Press Releases

Federal Environmental Review Clears Critical Hurdle for Connecting UB North Campus with Downtown Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY‑26) announced a major step forward in the long-awaited expansion of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s (NFTA) Metro Rail System. The Federal Transit Administration has officially completed its federal environmental review of the project. This milestone marks the conclusion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) process, following years of technical study, design work, and extensive public input. With this approval now in place, the proposed seven-mile Metro Rail expansion moves closer to becoming a reality for Western New York families, workers, and students.

“The completion of the federal environmental review for this transformative Metro Rail expansion is a major victory for Buffalo and all of Western New York,” said Congressman Tim Kennedy. “This project is about connecting people to jobs, students to campuses, and neighborhoods to economic opportunity, creating thousands of good-paying construction jobs in the process. Western New Yorkers deserve a transit system that matches our region’s ambition, and today’s announcement brings us one step closer to making that vision a reality.”

The project is expected to generate thousands of construction jobs and would connect the University at Buffalo’s North Campus directly to South Campus and downtown Buffalo. By linking some of the region’s most densely populated neighborhoods with major job centers, the expansion would make it easier for residents to commute, access opportunities, and participate in the region’s growing economy. NFTA’s existing Metro Rail is already ranked among the top light rail systems in the nation based on riders-per-mile, positioning the expansion project well for federal evaluation. As Upstate New York’s only light rail transit system, this investment also represents an important opportunity to bring greater balance to transit funding across New York State.

This major milestone and the project’s ongoing design work has been made possible by funding Congressman Kennedy secured while he was a member of the New York State Senate, including during his tenure as Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee: $5 million in the 2016–2017 state budget, $6 million in the 2019–2020 state budget, and $20 million in the 2022–2023 state budget. This latest federal action represents a significant accomplishment in delivering modern, reliable public transportation infrastructure that will strengthen Buffalo’s future for generations to come. With the completion of the FEIS, design work continues, including engineering, mapping, and planning.

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