Buffalo, N.Y. June 15, 2017 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) have announced the extension of two current bus routes that will drop and pick up riders directly on the Medical Campus Mondays through Fridays. Some trips for routes #14 Abbott and the #16 South Park, both traveling to and from South Buffalo, Lackawanna, Blasdell and Hamburg, will be extended to Carlton and Ellicott streets in the heart the Medical Campus beginning on June 19th. Both routes currently end at Mohawk and Ellicott Streets in downtown Buffalo.
The extended routes will allow riders from south of the city to access the Medical Campus without transferring to another bus, making the ride more convenient and direct. It will also allow those on and around the Medical Campus to directly access Solar City, ECC South, McKinley Mall and other points south of downtown. Park and ride lots at the beginning of both routes at McKinley Mall and at Erie Community College also offer access and convenience to the Medical Campus for residents in the Southtowns.
According to William Smith, Director of Access for the BNMC, Inc., “By partnering with the NFTA, we are finding new ways to provide more access to the Medical Campus without adding more cars to the neighborhood. This access, coupled with the Corporate Pass Program offered through the NFTA, will help to make the commute to the Medical Campus more convenient, affordable and healthy for all.”
The Corporate Pass Program offers Medical Campus employees, a discounted monthly transit pass for $55, a savings of $20 from NFTA monthly passes. Employees can save even more because the passes are purchased with pre-tax dollar earnings.
Buffalo Common Council President and Ellicott District Common Council Member Darius G. Pridgen commented, “Since transportation can often be an impediment to jobs, we are delighted that commuters will have a more direct and convenient way to access jobs on the Medical Campus as well as to opportunities at Solar City and other employers south of the city. These types of changes can have a big impact of residents’ lives.”
“The NFTA is thrilled to partner with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus,” said Kimberley A. Minkel, NFTA Executive Director. “We are tremendously proud to be able to support the BNMC by providing this enhanced bus service that will serve employees, patients and visitors of BNMC.”
Through its GOBNMC program, the BNMC works with several transportation partners to develop strategies and programs designed to address the rapid growth of the Medical Campus community and to provide alternative transportation options including transit, bicycling, walking, car share and other programs. For more information regarding these programs go to www.GOBNMC.ORG. The NFTA is proud to provide 8 routes at the BNMC.
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. www.bnmc-old.local.
For more information, contact:
Susan Kirkpatrick, BNMC Inc. skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local
716.866.8002(m)
On Thursday, June 15, Citizens for Regional Transit will be observing the 12th annual National Dump the Pump Day.
To spread information about public transit as well as other options such as biking, walking, and carpooling, CRT will join several local organizations in hosting Dump the Pump Day information tables:
Stop by at any of these events for more information about transportation alternatives. Sign the pledge to dump the pump on June 15 and do good for the environment, your budget, personal health, schedule, and regional traffic: https://goo.gl/DDJDTA.
Watch video to learn more.
How reliable are the trains & buses?
Very! During the morning and evening commute time, trains run wp-contentroximately every ten minutes. Bus times can vary so check metro.nfta.com for specific schedules. The NFTA has a number of commuting tools at http://metro.nfta.com/Routes/AppCenter.aspx to help you plan your ride!
Which station is closest to my house?
That depends on where you live! Visit www.gobnmc-old.local or call Thea at 716-218-7805 for help determining your quickest and easiest mode.
How crowded is the train? Will I be able to sit down?
Crowd density varies based on the time of day and when there is a major event downtown, however getting a seat on most rides is not a problem.
Is it safe?
Yes – NFTA Metro public safety patrol the trains and stations regularly.
Will I find a parking space easily at the Park & Ride?
Yes. There are two dedicated Park & Ride lots for transit at University and the LaSalle Station. Parking is easy and convenient. There are also a number of Park & Ride lots that serve bus routes and that can be found at metro.nfta.com. Up to two bikes are allowed on individual train cars and select buses if you want to avoid driving to a station. Passengers with bikes are asked to move to the front or back of the train and stay with the bike throughout the trip. Bike racks are available for bus riders on select buses.
What about payment? Where do I put my ticket/pass?
