The last two summers were tumultuous for student transportation in Buffalo Public Schools. Hard decisions and creativity were required to fight uncovered bus routes, ride times exceeding an hour and dangers posed by masses of students waiting downtown for the Metro after school.
As this school year picks up speed, leaders in Buffalo Schools and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority reflected last week on the policies they trusted in response to that transportation crisis – and they are generally pleased.
David Hills, Buffalo Schools’ chief operating officer, deflected credit for the three-bell schedule introduced last year that made student arrival and dismissal more efficient without the need for partner First Student to hire hundreds of drivers. By staggering start and end times across the district, existing bus drivers were freed to cover more routes.
Unpacking Buffalo Schools' new three-bell schedule
Buffalo Schools Chief Operating Officer David Hills calls the three-bell schedule to be introduced this fall in all Buffalo schools a "Hobson's choice," or a predicament where there's an illusion of options but really just one solution.
It has “worked because there’s robust community cooperation,” Hills said Thursday.
While the district determined the transportation framework, it asked many people to embrace change. Hills praised parents for ensuring their children were at bus stops on time. He credited principals and staff for adjusting to the new schedule and waiting patiently with students when buses were delayed. And he lauded bus drivers for managing tighter time windows to unload and load students.
The NFTA, the public transit partner that also whisks high school students to and from school, drew criticism last year for predetermining bus routes home for students and trimming the allotted time for students to use district-issued Metro passes from four hours after dismissal to two. Those rules remain in place for this year, with a slight revision to bus passes for clarity.
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Many student bus passes will display a red circle holding the words “No P.M. rail,” which designates them to take Metro buses home instead of the subway.
Brian Patterson, the NFTA police chief, said the restriction reduces congestion at junctions where multiple schools dismiss at the same time, such as Fountain Plaza, or traditional gathering spots, such as University Station.
“This allows us to reduce some of the fighting, which occurs when a lot of kids are gathered,” Patterson said.
Transit Police
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Chief Brian Patterson, right, and officers Collin Griffiths and Mason Jones have tried to develop relationships with Buffalo high schoolers to deter large fights and other violence.
His department has seen a small yet noticeable reduction in fights at Fountain Plaza, which peaked during the 2022-23 school year, prompting Superintendent Tonja M. Williams Knight last September to publicly urge parents and students to avoid congregating there.
Curtailing large public altercations is a major part of new NFTA Transit Police Chief Brian Patterson's coordinated safety plan.
“I think we have some very good months, some very good periods, and others that might be more challenging,” the chief said.
Patterson said the NFTA will increase the number of “integrity checks,” in which officers will pick a subway station and check students’ Metro passes as they come through to make sure they’re on their assigned route. He wants the students to see that, “Wow, there’s a level of supervision here.”
Buffalo superintendent to high school parents: Students should not linger at Fountain Plaza
Hutch-Tech, Emerson School of Hospitality, Buffalo Culinary School 355 and Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School are all within a half-mile of the plaza, and the mingling of student populations and density of students have led to an increase in large fights after school.
Hills agreed collaboration between the district and the NFTA has focused around routing students efficiently, including the special Metro buses that are routed directly to Buffalo high schools, including McKinley. The challenge is keeping the process streamlined and smooth for students who play sports, attend after-school programs or work in the evening, without enabling the much smaller population of students trying to manipulate the system.
“It’s one or two students looking to cause mischief,” Hills said. “The vast majority are excellent civic riders and contribute to collective space that is the mass transportation system.”
Here are three quick-hitters about transportation in Buffalo Schools.
Before the pandemic, Buffalo Schools and First Student had more than 650 buses at their disposal, which gave the district flexibility when a vehicle needed to be repaired or quickly reassigned for a field trip.
At its lowest point, during the 2022-23 school year, the fleet drooped to about 430. Presently, it has about 460 buses, Hills said, and First Student continues to send extra drivers to Buffalo to provide a buffer. Hills does not expect to return to the 650-bus fleet anytime soon, as acquiring a commercial driver’s license remains a challenge for applicants, despite steps to help by First Student.
Transit police beef up subway patrols in new 'Ride Nice' program
A special new detail of four transit officers called the Transit School Resource Unit now roams the Metro Rail system, as well as key bus stops when school lets out each day, calming the effect of approximately 10,000 students flooding into public transit.
When Patterson became NFTA police chief in 2022, one of his first major changes was to institute a Transit School Resource Unit, a group of officers who spend time at rail and bus stations to build relationships with students to create a calmer environment. This year, the unit has expanded from four to six officers, with an emphasis on riding public transit and monitoring certain stations, too.
“I’m pretty happy about that,” Patterson said. “It allows us to do more.”
The School Resource Unit, he added, complements Buffalo Peacemakers, Buffalo Public Schools security and Buffalo police in keeping kids safe before and after school.
NFTA launches new version of See Something, Say Something app
As part of an ongoing effort to enhance safety, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority this week announced the launch of an improved version of its See Something, Say Something app.
As the security force increases, the savviness of students looking to organize fights has proven formidable, Patterson said. Hotspots have calmed down, but others inevitably pop up as instigators pivot to avoid police presence.
“You can’t control what’s in a student’s mind,” Patterson said, “and you can’t make them get on that bus. They make choices.”
The NFTA chief is confident, though, that relational efforts eventually will pay off.
“You’re going to see a return on our engagement with students,” he said. “I think that’s going to take time.”
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