Latest news with #NiagaraFrontierTransportationAuthority
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
NFTA's Parks Adventure Bus is back for free trips to popular parks this summer
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Western New Yorkers looking to escape the city and explore the outdoors won't have to spend a dime this summer. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's Parks Adventure Bus is back for its fourth season, offering free roundtrip rides to eight regional parks every Saturday through Aug. 9. The service is part of a collaboration between the NFTA, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Erie County Parks Department, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and Congressman Tim Kennedy. 'It makes it very equitable for everyone to be able to see the great outdoors,' said Kelly Khatib, public information officer and communications manager for NFTA. 'It doesn't matter where you're from East Side, West Side, Cheektowaga, Hamburg, North Buffalo, South Buffalo, we want to make sure that everyone has the chance to enjoy these beautiful parks, and that it doesn't have to break the bank.' Buses depart from 181 Ellicott St. in downtown Buffalo with multiple departure times throughout the day, 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Return trips from each park are scheduled between 11:10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Destinations include: Chestnut Ridge Park Fort Niagara State Park Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve Como Lake Park Beaver Island State Park Akron Falls Park Evangola State Park Emery County Park Each location offers something different from hiking and birdwatching to beaches and historic sites. Khatib said riders can 'choose their own adventure,' with new experiences every week. 'There's so much to explore at each park,' she said. 'If you go to Beaver Island, you're going to get a little bit of that sun and sand. If you go to Fort Niagara, you get a little history lesson with your park adventure.' Park staff are stationed at each destination to help guests make the most of their visit. 'When you show up to one of your Erie County parks on the bus, you'll typically find a little canopy with a table and a park ranger,' said Chuck Bartlett, supervising park ranger. 'They'll have information on what's available to do in that park, where to go, and help you get started on your adventure.' New this year is a ranger-led hike to the to one of the region's most iconic natural wonders. 'This year we've added an auxiliary stop at the Eternal Flame, and you'll be able to meet up with a ranger and do a guided hike,' Bartlett said. Last summer, more than 700 riders used the Parks Adventure Bus, and officials expect that number to grow as more residents and visitors discover the free service. 'It's not just for families or kids,' Khatib added. 'It's a chance for everyone to enjoy the beautiful parks we have here in Western New York.' More information and full schedules can be found here. Gwyn Napier is a reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of her work by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Washington Post
Man taken into custody at Buffalo airport after crashing pickup truck into gate
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A man in a pickup truck drove through a roadside gate at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and crossed a runway before being taken into custody Tuesday morning, according to police. The unidentified man was apprehended at the western New York airport without incident about 6 minutes after breaching the gate, which was damaged. The incident, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m., did not disrupt air traffic, said Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Chief Brian Patterson.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Associated Press
Man taken into custody at Buffalo airport after crashing pickup truck into gate
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (AP) — A man in a pickup truck drove through a roadside gate at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and crossed a runway before being taken into custody Tuesday morning, according to police. The unidentified man was apprehended at the western New York airport without incident about 6 minutes after breaching the gate, which was damaged. The incident, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m., did not disrupt air traffic, said Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Chief Brian Patterson. It was not clear why the man breached the gate, but Patterson told reporters at a briefing that 'we've come to the conclusion that this was intentional.' The pickup truck crossed a taxiway and a runway before the man was taken into custody on an inactive runway outside a plane that is used for training, the chief said. Paterson said the man faces state and federal charges. The FBI was assisting with the investigation. A dog inside the vehicle was being cared for.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local tourism leaders plan for 'unpredictable' summer season
With the official start of the 2025 tourism season just weeks away, local industry leaders and city officials are keeping a wary eye on what the summer season will hold for the Cataract City. A Wednesday afternoon summit with Mayor Robert Restaino, Destination Niagara USA President & CEO John Percy and members of the Niagara Falls Hotel and Motel Association seemed to yield equal measures of concern and confidence. 'We've seen some reduction in (local) cross-border traffic,' Restaino said. 'We met to make sure our (local tourism) industry is nimble enough to react to it.' But the mayor cautioned that local governments 'have very little ability to impact' tourism. The industry has been hit by headwinds created by dramatic changes in the United States' policies on immigration, travel and tariffs. In particular, a trade war and suggestions by President Donald Trump that the U.S. should simply annex Canada as a 51st state have plunged the relationship between the two neighbors into a deep freeze. Mass deportations and other aggressive law enforcement actions against immigrants have also led many nations to issue advisories cautioning against travel to the U.S. Frank Strangio, whose family operates multiple hotel properties in the Falls, said his sites have seen lower occupancy rates in the run-up to the Memorial Day kick-off of the tourist season. He said booking projections suggest those occupancy declines could continue into the summer, fueled by an absence of both Canadian and international travelers. 'We're seeing a downturn in international (travelers),' Strangio said. 'I don't know if maybe they don't feel welcome here. But that is the wrong message. Come and stay. That's what makes America great. We want to see people from all over the world.' Restaino told the association members that city officials are 'exploring doing something with the occupancy tax. The 6% surcharge on what travelers pay for hotel and motel rooms is used to fund tourism-related expenses, including the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's trolley service and the Discover Niagara Shuttle. The mayor said he hoped a 'holiday' on the occupancy tax collections might make room rates more affordable. 'We're not looking at a permanent reduction,' Restaino said. 'We're trying to protect the trolley and the shuttle (both services receive 1% of the occupancy tax revenues).' Strangio said he believes that with the uncertainty of the upcoming tourist season, the region's tourism promotion efforts shouldn't be put at risk. He advocated for continued support for local marketing efforts. 'We need to keep spending on marketing,' Strangio said. 'When we spend less, we make less.' Percy, a long-time tourism industry leader, agreed with Strangio and said Destination Niagara USA is looking to remain aggressive in its advertising and promotions. He said his agency was 'paying attention and has its finger on the pulse' of the decline in Canadian and international travel to the Falls. But he also said Niagara USA was ready to 'pivot' its message to a 'domestic audience of travelers' who live from 3 to 5 hours from the Falls. 'We've always fared well (in tough economies) and we feel we will again this time,' Percy said. 'We don't pull back. We forge ahead.'