If you’re commuting to work, take advantage of the NFTA’s new corporate pass program, which reduces the cost by at least $20. More information on that can be found here.
Individual transit tickets can be purchased at ticketing vending machines in all Metro stations and a standard ticket is $2 per ride. Cash or credit cards can be used at the vending machines and paper money, coins and fare cards can be used on buses. Exact fare is necessary for bus trips and payment is required upon boarding. Passes and individual tickets can also be purchased online at metro.nfta.com. You may or may not be asked for your ticket once on the train, but be advised that any passengers who do not have a ticket can be fined up to $30. More details on riding metro trains and buses available at metro.nfta.com.
In an effort to encourage more people to try biking as a commuting option and to participate in Bike to Work Day on May 19, local commuters will have the opportunity to join “Bike Trains” to ride to work on the Medical Campus with a group instead of on their own.
The BNMC, in collaboration with GObike Buffalo, have designated four meeting locations for interested bicyclists to meet and ride a designated route with experienced riders in time to join the Bike to Work Day breakfast to be held on the Medical Campus on Friday, May 19th.
Where are the trains starting from?
How do I participate?
Sign up at bit.ly/2paStPz and meet your group between 7:30 am and 8:30 am on the morning of May 19.
What if I don’t have a bike?
Riders can bring their own bikes or take advantage of the Reddy Bikes that will be available at each meet up location.
I’ve never commuted by bike, is that okay?
The bike trains are intended to encourage less experienced riders to try commuting by bike with others and to create a sense of camaraderie on Bike to Work Day.
What hwp-contentens at the breakfast?
The Bike to Work Day celebration will include a light breakfast, bike portraits, and short celebration at the pocket park located at Ellicott Street and North Oak Street on the Medical Campus beginning at 7:00 AM. GObike Buffalo will provide free minor bike repairs and adjustments for riders on site. Bike storage is available across the street at North Oak and Ellicott or at the many bike racks throughout Campus. Medical Campus employees are also eligible for free Reddy Bike share memberships and can sign up by emailing gobnmc@bnmc-old.local.
Bike to Work Day is just one of many Bike Month events and activities to celebrate and encourage biking. A full list of activities can be found at www.gobikebuffalo.org.
Give Transit a Try this May!
The BNMC is offering free week-long transit passes to encourage employees to test out this commuting option. With the Allen Medical Campus Station located in the heart of our Campus, and park and rides available throughout the region, taking Metro to work has never been easier. To select a week in May to try transit for free, please complete this short form.
Continue reading “Free Week-Long Transit Passes & Reddy Bikeshare Memberships for Campus Employees”
Credit is due to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for encouraging employees to use greener and healthier means of getting to and from work by taking advantage of public transportation and pedal power.
It is a good strategy for easing the parking crunch that will only get worse with thousands more workers about to join the workforce. And it will help those employees and medical school students develop lifelong habits that will benefit themselves and the environment.
The grounds of the Medical Campus have been bustling. Gates Vascular Institute and the University at Buffalo’s Clinical and Translational Research Center opened in 2012. Conventus Medical Office Building and Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Clinical Sciences Center opened within the past year.
The John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are scheduled to open by the end of the year.
There will be an astounding number of people in a relatively small space. It would be virtually impossible to create the parking infrastructure that would be needed if everyone drives to work.
Instead, the BNMC is taking a proactive wp-contentroach in getting its expected 15,000 employees to work each day. The nonprofit umbrella organization coordinates transportation and other neighborhood initiatives on the 120-acre Medical Campus.
Officials recently hired a new program manager, Thea Hassan, to work on neighborhood transportation initiatives. Hassan is trying to get folks out into the sunshine and fresh air by persuading them to bicycle to work.
For those concerned about which route to take or who want to brush up on the rules of the road, Hassan is creating the Bike Sherpa. It’s an ingenious buddy system designed to ease the nervousness beginners might feel about a bicycle commute.
