NFTA Metro Bus

[WNYresident]

Even though I should be working instead of on speakup......

This whole issue should be looked at correctly. This way the needed changes to the NFTA can be made.

Someone from inside the NFTA sent me some of their ideas because they witness the operation first hand. Here is what they sent over.

1st.

The community should start with obtaining the organizational chart, along with the breakdown of payroll and positions.

These are all computer based reports that they should have readily available. I was told that they are pretty sure that Debbie Leous, CFO has been told not to release them too quickly. Kevin Gaughn must have a copy based on his article in Sunday's Buffalo News.

Once you have these charts start looking at all of the management positions and the salary associated with them.

2nd.

There are two payroll, purchasing, and account payable departments, NFTA and Metro. The airport has the some of the largest layers of management, along with the Metro side of the house. Engineering is heavy with personnel too, yet they sub-contract most of the work. HSEQ has a Mgr. of Disaster Planning at around 70K, who does next to nothing but go to seminars, and spend money on anti-terrorist stuff. Bomb proof trash cans on Main St. at $10,000 each, and placed next to the regular trash cans from Buffalo Place. (Not bomb proof) Next, move to PR Dept, much of what they do could probably sub-contracted to an outside company. When I was there, there was a person who sat and went through various media looking for anything about the NFTA. That took her about 2 hours, and then she wandered around talking to people. Not sure if that still exists. Been racking my brain trying to remember all of the different people who I could never figure out what they did.

3rd

One of biggest expenses comes from Workers' Comp, which is around 7 million annually, from last report. The woman who runs that department, has a strange sense of accounting. She gets payments reduced on claims, but because they don't have light duty work available, they are allowed to collect unemployment in addition to workers' comp, to make up the difference in their pay. But the WC Mgr. feels because her expenses went down, she's saving money. Never mind the UI the company has to pay out.

Does anyone know Debbie Leous? Maybe instead of going threw a FOIL we can just get the organizational chart and start reviewing who needs to go.

[WNYresident]

Riders denounce route cuts

Updated: February 1, 2012, 10:15 PM

Raucous, boisterous crowds hooted and hollered their way through two hearings Wednesday gauging public reaction to a proposal for drastic reductions in Metro Bus and Rail service.

At both hearings, held at noon and 6 p.m. in the Central Library, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority officials were at times barely audible as hundreds of people denounced cutting a system they depend upon for work, school -- and "living."

"These service cuts are absolutely, crazily nutty," said David Burns, a resident of Buffalo's East Lovejoy neighborhood. "This is the worst possible scenario they could come up with."

Read the full story in The Buffalo News

Brown, meanwhile, pointed out that a record 30 million passengers will use Metro this year. He said an extensive and reliable transit system represents an "economic asset we can build on."

Is that what they consider the subway? Do they mean 30 million pickup and drop offs? That would be 82,191 rides a day. How many people use the system?