Transportation in Buffalo, New York is dominated by automobile use, but other modes of transportation exist in the city. The Erie Canal made Buffalo a major port. Railroads including the New York Central confirmed its status.

Airports

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) operates Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Niagara Falls International Airport. Buffalo is primarily served by the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, located in the nearby suburb of Cheektowaga. The airport, reconstructed in 1997, serves over 5 million passengers per year. Buffalo Niagara International Airport ranks among the five cheapest airports from which to fly in the country, according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics for 2013. The average round trip flight cost was $295.58. In the 2010s there was a surge in Canadians flying out of Buffalo, mainly due to much cheaper tax and airline surcharges as compared with Canadian airports and the ability to fly on some US based, discount carriers not available in Canada (for example, JetBlue Airways and

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...

). In 2006, plans were in the works by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer to make the under-used Niagara Falls International Airport into an international cargo hub for New York and Toronto, and for Canada as a whole.

Public transit

The Buffalo Metro Rail, also operated by the NFTA, is a long, single-line light rail system that extends from Erie Canal Harbor in downtown Buffalo to the University Heights district (specifically, the South Campus of University at Buffalo) in the northeastern part of the city. The downtown section of the line runs above ground and is free of charge to passengers. North of Theater Station, at the northern end of downtown, the line moves underground, remaining underground until it reaches the northern terminus of the line at University Heights. Passengers pay a fare to ride this section of the rail. Main Court Building, Buffalo

A NFTA project underway, "Cars Sharing Main Street," will substantially revise the downtown portion of the Metro Rail. It will allow vehicular traffic and Metro Rail cars to share Main Street, in a manner similar to that of the trolleys of San Francisco. The design includes new stations and pedestrian-friendly improvements. The first phase of the project, restoring two-way traffic in the 700 block of Main Street between Edward and West Tupper Streets, was completed in 2009. The NFTA operates bus lines throughout the city, region and suburbs. The second, restoring two-way traffic in the 600 block of Main Street between West Tupper and West Chippewa Streets, was completed in January 2015.

Railroads

The city has a single Amtrak intercity train station, Buffalo–Exchange Street station, rebuilt in 2020. The city's eastern suburbs are also served by the Buffalo–Depew station in Depew, New York, built in 1979. Historically the city was a major stop on through routes between Chicago and New York City through the lower Ontario peninsula. Additionally, the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

ran trains between Buffalo and Washington, D.C. on the

Buffalo Line The Buffalo Line is a railroad line owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway in the U.S. states of New York and Pennsylvania. The line runs from Buffalo, New York southeast to Rockville, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania along a former Penns ...

through central Pennsylvania. New York Central trains went through the Buffalo Central Terminal, Lackawanna trains went through its terminal on Main Street until the mid-1950s and the Lehigh Valley Railroad's trains went through its terminal until 1952. From 1935 the Erie Railroad used the Lehigh Valley facility.Buffalo Central Terminal, Decline, 1945–1960 Freight service for Buffalo is served by

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

and Norfolk Southern (NS), as well as Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) railroads from across the border. The area has four large rail yards: Frontier (CSX), Bison (NS), SK (NS / CP) and Buffalo Creek (NS / CSX). A large amount of hazardous cargo crosses through the Buffalo area, such as liquid

propane Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used a ...

and anhydrous ammonia.

Waterways

Buffalo is at the eastern end of one of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie, which boasts the greatest variety of freshwater sportfish in the country. The Lake serves as a playground for numerous personal yachts, sailboats, power boats and watercraft. The city has an extensive

breakwall A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Part of a coastal management system, breakwaters are installed to minimize erosion, and to protect anchorages, ...

system protecting its inner and outer Lake Erie harbors, which are maintained at commercial navigation depths for Lake freighters. A Lake Erie tributary that flows through

south Buffalo South Buffalo is a neighborhood that makes up the southern third of the City of Buffalo, New York. Traditionally known for its large Irish-American community, this community also has a strong presence of various other nationalities. The once-hea ...

is the Buffalo River and Buffalo Creek. Buffalo is historically linked to the fabled Erie Canal, which ended where the Black Rock Channel enters Lake Erie, at Buffalo Creek. When the Erie Canal was dedicated in 1825, its conceiver, New York State governor

DeWitt Clinton DeWitt Clinton (March 2, 1769February 11, 1828) was an American politician and naturalist. He served as a United States senator, as the mayor of New York City, and as the seventh governor of New York. In this last capacity, he was largely res ...