GoBike Buffalo and Reddy Bikeshare have been an integral part of the effort to replace pushing the gas pedal with pushing the bike pedals. Reddy Bikeshare had more than a half-dozen rental bikes on campus last year. This year a second station on the Medical Campus is being added, bringing the total to 200 bikes at 35 stations throughout the city. The bikes rent by the hour or through a yearly $55 membership. There will be a free trial membership to encourage employees to bike to work.
The Bike Sherpa service would be available once every few weeks for a limited time and is free and open to Medical Campus employees.
The nonprofit will also work to make it easier for commuters who want to use Metro Rail. The newly renovated Allen-Medical Campus Station is inside UB’s new medical school building, making it very convenient for workers, students and visitors. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is providing even more incentive to take public transportation with a six-month trial of a corporate discount program that could cut the cost of a $75 monthly pass to as low as $38.50 for some bus and rail commuters.
Parking crunches are signs of the growing importance of the Medical Campus. Plans to ease them show forward thinking.
Catching that train to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus may soon have a silver lining, depending on where you live.
Those who commute to the Medical Campus and are looking to hop the Metro Rail, but live a good distance from it, may get some help to get to the train and back home so they don’t have to drive and search for parking.
The non-profit organization that coordinates transportation and other neighborhood initiatives on the Medical Campus is looking for ways to help smooth the way for would-be train commuters who don’t live close to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s Metro line.
“We’re trying to see if we can implement a shuttle service, bike share or van pool,” said Thea Hassan, BNMC’s newly hired transportation program manager. “It’s being considered.”
It all ties into the organization’s goal to encourage people working and studying on campus – and living near it – to choose healthier options and to help minimize parking crunches on the campus and neighborhood streets.
[Related: Medical Campus hires transportation program manager]
“Our goal is a new way of thinking. Instead of expanding the supply, we’re trying to reduce the demand,” Hassan said of BNMC’s transportation initiatives. “We’re trying to tackle from bottom up, top down, and all of our sides.”
Hassan has dubbed the shuttle idea “First mile, last mile.” The big focus is to help people who live a mile or so away from the Metro line. “How do we get them there and back home?” she said.
No decision has been made, but the organization is working on helping to make it easier for commuters to use the Metro Rail to get to the newly renovated Allen Street Medical Station, which is located inside the University at Buffalo’s new medical school building under construction at Allen and Main streets.
Credit is due to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for encouraging employees to use greener and healthier means of getting to and from work by taking advantage of public transportation and pedal power.
It is a good strategy for easing the parking crunch that will only get worse with thousands more workers about to join the workforce. And it will help those employees and medical school students develop lifelong habits that will benefit themselves and the environment.
The grounds of the Medical Campus have been bustling. Gates Vascular Institute and the University at Buffalo’s Clinical and Translational Research Center opened in 2012. Conventus Medical Office Building and Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Clinical Sciences Center opened within the past year.
The John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are scheduled to open by the end of the year.
Credit is due to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for encouraging employees to use greener and healthier means of getting to and from work by taking advantage of public transportation and pedal power.
It is a good strategy for easing the parking crunch that will only get worse with thousands more workers about to join the workforce. And it will help those employees and medical school students develop lifelong habits that will benefit themselves and the environment.
The grounds of the Medical Campus have been bustling. Gates Vascular Institute and the University at Buffalo’s Clinical and Translational Research Center opened in 2012. Conventus Medical Office Building and Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Clinical Sciences Center opened within the past year.
The John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are scheduled to open by the end of the year.
There will be an astounding number of people in a relatively small space. It would be virtually impossible to create the parking infrastructure that would be needed if everyone drives to work.
Instead, the BNMC is taking a proactive wp-contentroach in getting its expected 15,000 employees to work each day. The nonprofit umbrella organization coordinates transportation and other neighborhood initiatives on the 120-acre Medical Campus.
Officials recently hired a new program manager, Thea Hassan, to work on neighborhood transportation initiatives. Hassan is trying to get folks out into the sunshine and fresh air by persuading them to bicycle to work.
For those concerned about which route to take or who want to brush up on the rules of the road, Hassan is creating the Bike Sherpa. It’s an ingenious buddy system designed to ease the nervousness beginners might feel about a bicycle commute.
