What UB students need to know about the NFTA Metro

The ins and outs of Buffalos subway system

The NFTA Metro Arriving at Summer-Best Station in Buffalo. Photo by Dominick Matarese.

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Metro rail extends from UB’s South Campus all the way to the Erie Canal Harbor. With multiple stops running straight through the heart of Buffalo’s downtown, there are many reasons why a UB student would want to ride the metro, though many do not know them, or may not know how to use the Metro if they wanted to.

Operating seven days a week, the rail services eight underground and five above ground stations. These stops service many areas that are of interest to UB students such as Canalside, the bars on Chippewa street, Sahlen field, the Keybank center, Canisius College, Allentown, and the theater district.

There is also an Events Only Station which gives riders a shorter walk to the Keybank center but only operates during major events such as hockey games, concerts, and WWE pay-per-views.

The Metro is completely free when utilizing above ground stops, but underground stops require “valid proof-of-payment,” which would be a Metro Pass or rail ticket. Though there are no turnstiles or ticket agents, you may be given a $50 fine if caught without valid proof-of-payment.

The NFTA website says that “sometime during your trip you may be asked to show your proof-of-payment to a Metro ticket inspector. If you do not have it, you will be issued a summons and will be required to pay a fine.”

Rail tickets can be purchased at cash-only machines at each stop. Base prices start at $2 for a one way ticket, or $4 for a round trip ticket. Metro passes are also available and cost $5 for an unlimited use day pass, $25 for a week pass, or $75 for a 30 day pass.

The rail operates on a single north-south line, with trains arriving at each stop every 15-20 minutes. Each car stops at every station and announces the stops name.

Weekday rail operation begins at 5:00a.m. with the last stop being serviced at 1:00a.m. On Saturdays operation begins at 7:00a.m.. On Sundays operate from 8:a.m. to midnight.

One feature which UB students may be interested in is strategically located “Park & Ride” lots; free parking lots located next to certain Metro stations so that you can leave your car there while using the rail.

The NFTA also operates many bus routes around the Buffalo-Niagara area, including a route which runs between UB’s North and South campuses. The UB stampede also operates a free shuttle between North and South campus.

The NFTA plans to extend the rail further north, adding 10 additional stops servicing Tonawanda, Amherst, and UB’s North Campus. According to Jeffery Amplement, the planning project manager, three of the 10 stations would be on North Campus, with stops at Lee Loop, Flint Loop and Ellicott Complex.

Amplement says that despite the initial projection of $1.2 billion, the extension will ultimately cost more.

The project is expected to be completed by 2030, with a design process starting later this year and expected to run for three years, with another five to six years for construction.

Originally written March 28, 2023