Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns, a strong advocate of public transportation, has notified Kimberly Minkel, executive director of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, of his plan to create a new Erie County Clerk’s Public Transportation Task Force, and if he does not see positive changes for residents, he could hold back the $2 million monthly payments from the Clerk’s office to the NFTA.
In a letter sent to Minkel on March 10, Kearns expressed his desire to include the NFTA in its membership with hopes of resolving issues the public has with the transit authority.
On March 9, during an Economic Development Committee hearing, chaired by Legislator Howard Johnson (D-Buffalo), with Minkel in attendance, residents and political leaders filled the legislature chambers to speak out loudly against the NFTA’s suspended bus service, lack of transparency and its poor communication to the public.
Kearns is appalled that most of the route cuts have affected some of the most vulnerable residents on Buffalo’s East and Lower West Sides, along with high school and college students, who have missed classes or who have been forced to walk long distances in the dark when the bus never showed up in the evening.
In his letter to Minkel, Kearns wrote: “I know you heard the passion of those who spoke about public transportation issues. It is clear there is a real need and community desire for on-going, collaborative discussions on this topic. I attended the meeting because, as Erie County Clerk, I am responsible for transferring nearly two million dollars in funding each month to the NFTA for local public transportation services.
“I have decided to launch this Task Force because my office has received numerous complaints about public transportation service,” Kearns explained. “Public transportation is also something that has been important to me personally. As a young man, my family relied upon public transportation and so I know first-hand how critically important it is to people’s lives. Reliable public transportation is absolutely essential to Erie County residents who do not own vehicles, a large number of whom struggle financially and/or are living with disabilities.”
“Public transportation is so important to our senior citizens; veterans and the disabled like me. I applaud Clerk Mickey Kearns for starting this task force that hopefully will bring positive and much needed changes to the NFTA,” said Stephanie Speaker of Sloan, who, for the past six years has been advocating for legislation in Albany to improve and expand paratransit service in Buffalo and throughout the region. State Senator Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) is a sponsor of the bill.
Kearns said this new Erie County Clerk’s Public Transportation Task Force is meant to facilitate continuing dialogue between stakeholders in Erie County’s public transportation system. The Task Force will provide a venue for identifying issues of concern to local, public transportation users, educating them about currently available services, obtaining community input regarding potential changes to services, and working collaboratively to develop realistic strategies for improving public transportation services for Erie County residents.
“The Task Force membership has not yet been finalized, but I believe it should include those who utilize public transportation for their daily transportation needs; users of public transportation that have special needs such as the disabled and elderly; elected and appointed officials who are involved in funding, creating and implementing our public transportation policies; public transportation providers; and people who by virtue of their educational or professional experience possess specialized knowledge regarding public transportation,” explained Kearns, who will serve as Task Force chair.
He plans to finalize the Task Force’s initial membership by the end of March and has requested Minkel to provide his office notification of whether it intends to participate.
The NFTA has come under intense fire from residents since it suspended express bus service on February 13 on eight routes and decreased the frequency of buses running on evenings and weekends due to labor shortages.
In defense of the agency’s recent controversial moves, Minkel has called the driver shortage a nationwide problem, with the agency battling both the lack of drivers on the payroll and the high absenteeism rates of hired drivers due to Covid-19 and other illnesses.
Jeffrey Richardson, president of ATU Local 1342, said at the hearing: “The NFTA has labeled these union workers ‘essential’ and called them heroes, but they do not pay or treat them as such. It’s time to treat the men and women right who have worked tirelessly – before the pandemic and all through the pandemic – to ensure that Erie County passengers get the best transportation possible.”
An NFTA spokesperson said it is currently in contract negotiations with the union.
The Rev. Kinzer Pointer, who chairs the county’s Poverty Committee, said at the hearing: “The cutting of routes is really almost criminal.”
“The buses that run through the Hispanic community are very important for different reasons,” explained Chito Olivencia, a native of Puerto Rico and a strong Hispanic community leader. “We have a very diverse community and many are facing serious financial issues. Public transportation is key to the disabled community, for those who rely on it for doctor’s appointments and for trips and from the grocery store.
“I am asking all Latinos to consider working and driving for NFTA,” Olivencia continued. “I thank County Clerk Mickey Kearns for helping to resolve this issue by offering CDL (Commercial Driving License) opportunities at all county Department of Motor Vehicle offices.”
Kearns was also upset by complaints he heard of the poor job the NFTA did in communicating information about routes being cut and providing transparency to riders and political leaders about its issues with drivers.