GoBike Buffalo and Reddy Bikeshare have been an integral part of the effort to replace pushing the gas pedal with pushing the bike pedals. Reddy Bikeshare had more than a half-dozen rental bikes on campus last year. This year a second station on the Medical Campus is being added, bringing the total to 200 bikes at 35 stations throughout the city. The bikes rent by the hour or through a yearly $55 membership. There will be a free trial membership to encourage employees to bike to work.
The Bike Sherpa service would be available once every few weeks for a limited time and is free and open to Medical Campus employees.
The nonprofit will also work to make it easier for commuters who want to use Metro Rail. The newly renovated Allen-Medical Campus Station is inside UB’s new medical school building, making it very convenient for workers, students and visitors. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is providing even more incentive to take public transportation with a six-month trial of a corporate discount program that could cut the cost of a $75 monthly pass to as low as $38.50 for some bus and rail commuters.
Parking crunches are signs of the growing importance of the Medical Campus. Plans to ease them show forward thinking.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Inc. has hired Thea Hassan from one of its partners, GoBike Buffalo, to help tackle transportation issues on the expanding Medical Campus.
Hassan, who began working as transportation program manager two weeks ago, previously worked as communication outreach director for GoBike Buffalo, where she first began volunteering prior to being hired in 2015.
An Ithaca native who also has worked for Ecology & Environment as a proposal coordinator and editor, Hassan said she welcomes the opportunity to further enhance transportation initiatives – with a health emphasis in mind – as the campus continues to grow.
By late fall, the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital will open and shortly thereafter, the University at Buffalo’s medical school will open – bringing even more workers, students and patients and their families to campus.
“There are a number of things we are looking at and we really try to look at transportation holistically,” said Hassan, who rides her bike daily to work on a 2-mile commute through all seasons of the year. “Our goal is a new way of thinking. Instead of expanding the supply, we try to reduce demand.”
Hassan said one of the top priorities is that BNMC – the non-profit umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the 120-acre Medical Campus – works to restructure its transportation management association with institution partners on campus such as UB, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Kaleida Health among many others to address current and expected transportation needs.
“We’re working with them and local partners, such as GoBike Buffalo, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and the city, to really tackle the transportation issues on campus,” she said. “We’re restructuring in order to better address campus needs.”
Another new hire for the BNMC is Elizabeth Machnica, who is a healthy communities catalyst, joining the organization’s healthy communities team that works on initiatives that support and promote healthy food and active living among campus employees and residents in surrounding communities.
In addition to serving as a liaison to the many partners the organization works with, Machnica will work on programs that encourage healthy food and lifestyle choices among Medical Campus employees and the greater community.
Machnica also conducts public health research through the lens of food and physical activity at the University at Buffalo’s Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab under Dr. Samina Raja. Prior to joining the BNMC, she served as a health educator dietitian with Wellness Corporate Solutions and sports dietitian with UB’s Athletics Department.
With over $750 million of investment, three cranes in the air and 700 construction workers on the Medical Campus this past year, our growth is undeniable as we continue to build the New Buffalo! We’re celebrating these developments to our great city and are looking forward to future advancements in the years ahead.
We’ve been planning and coordinating with our member institutions for many years to accommodate the influx of patients, visitors, employees and students on our transportation system and infrastructure. As the Campus grows, our Transportation Management Association (TMA), a collaboration of the BNMC, our member institutions, and regional transportation-related entities, continually monitors, plans for, and manages parking and transportation options.
We adhere to smart growth principles as we seek to build a dense, walkable urban environment that is attractive to local employers and companies outside the region looking for a wonderful place to relocate and grow. We work with a number of stakeholders to develop better options for the people who work on this Campus, as well as patients, students, and visitors, and our overall community and region.
Here’s a brief overview of our recent transportation planning efforts:
Planning for parking and transportation has been a critical component of our work for our 15 year history. Learn more about transportation and parking plans for the Medical Campus on our website.
