New Metro Bus designed to look like a trolley.

Please God no. There is nothing more tacky than fake trolly buses.

Love it!

I'm assuming these trolley-themed buses won't have the large ugly advertising across the side.

Then again, would't that cut down NFTA revenue if their whole fleet didn't have ads?

Lipstick on a Pig. Not saying that I don't like them but the NFTA, like city hall, can't seem to get out of its own way. Anyone could order fancy hybrid buses from a menu and call it progress. I want a 20 year plan from the NFTA on how they are going to change the community.... and this includes new mass transit, outer harbor, and intra-suburb busing.

This is a great post. I think they are neat, I rather have these things instead of a bus filled with stupid advertisements. Plus I'm shocked the NFTA has some money, my mom works for the MTA and its downright broke.

And I love the shout out to Brad, he's an awesome professor and I'm glad he gets recognized by this site for his works within the city. w00t w00t Brad!!!

spare me the kitschy knock off, give me the real (21st century) deal.

Rode on one of these a week or two ago -- inside it also has faux woodgrain features, including a faux woodgrained floor. Nice ride! But...

My initial reaction to "rubber-tired trolleys" is the same as Steel's -- if it's got rubber tires, it's not a trolley. Also, Buffalo has an urgent need to get bike racks on all its fleet. A friend last summer biked to an outdoor concert in Niagara Falls, which finished after dark and quite late. Because the bus back didn't have a rack, he had to bike home quite late, after dark, and after having beer (although not drunk). I'd rather see NFTA finish racking its fleet than spending money on kitsch. I worked on the bikes-on-buses effort in RaChaCha, and we racked the entire fleet from the get-go -- nothing else made sense (either you provide a service, or don't).

This failure to complete a basic, intermodal useability upgrade like bike racks on buses -- and having tumbledown, nasty restrooms at the downtown transit station -- causes me to cast an especially jaundiced eye on the spokesperson's statements about the "trolley" buses. He suggests it would be cool to use them for this and that -- and that groups can contact them with ideas for using them. In other words, a cool solution in search of a problem. It's as if they saw them in the catalog one day and said gee, those look cool, let's order some of those -- with a somewhat nebulous business plan for their use -- and see what happens. Well, that's the kind of extra you can do when you have finished other projects you've started, and have been able to keep other basic facilities maintained and in working order.

So: back to your room, NFTA, and finish your homework getting those bike racks deployed. Then fix up those restrooms like your parents (the riders and taxpayers) asked. When your work is done, you can come out and play with your toys, okay--?

How is all of this empty nostalgia improving Buffalo? Is it so hard for Buffalonians to stomach a bus that looks like a bus?

http://www.gbnrtc.org/fileadmin/content/pdf/Report/2035_Long_Range_Transportation_Plan_Final.pdf

I think i would like it more if it didnt look as fake as woodgrain on a 1978 Mercury Marquis wagon

Now Im disturbed.

Quick counterpoint. Ive met lots of locals who have unfathomable depths of ignorance, parochialism, and plain stupidity. Just 'cause anyone is local doesnt make them worth listening to.

I rode this Elmwood bus today, first time on one of these trolley like buses. It was actually very nice. The newer buses are fine and dandy too but the color scheme inside this was a lot more soothing. The hard blue \ silver \ white combo it a little hard. This was very welcoming and warm.

I think they are fine, Trolley or not, I don't think they bought them only to pretend to have a trolley but to actually offer people and tourists the best ride possible and for that it's is great.

Certainly a step up from the convertible school bus. These are great for events like the world juniors or final four. Event attendees generally recognize this style as a (usually free) ride to to ancillary entertainment venues like restaurant rows (Elmwood and Hertel)

Send in the clowns. At what point on the corprate ladder do people loose a sence of reality and think this was a clever idea. Weather it is a Wallmart or Wilson farms or a bus. Tacky design is tacky design. Its nice were getting new busses BUT...

Applause! Applause!

Hopefully, the NFTA has the horrendous condition of the Delavan/College station on its to-do list.

Down-under, it's already an uninviting, dark dungeon. Now the unmaintained, paint-challenged walls look like something in a movie where the cities have been demolished by war leaving only burned-out remnants and a few struggling survivors.

It's an embarrassment for the City!

Applause! Applause!

Hopefully, the NFTA has the horrendous condition of the Delavan/College station on its to-do list.

Down-under, it's already an uninviting, dark dungeon. Now the unmaintained, paint-challenged walls look like something in a movie where the cities have been demolished by war leaving only burned-out remnants and a few struggling survivors.

It's an embarrassment for the City!

