 2008

COUNTY LEGISLATOR MILLER-WILLIAMS ANNOUNCING HER OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED NFTA FARE INCREASES

Erie County Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams (D-Buffalo, 3rd District) announced at a press conference today, Friday, December 5, that she is strongly opposing the two-pronged Metro fare hike the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Board of Directors is considering.

Legislator Miller-Williams is also announcing that she is co-sponsoring legislation in the Legislature opposing the proposed, two-pronged Metro fare rate hike to take place in 2009.

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Board of Commissioners recently announced that it is considering a two-phased, 50-cent overall rate hike, with the first 25-cent rate hike scheduled to take effect January 1, 2009, and the second 25-cent rate increase scheduled to take effect July 1, 2009, putting the cost of one fare to $2.

"This proposed public transportation fare increases would represent, when the two are combined, a 33 percent increase in the cost of ridership for Erie County residents," Legislator Miller-Williams said. "The City of Buffalo is in the difficulty position of being ranked second in the nation in population of its residents living below the poverty line. These residents, who are working hard to make ends meet, utilize public transportation every day and cannot sustain a 33 percent increase in their transportation costs when working on limited budgets."

"It is not only people living below the poverty line who frequently use public transportation, but also working class and middle class people who find this a more convenient and cost-efficient way to commute to and home from work," Legislator Miller-Williams added. "People also use Metro bus and rail service to go to and from job interviews, school, medical appointments, shopping and other necessities and amenities."

"This two-pronged rate increase will cause disproportionate problems for people who have little choice but to use public transportation, and may decrease ridership," Legislator Miller-Williams said. "We implore the NFTA Board of Commissioners to exhaust all budget-cutting avenues, short of reducing direct public transportation services, instead of raising fares on public transportation users."

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