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Thread: NFTA Metro Bus

  1. #1
    Member dtwarren's Avatar
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    NFTA Metro Bus

    Since late 1990/early 1991 the NFTA has been receiving a percentage of Erie County's share of sales tax in exchange the NFTA agreed to certain service standards, and other consideration. A copy of this agreement is below.

    Given the recent changes to the service by NFTA and their increase in fares and potential future increase in these fares do you think the NFTA is living up to its end of this agreement?

    Should this agreement be rescinded?

    Erie County Agreement
    “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson

  2. #2
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    Doesn't the NFTA only get 25% of its funding from its operating fees? (ie fares )
    "I know you guys enjoy reading my stuff because it all makes sense. "

    Dumbest post ever! Thanks for the laugh PO!

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    Member nogods's Avatar
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    DT - I noticed you are using scribd. Did you notice that when you sign up to use scribd you agreed to allow scribd to "Post to Facebook as me - Scribd may post status messages, notes, photos, and videos on my behalf"?

    Sounds like you sold your online soul.

  4. #4
    Member Psycho1's Avatar
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    We may see further cuts down the road. They are already predicting a 7 million shortfall next year, and possibly another 15 mil. the following. The problem is they're not willing to change the way they do business.

    The Executive Director, and her management team of 13 directors, have combined salaries around $1,000,000. What is never talked about, and probably never will be, are bonuses paid to some of these people. We can't forget the various consultants used by the Authority, many retired employees collecting their State pensions and still working for the NFTA at greater costs than they were making before they retired. They hire Environmental consultants, even though they have an Environmental Engineer on staff. Better yet, construction engineer consultants with a staff of at least six engineers on the payroll. No one wants to take the blame if something goes wrong.

    The airport has so many levels of management, I'm surprised they're not bumping into each other on a regular basis. The same holds true for the Metro Bus side of the house as well. There are at least three levels before you get to someone who can turn a wrench. There is so much room for consolidation it's rediculous.

    One of their biggest money drains is the Workers' Compensation claims, which at last report costs about $7,000,000 per year. Again, everything outsourced to a third party administrator and law firm. They could cut the administration costs by doing everything in house, utilizing one of the four or five attorneys currently employed there, or hiring an attorney that specializes in WC.

    Needless to say, there is a ton of waste at the NFTA, starting at the top. Sad part is they'll cut jobs of people who actually earn their money.

    BTW, has anyone heard what is going on with the $27,000,000 rail car rebuild?
    I'd rather be hated for who I am... than loved for who I'm not!

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    Oh sorry you must be confused. i thought it was the union employees that was causing all the waste...They ought to be careful on raising fares. I could very easily rideshare vs taking the metro. I do it because it is convenient. I know the MTA in NYC is very heavily subsidized. So much so that the roundtrip fare (that can actually take you somewhere) is $4.50 I'm not sure how a little town like Buffalo can justify much more than $3.50 for transportation that doesn't go anywhere very exciting.

  6. #6
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie View Post
    Oh sorry you must be confused. i thought it was the union employees that was causing all the waste...They ought to be careful on raising fares. I could very easily rideshare vs taking the metro. I do it because it is convenient. I know the MTA in NYC is very heavily subsidized. So much so that the roundtrip fare (that can actually take you somewhere) is $4.50 I'm not sure how a little town like Buffalo can justify much more than $3.50 for transportation that doesn't go anywhere very exciting.
    You should if you could. . If we could get everyone the rideshare we wouldn't need the NFTA. Correct? Neighbors helping neighbors.... that is what being a community is all about... We could easily save all that money and all that pollution. How many buses could we finally take off the road? You know how much fossil fuel we would save? AL Gore taught us about global warming... It's for the kids

    Anyone know how many gallons of diesel the NFTA purchases a year? We could finally tell foreign oil companies we don't need any and all our wealth stays here versus going to the countries we buy oil from. Talk about burning money up...

    Excellent idea Genoobie...

  7. #7
    Member Psycho1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie View Post
    Oh sorry you must be confused. i thought it was the union employees that was causing all the waste...They ought to be careful on raising fares. I could very easily rideshare vs taking the metro. I do it because it is convenient. I know the MTA in NYC is very heavily subsidized. So much so that the roundtrip fare (that can actually take you somewhere) is $4.50 I'm not sure how a little town like Buffalo can justify much more than $3.50 for transportation that doesn't go anywhere very exciting.
    No, I'm not confused, nor do I think the seven unions, with multiple bargaining units, is not without fault in this case. The simple truth is there is a great deal of mis-management in the NFTA. A bus driver who has been at Metro for some time earns approximately $22.00 per hour plus a host of benefits. Not to say they don't earn it, but some think they should make more. It's not as easy as it looks. Drivers have been assaulted, robbed, and are threatened on a daily basis, without much backup from the company.

    NFTA Police average $70,000 to $90,000 per year with all of the over-time they get for court, special events, and various bonuses they recieve. They include: show up pay, pistol qualification, tactical driving, and some others.

    The airport has several levels of management, almost all unionized. In fact, many of the managers and supervisors are union throughout the Authority. Over the past 15 years most of the management and supervisory staff have unionized under the Teamsters Local 264, and CSEA, driviing up their pay and benefits. Why you ask? Because they were not getting similar compensation to the union employees, and upper management kept screwing with them.