With 2017 upon us, the BNMC is rolling out several exciting tools with employees in mind. The front of these changes is a new GO BNMC website where employees who work on the Medical Campus can learn more about our program that encourages smart and healthy commuting options; get introduced to the carshare and rideshare options and discounts available; and sign up for your parking pass with ease. Let’s celebrate a healthy lifestyle this year, starting with taking a deeper dive into all that the GO BNMC program has to offer!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kari Bonaro
202-904-7034/ kbonaro@bnmc-old.local
Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. Launches “Try Transit” Program to Promote Bus and Rail Service to Employees
Free NFTA-Metro Passes for April for Employees New to Transit
Buffalo, N.Y., March 28, 2016 – In an effort to promote alternative transportation options on its expanding campus and to familiarize employees with the benefits of transit, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is launching a month-long “Try Transit” campaign aimed at employees through its GO BNMC program. The centerpiece of “Try Transit” is a free NFTA-Metro pass for Medical Campus employees who are new to transit that can be used for unlimited bus and rail trips throughout April.
The aim of “Try Transit” is to introduce bus and rail service to employees who may not be familiar with the service and to provide an opportunity for trial to determine if it can work for them. The program will be launched at a “Try Transit” information session on March 30th at noon in Learn at the Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott Street. Interested employees who are new to transit can request a pass by emailing gobnmc-old.local or by calling 716-218-7162. Supplies are limited and will be available on a first-come basis.
According to William Smith, Director of Access and Safety for the BNMC, “Rail or bus service may be a great option for many people working on the Medical Campus, so we are making it easy for employees to give it a try with the free pass. We hope employees recognize the many benefits of transit including a lower environmental impact, the ability to let someone else drive, and in avoiding the challenges of parking. As the Medical Campus continues to grow, we know that reducing the number of single driver cars is critical, so we hope that this program will introduce a new option for employees.”
Through its GO BNMC program, the BNMC has been an active advocate for alternative transportation options including transit, carpooling, biking and walking. The non-profit has also worked to ensure that infrastructure on the Campus and within the surrounding neighborhoods supports and promotes alternative transportation options.
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC)
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.
GO BNMC Program has championed biking and other alternative transportation options for over a decade
Buffalo, N.Y., February 18, 2016 – The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) with a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business (BFBSM) award, joining more than 1,100 visionary businesses from across the country. The City of Buffalo is recognized as one of only three bicycle-friendly communities in New York State by the League of American Bicyclists and the BNMC is the only organization to be honored with a Gold designation in Western New York.
With the announcement of 73 new and renewing BFBs today, the BNMC joins a cutting-edge group of 1,132 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies in 49 states and Washington, D.C. that are transforming the American workplace.
“The business community’s investment in bicycling is playing a central role in making the country a safer, hwp-contentier, and more sustainable place to live and work,” said Amelia Neptune, League Bicycle Friendly Business Program Manager. “We wp-contentlaud this new round of businesses, including the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, for leading the charge in creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone.”
The BNMC has been an active advocate for alternative transportation options including biking through its GO BNMC program. The non-profit organization, in partnership with GObike Buffalo, has worked for over a decade on increasing active living opportunities throughout the City of Buffalo, promoting biking to work, and ensuring infrastructure on the Campus and within the surrounding neighborhoods supports and promotes alternative transportation options. In addition to carpooling, transit and walking, the BNMC encourages bicycling as an easy option for transportation to and from the dense urban campus to promote active living, ease parking congestion and improve the environment by lessening pollution from motor vehicles.
The BNMC provides amenities such as ten dry, secure bike storage options throughout the Medical Campus, and incentives such as the Secure Bike Parking Bundle that includes access to a dedicated Bike Storage facility, the Guaranteed Ride Home program, and a GObike membership. Buffalo BikeShare is also available on the Medical Campus as an amenity for employees and visitors who may want access to a bike for short-term use. Moving forward, the BNMC will have access to a variety of tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly.
William Smith, Director of Access and Planning for the BNMC commented, “We are thrilled to join our partner, GObike Buffalo as a Bicycle Friendly Business in Buffalo. Over the past decade, our efforts to promote biking and build necessary infrastructure on Campus has resulted in a strong biking culture among employees. When our employees and visitors bike, great things hwp-contenten including a decreased carbon footprint, reduced health care costs, and an active and healthy work culture. We are proud to set an example for our community on the benefits of biking, alternative transportation, and the benefits of active, healthy living.“
To wp-contently or learn more about the BFB program, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/business. To learn more about GO BNMC, visit www.gobnmc-old.local.
