In the decades after the Metro Rail was built in the early 1980s, it seemed as if the dream of public transportation had at best stagnated, at worst died altogether. Business along the newly designed Main Street pedestrian mall slowly deflated, and more and more people opted for suburban living matched with a car, famously able to get you anywhere in the area within 20 minutes, 

But as citizens and government rediscover the promise of urbanism—walkable neighborhoods, community events, less driving-time, efficient delivery of services—we’ve seen development geared towards pedestrians and bikes flourish in the form of new bike paths, Buffalo’s Green Code, and increased talk of expanding the Metro Rail on both ends. 

Our city is at an interesting planning crossroads where the population loss finally seems to have been stemmed, and new investment dollars are being spent to restore and accentuate the smart design and rich architecture of Joseph Ellicott’s city, which is relatively compact and has a vastly underrated bus service already. That’s why public transportation planners are currently researching how to develop a system that matches Buffalo’s transportation needs in the present and into the future. 

The Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) has launched a grassroots effort called GO Buffalo Niagara to encourage Western New York commuters to use more sustainable transportation, and in order to do that, they need to know how people move through their lives, quite literally. 

If you’re interested in the future of sustainable transportation in Buffalo, you should take the five minutes needed to complete this survey and let the folks at GO Buffalo Niagara know how you go.