    It's usually the non-represented employees that get the shaft when they talk about layoffs. These are people making far less than the protected workers and upper management, paying into their health care, and selling vacation time to pay their bills.

    How do I know this? Am I guessing, or making assumptions? NO! I worked there for many years, non-represented, and was let go because my new manager didn't like that I knew more about the Authority and questioned some of her spending habits. See, when they hire new management off the street, very often the people who have been there, for almost 20 years, get kicked to the curb after we show them the ropes, because we make them look dumb. Once, I had to explain to my boss how to get from the bus terminal to Shea's, just down Main Street. I often questioned much of the spending that went on, such as many of the consulting firms hired to do what we could do in house. I still have friends at the Authority, and after talking to them, I'm glad I'm out of there.

    As for car pooling, you should. You'll get there faster, and without having to stand outside. hoping your bus shows up.
    I'd rather be hated for who I am... than loved for who I'm not!

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    Member dtwarren's Avatar
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    From: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article652238.ece

    If Metro Bus and Rail passengers think that upcoming fare hikes, service reductions and layoffs will solve the local transit system's staggering fiscal problems, they haven't seen anything yet.

    Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority commissioners Monday heard projections of even more deficits stretching into 2015, prompting the staff to study drastic changes ranging from the possible elimination of facilities such as a bus garage to outsourcing some functions.

    "We can't do business the same way in the future," acting Chairman Henry M. Sloma said. "We need to reshape our delivery system."
    “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson

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    Member dtwarren's Avatar
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    From: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article664993.ece

    Metro Bus service in Erie and Niagara counties faces drastic reductions after transit officials voted Thursday to scrap plans for a fare increase and instead trim almost 22 percent of system miles.

    In a unanimous vote, commissioners of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority killed the fare increase in favor of shedding money-losing routes and scaling back the frequency of bus service and possibly subway service. The move will save $7 million. Those savings, when combined with "efficiencies" including 50 layoffs and closing one bus garage, plug this year's budget gap of $14.7 million.
    “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson

  10. #10
    Member Psycho1's Avatar
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    Kim Minkel and her brain trust will, no doubt, commision and pay for a consultant to make recommendations on how to make the changes. Sad part is, this was done about 10 to 12 years ago, and includes the closing of one garage and the elimination of under performing routes. It also includes reductions on all of the remaining bus lines, including the rail.

    Oh well... now she can earn her $175,000.
    I'd rather be hated for who I am... than loved for who I'm not!

  11. #11
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    I don't ride the bus so, I don't care.
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  12. #12
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Psycho1 View Post
    Kim Minkel and her brain trust will, no doubt, commision and pay for a consultant to make recommendations on how to make the changes. Sad part is, this was done about 10 to 12 years ago, and includes the closing of one garage and the elimination of under performing routes. It also includes reductions on all of the remaining bus lines, including the rail.

    Oh well... now she can earn her $175,000.
    I didn't realize how many millionaires we have in "government"... Lets say they work for us for 20 years......

    $175,000 X 20 years = $3,500,000 in revenue. They retire and lets say they receive 40% of the salary and health care afterwards. $175,000 X 40% = $70,000 + lets say $14,000 a year for health coverage = $84,000 a year in revenue and live 20 more years = $1,680,000 more in revenue.

    $3,500,000 + $1,680,000 = $5,180,000 in revenue for running their busing company.

  13. #13
    Member Psycho1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident View Post
    I didn't realize how many millionaires we have in "government"... Lets say they work for us for 20 years......

    $175,000 X 20 years = $3,500,000 in revenue. They retire and lets say they receive 40% of the salary and health care afterwards. $175,000 X 40% = $70,000 + lets say $14,000 a year for health coverage = $84,000 a year in revenue and live 20 more years = $1,680,000 more in revenue.

    $3,500,000 + $1,680,000 = $5,180,000 in revenue for running their busing company.
    That's just the tip of the iceberg. Figure most of the departmental directors, about 13 of them, earn an average salary of between 95 and 120 K, how does that play out? Then you have Superintendents, 80 to 95 K, and managers 70 to 85 K. It starts to add up, given the multiple layers of management throughout the Authority. If you compared the growth of the management and administrative staffs over the past 30 years, it's probably almost doubled in that time. The BNIA has more management positions today than it did when there were two terminals. And why does the NFTA need a marketing department? Don't we already know there are buses?

    BTW, when Larry Meckler retired, his salary was close to, if not over, $200,000. Former Surface Transportation Director, Walt Zmuda, retired at over $125,000 per year, and is now working as a consultant to the NFTA in addition to his pension. The list goes on...

    The sad part is, it is not just the NFTA that has this structure. We would have similar findings at any one of the many authorities throughout the state, Thruway, Power, Water...
    I'd rather be hated for who I am... than loved for who I'm not!

  14. #14
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    The sad part is, it is not just the NFTA that has this structure. We would have similar findings at any one of the many authorities throughout the state, Thruway, Power, Water...
    All these millionaires running out "authorities" seem more like a scam than anything else.

  15. #15
    Member Psycho1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident View Post
    All these millionaires running out "authorities" seem more like a scam than anything else.
    Authorities are where politicians pay their political debts.
    I'd rather be hated for who I am... than loved for who I'm not!

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