, carried waters from Lake Erie at Buffalo's western terminus of the canal (now the

Commercial Slip Canalside, formerly known as Canal Side and Erie Canal Harbor, is the recreation of the western terminus of the Erie Canal in Buffalo, New York. Canalside is situated on the Buffalo River, in an area that was historically home to the Seneca peop ...

), and poured it into the Atlantic Ocean in New York City. He sailed to New York on the canal packet ''Seneca Chief.'' A return trip of the ''Seneca Chief'' carried Atlantic Ocean seawater. The seawater was poured into the Lake by Judge and future Buffalo Mayor Samuel Wilkeson. Once a major route for passengers and cargo, the Erie Canal played a primary role in opening the American West to settlers from the east. The canal is now used primarily for pleasure craft and some light local freight, and in Buffalo it bypasses the swift upper reach of the Niagara River. A tributary of the Niagara River is Scajaquada Creek, which flows through Buffalo, via the Olmsted-designed Delaware Park–Front Park System.

Streets and highways

Eight

New York State highways The following is a list of numbered state highways in the U.S. state of New York. Signed state highways in New York, referred to as "touring routes" by the New York State Department of Transportation, are numbered from 1 to 899. A large number ...

, one three-digit

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

and one U.S. Highway traverse the city of Buffalo.

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syr ...

, commonly referred to as Main Street within the city, enters through Lackawanna as a limited-access highway and intersects with Interstate 190, a north–south highway connecting

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...

in the southeastern suburb of Cheektowaga with Niagara Falls. NY 354 (Clinton Street) and NY 130 (Broadway) are east to west highways connecting south and downtown Buffalo to the eastern suburbs of West Seneca and Depew. NY 265 (Delaware Avenue) and

NY 266 New York State Route 266 (NY 266) is a state highway in Erie County, New York, in the United States. It runs along the Niagara River from the city of Buffalo to the city of Tonawanda. The southern terminus of the route is at the ramp ...

(Niagara Street and Military Road) both originate in downtown Buffalo and terminate in the city of Tonawanda. One of three U.S. highways in Erie County, the other two being

U.S. 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

and U.S. 219,

U.S. 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Canad ...

(Bailey Avenue) is a north to south trunk road that enters the city through Lackawanna and exits at the

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

town border at a junction with NY 5. Within the city, the route passes by light industrial developments and high density areas of the city. Bailey Avenue has major intersections with Interstate 190 and the Kensington Expressway. I-190

I-190 — Serves Much of southern Buffalo, and some of the first miles of the Erie Canal. US 62

US 62 (Bailey Avenue) — Serves the eastern side of Buffalo and some of the neighborhoods. NY-33

NY 5 (Buffalo Skyway, Main Street) — Serves the Buffalo Harbor, the downtown district, the Buffalo General Hospital, and NY 33 (Kensington Expressway) — Serves Buffalo's east side, and also serves access to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. NY-198

NY 198 New York State Route 198 (NY 198) is a state highway located entirely within the city of Buffalo, New York, in the United States. It is named the Scajaquada Expressway for Scajaquada Creek, which it covers over as it heads across norther ...

(Scajaquada Expressway) — Follows Scajaquada Creek and serves the

Buffalo Zoo Buffalo Zoo is a zoo was located at 300 Parkside Ave in Buffalo, New York, is the seventh oldest zoo in the United States. Each year, the Buffalo Zoo welcomes approximately 400,000 visitors and is the second largest tourist attraction in Western N ...

. Entirely within the Buffalo city limits. Three major expressways serve the city of Buffalo. The Scajaquada Expressway (

) is primarily a limited access highway connecting Interstate 190 near Unity Island to New York State Route 33. The Kensington Expressway (NY 33) begins at the edge of downtown and the city's East Side, continues through heavily populated areas of the city, intersects with Interstate 90 in Cheektowaga and ends shortly at the airport. The Peace Bridge is a major international crossing located near the Black Rock district of the city. The bridge connects

Fort Erie, Ontario Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of N ...

with the city.

Main Street

Main Street runs for 6.5 miles (5.2 miles are a part of NY 5) from Downtown to the University at Buffalo south campus. Main street is the spine of the city dividing the city from east to west. Main street travels through many notable neighborhoods and areas of Buffalo. Areas of note include the Central Business District, the Theater District, Allentown, Central Park, and the University at Buffalo. It also for many decades has been the demarcation between racial and economic groups neighborhoods within the city, with the west side being generally wealthier and whiter and the east being generally poorer and with more people of color. Just north of the city the street runs through the town of Amhurst, a large Buffalo suburb. The road then travels east through the localities of Harris Hill, Batavia, and Le Roy, until reaching its terminus in Caledonia.

References

{{City of Buffalo, New York