The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (also known as "NFTA" or "Metro") operates a fleet of buses and light rail vehicles in the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls and the surrounding Erie and Niagara counties. It is the second-largest transit system in New York state after New York City's.
Rail cars Images Make Model Fleet number(s) Model year DivisionA Notes Tokyu Car Corporation 101-127 1983 SP Light rail cars used on the Metro Rail line. All 27 cars are undergoing a complete mid-life overhaul and reconstruction by AnsaldoBreda in Dansville, New York a few cars at a time. 26 of the rebuilt rail cars have returned to full service as of December 19, 2021. The new amenities include LED destination signs, replacing the old roll signs, LED next stop displays, new door mechanisms, newly repainted exteriors, a new interior, automated announcements, new propulsion systems and new door chimes.
Active bus roster A: Division assigned BW Babcock/William CS Cold Spring (Main/Michigan) Fr Frontier (Kenmore/Military) SP South Park wheelchair-accessible and ADA compliant equipped with bicycle racks
Images Make Model Fleet number(s) Model year DivisionA Notes Gillig Low Floor T40 Hybrid 1001-1011 2010 CS Diesel-Electric Entered service April 1, 2010 All 1000-series buses mark a return to full fiberglass passenger seating. 1101-1130 2011 CS Diesel-Electric 1130 came equipped with a Voith transmission, which allowed for conversion to full diesel. 1201-1214 2012 BW: 01-12CS: 13,14 Diesel-Electric 1214 came equipped with a Voith DIWA hybrid system transmission Gillig Low Floor T40 Diesel 1012-1065 2010 CS: 12-19, BW: 20-65 First buses delivered that met EPA 2010 Emissions standards. Gillig Low Floor T40 Trolley Replica 1066-1067 2010 Fr Initially offered in 29 or 35 feet, the NFTA was the first agency to receive the 40' version. Primarily used for the 55T Niagara Falls tourist line, but are also occasionally used on regular NFTA routes, especially during the winter. 1301-1304 2013 Fr Primarily used for the 55T Niagara Falls tourist line, but are also occasionally used on regular NFTA routes, especially during the winter. Nova Bus LFS CNG 1501-1520 2015 Fr First buses equipped with driver partition door that allows for full enclosure if desired. Currently the NFTA is the only transit agency in the United States to use the buses. CNG buses. First fleet to use LED headlights. 1601-1624 2016 Fr Currently the NFTA is the only transit agency in the United States to use the buses. CNG buses. First fleet to use LED headlights. 1701-1716 2017 FrCNG Buses 1801-1816 2018 FRCNG Buses New sign graphics distinguished by broader lettering and four digit block signs 1901-1923 2019FrEquipped with new Quantum wheelchair restraint systems and second message sign. Nova Bus LFS Diesel 1717-1724 2017 CS 1817-1824 2018 BWNew sign graphics distinguished by broader lettering and four digit block signs 2315-2324 2023 BW First buses since 1996 not to be equipped with rear destination sign 2261-2270 2022 BW New Driver Window eliminates dangerous blind spot 2464-2473 2024 BW In process of Delivery Last New Novas purchased from the Plattsburgh, NY plant as NovaBus is ceasing operations in the US as of 2025 New Flyer Xcelsior XE40 2251-2260 2022 CS First 10 full electric buses. First buses with new livery 2301-2314 2023 CS First buses since 1996 not to be equipped with rear destination sign 2451-2463 2024CS2651-26582026CSLast of 45 planned Xcelsior XE40 BEV buses2659-26702026BW In process of Construction, delivery due first quarter 2027
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Historic fleet The NFTA inherited a large number of General Motors New Look buses from the private carriers that were absorbed into the agency. In addition, a small fleet of Highway Products' Twin Coaches and Mack buses that were nearing the end of their life span were also added to the fleet. The first major purchase of new buses by the NFTA began in 1975 with AM General's "Metropolitan" series buses. These buses were later withdrawn from service in 1987 due to severe structural issues. To address this immediate shortage of buses, the NFTA purchased a number of recently mothballed GMC buses from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system (DART), Flxible buses from Rochester's Regional Transit Service and General Motors New Looks from Broome County Transit (BC Transit) of Binghamton. This temporary arrangement filled most of the gap left by the removal of the AM General buses.
The next major purchase of new buses came from GMC, in their RTS-II Series. These buses were purchased between 1978 and 1983. As mentioned earlier, in 1987, due to the premature retirement of the AM General buses, the NFTA purchased a number of used, earlier series RTS series buses from Dallas' DART system. These buses provided comfortable padded seats, normally not seen on standard NFTA transit coaches. These buses operated for a number of years and were a deal to the NFTA in that the coach bodies previously did not experience earlier damage from road salt, sometimes referred to as "salt-free" miles, extending their usefulness a number of years because of the frames having a later start being introduced to corrosion from road salt.
In 1985, the NFTA purchased seven new suburban-configuration buses from Orion Bus Industries (OBI) to begin replacing the older inherited GMC buses from previously private agencies. This purchase marked the last purchase of non-lift equipped buses, and the first non-American purchase of new buses. Over the next seven years, OBI received additional orders of buses from the NFTA with purchases of two different models, the Orion I series and the Orion V, which the NFTA later purchased in 1993 as their first natural gas powered buses.
In 1992 and 1994, the NFTA purchased from two manufacturers, new to the NFTA; Motor Coach Industries, in their Classic series of transit coaches and New Flyer Industries, in their D40 series. In 1995, a third manufacturer was added, with North American Bus Industries/American Ikarus in their 416 series transit bus.
See also Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
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