I hear a LOT of complaining here... Tacky or not, it an improvement over Billy Friggin' Fucillo's mug and the word HUGE on 75% of the fleet.

I used to use public transportation frequently. I always thought it was rather odd that people who were probably riding the bus, because like me at the time couldn't afford a car, were the ones who had to sit in a bus made even gloomier inside by the wraparound Billy. I saw it as a sort of "FU" to the riders.

(Anyone who has ridden NTFA buses, can attest to the fact that the full-bus ads make it gloomy and dingy inside those buses, even on the sunniest day.)

I question how many people here who are complaining how tacky this bus looks have:

1. Actually used public transportation. (Riding MetroRail from South Campus to HSBC Arena for a Sabres game doesn't really count)

2. Would prefer to have the "HUGE!!!" ads back.

I don't see the big issue here. If it gets more people to want to take the bus, that's a plus. If it improves the quality and experience of the busrider, that's a plus. Pining for something that is most likely not going to happen in the next generation (streetcars) and deriding this is kind of petty and silly (with the Feds in real financial trouble, I just don't see spending on transit increasing to fund a MetroRail expansion).

Perfect is the enemy of good enough. Don't fall into that trap. This is a good thing.

big improvement over wrapping the entire bus in window-blocking advertisements, which induced claustrophobia and disorientation, as you were no longer able to spot your destination.

having said that, i sure wish we had real trolleys instead of fake ones.

I'm with Steel.

These "old fashioned" buses are bush league and show that when it
comes to design, the NFTA is clueless.

They have a logo that looks like it was designed by a fourth grader, they replaced all their nice glass and bronze shelters with those garrish blue ones and now this.

What's next? Propeller planes for the airport?

I'm with Steel on on this, although I actually pay local taxes and utilize NFTA transportation and therefore not merely pontificating from somewhere on the miracle mile. In the NFTA's defense look how close it is to the curb

I find it funny that everyone is complaining about the HUGE ads on the buses, when currently there are ads for give4greatness on them >_>

One quick point: complex paint and graphics cost more to apply, and require the appropriate employee skill sets.

Inevitably, some one within the NFTA will recognize that these paint schemes represent potential dollars, and they will be simplified or eliminated. The (assumed) "decorative" clerestory roof will then have to be removed, or it will stay and look more ridiculous. In either case, these costs seem to unnecessary; unless part of sort of route branding (ie express buses or one particular route).

On trolley wannabe buses: they seems silly to me. A bit of an embarrassment. That said, I agree with someone above about the interiors. The inside does seem relatively nicer than the utilitarian mcbus; more soothing, seems sturdy (but i don't know if it is. I wonder what the durability is compared to a conventional counterpart).

On trolley buses vs. Facillo ads: false choice; it isn't that we can only get buses covered with advertisement OR fake old timey anachronisms. We don't have to plaster modern buses with ads (though it doesn't offend me when we do; bring in that revenue). And sooner or later someone will probably plaster these retro rides with ads, which would look especially ridiculous.

As others have said, I'd just like to see a modern bus with good thought to the amenities (not just bike racks, but how about wifi?). Electric buses and vehicles that run on compressed air (UPS working with prototypes) would interest me more than hybrids.

The bus is about 90% there. Another 10% and it'll look exactly like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles van!

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/04/23/new-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-movie-announced-empire-state-building-goes-green/

barf.

I think falls under the category of fauxstolgia.

How 'bout we ship the old tacky ones to 'STEEL'

these trolly and hybrids are a major improvement

I don't get it. I think these look nice. What do you want, miracles? Like several people said before it's better than Billy Fuccillo's ginormous head.

More important is the recent fare simplification, increase in route frequency on certain routes, and increasing number of bike racks on new buses. It's a pleasure to use NFTA! I leave my car at home most of the time.

Still on my wish list:

1. Reduce fares. Do more with less. NFTA has unsustainable management practices. The $800 million budget is ripe for restructuring.

2. Where are schedules? Always have the right schedule on that bus. Rarely do I find the bus schedule for the bus I am in, on that bus. Drivers can grab a pile at the garage, Ellicott loop or wherever. Better-informed riders will then make life easier for the driver. Alternatively, attach them to the driver’s daily schedule.

3. Expand and simplify pass availability. It is frustrating to pay an extra fare to get to the right machine to buy my expired monthly pass. Why not sell them on the bus, as they do daily and weekend passes? Program the Buffalo parking machines to dispense bus passes? Dispense in ATMs? Print on-line? Make the next month’s pass (thick plastic “sold at store” version) available earlier. Simplify and expand ticket machine programming to allow simple entry “start date” and “end date”---1 day to 1 year. Being back charge cards.

4. Partner with others. Start with working with merchants near bus stops. Regularly send them current schedules. Check out Liberty Tax, for example. They always have an 11 and 30 bus schedule in their window at Colvin and Kenmore. I love them for this! These “subscriptions” will pay for themselves and help the merchants too. Make a deal with a few of the usual suspects (corner churches, Home Depot, Rite Aid, Blockbuster, Walgreens) and you have covered half the city. Mention them on respective bus schedule. Start with organizations (Like Liberty Tax) at crucial crossroads. Partner with CarShare in picking their spots.

5. Redo recorded phone help. The phone system requires ludicrous layers of useless steps and menu choices just to get a bus time. Sometimes it just is not worth it.

6. Happy riders. If a bus is 10 minutes late (this is rare), automatically give late riders a day pass after they pay their fare . . . no questions asked. At least try this as a temporary promotion. Little revenue is lost, since the rider already paid the fare. It allows riders to take a trip they might not have taken, making up for the inconvenience.

7. Where is the bus now? Allow Internet access to GPS data. I would love knowing the winter whereabouts of the 11 bus *before* I leave the warm house, or on my smart phone when I am at a stop and late for an appointment.

8. UB synergy. Replace UB North-South Campus shuttle bus (“Stampede”), with enhanced 44 Millersport Route. Consider replacing some of the other shuttles as well.

just put real trollys back i all over on every major thoughfare and watch it wok !!! with the price of gas i would sure use it !!!!

Ugly, ugly, ugly. . .

Nope! We NEED an EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE TROLLY or LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM! This is a carry over from Larry Meckler's plan when he spoke at Medaille when Federal Funds were available to fund new transportation vehicles back in 2009, I believe. I was at this meeting. This funding should have gone towards funding and EXPANDING the light rail system not to making BUSES look like TROLLIES.

I think it looks nice. I'm all for light rail extension, but I agree with the posters that anything to replace Fuccillo is a step up for me.

it Looks like Jeepny's in the Philipines. Kinda cool.

I agree with upgrading to more efficient engine designs (hybrids, etc) but frankly 99% of everyone who takes the bus could care less how "pretty" it is, so long as it's on time and reasonably clean. Also, they make extra cash renting out the bus exteriors for ads....

I don't think it's "end of the world" awful, but it does seem like the ball got dropped halfway to the goal line.

The part I don't understand about fake trolley designs is that they always mimic San Francisco cable cars... it just seems out of place in Key West, Atlanta or Buffalo.

I'd be much more ready to get behind this idea if they had been done to resemble the old Buffalo streetcars (does anybody even know what their color scheme was?) or even the old Niagara Great Gorge rail cars. Something a bit more distinct to the region. Without, hopefully, dressing it up as a chicken wing or covering it in fur and horns to be a bison... that would be too reminiscent of Dumb and Dumber, lol.

i saw and rode on these identical busses when my wife and i vacationed at st. pete last month...i thought they were okay, and not once did i think they were hokey or an embarassment to the community, it was actually the opposite, i thought, ok, this area cares about nostalga, plus they embrace bicycles and a healthier lifestyle, i can get with that...then i saw this bus one morning on elmwood a couple of weeks ago and thought, am i still on vacation???

Quoth Deaner: "I'd be much more ready to get behind this idea if they had been done to resemble the old Buffalo streetcars (does anybody even know what their color scheme was?) or even the old Niagara Great Gorge rail cars. Something a bit more distinct to the region. "

You should do some research, so you'd find that the streetcars of Buffalo (during a certain era) looked similar to this, and also to learn about the color schemes. Green, red, yellow, blue and finally orange were all used. The car shapes were standard railroad designs, and the colors nothing unusual. It would be nice if the new clerestory windows would open for some ventilation, but we are no longer allowed to breathe real air, when 'indoors'.

The negative/I Hate Disney/This Is Kitschy/blah/blah comments remind me: Buffalo does NOT do "Nice". Not at all. "Nice" = lots of trees, clean streets, pretty parks, attractive street lamps, and all the little, "minor", affordable touches which make Life pleasant. We don't "do" nice, here. We do "realistic"- you know, the City Of No Illusions. But people LIKE and WANT "nice" - and that's one reason for Buffalo's current condition.

Brooklyn - gritty, enormous, poverty-filled Brooklyn, does "Nice" about 100 times better than Buffalo. Time to adjust some attitudes around here.

I agree.
These are just buses--not buildings. They're 500% better looking than the current ones. So they nod to the past in a not unpleasant way. It's not a big issue, and I'd rather see a fleet of these pleasant green buses than the boilerplate blue & white or awful rust and tan ones.