About the Bicycle Friendly AmericaSM Program
The Bicycle Friendly CommunitySM, Bicycle Friendly StateSM, Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly UniversitySM programs are generously supported by program partner Trek Bicycle Corp and Silver-level BFA Sponsor Planet Bike. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA.
The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC)
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.
Buffalo, N.Y., January 22, 2016 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) announced today that it will partner with GObike Buffalo to assist with managing and promoting alternative transportation options for employees and visitors to the growing Medical Campus.
The two not-for-profit organizations have worked together for more than a decade on increasing active living opportunities throughout the City of Buffalo, promoting biking to work, and ensuring infrastructure on the Campus and within the surrounding neighborhoods that support and promote alternative transportation options. The formal partnership marks a more structured arrangement in that GObike will provide specific services and staffing for BNMC that will supplement the significant transportation and planning work currently undertaken by BNMC and its partners. Under the agreement, GObike will conduct in-depth assessments of current commuting choices for participating Medical Campus employers, help implement various strategies and infrastructure improvements to promote alternative transportation modes, and provide educational resources for people working on the Medical Campus who are interested in smarter commuting options.. In addition, GObike will assist in marketing and outreach as well as day-to-day management of the current GO BNMC program, which works to provide employees with better access to healthier, greener and affordable transportation options.
According to William Smith, Director of Access and Planning for BNMC, “As the Medical Campus continues to grow, it is critical to educate our community on alternatives modes of transportation that are more cost effective, better for our environment and that address parking challenges in a dense, urban environment. GObike has a proven track record of supporting alternative modes of transportation including transit, carpooling and walking, as well as biking. We believe that this unique partnership can be a model for other companies seeking to promote alternative modes of commuting, as well as those interested in the overall health and wellbeing of their employees.”
Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo added, “We know that employers can play a significant role in encouraging their employees to consider leaving the one-person, one car model of commuting behind. We are delighted to work more closely with the BNMC to help educate and motivate Medical Campus employees to consider alternative means to get to work that will benefit their health, the environment and to help to ease transportation and parking congestion on campus.”
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC)
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.
About GOBike Buffalo
Through advocacy efforts, infrastructure improvements, and community programs, GObike Buffalo works to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community friendly options in the greater Buffalo region.
Mayor Brown and Council President Pridgen have announced a tentative agreement between the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for a long-term lease of the Ellicott Goodrich Garage which, if passed, would allow the BNMC to build a new parking garage on that site which is adjacent to the Buffalo General Medical Center, Gates Vascular Institute/CTRC, and the Oishei Children’s Hospital and Jacobs School of Medicine (both currently under construction). This would add parking for patients, visitors, and employees to the current transportation system.
Where will the displaced parkers be temporarily located during demo/construction?
Parking occupancy overall the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is currently at 70 percent, meaning we have ample additional parking to accommodate those who currently park at the Ellicott Goodrich Garage (EGG) in other locations. We have space in the Michigan Goodrich Garage (MiGo) to temporarily accommodate the parking needs of patients and visitors who are currently parking in the EGG. The MiGo is located on the northwest corner of Michigan Avenue and High Street, directly adjacent to the Buffalo General Medical Center (BGMC) and the Gates Vascular Institute (GVI), and provides relatively easy access via walking or shuttle to and from the hospital facilities.
The BNMC Transportation and Parking Project Management Group (including staff from the BNMC, Kaleida Health, UB, and Roswell Park) have been working diligently on a strategy to ensure that that all patients and visitors can easily be relocated to the MiGo, as the garage was built with this additional capacity during reconstruction in mind. Kaleida and BNMC will also operate a complimentary and wheel-chair accessible shuttle service to safely and efficiently move patients and visitors between the MiGo and BGMC/GVI main entrances. Valet services will also be enhanced at both the GVI and BGMC entrances to accommodate an anticipated increase in valet traffic.
No existing MiGo parkers will be displaced from the garage, although employees will be asked not to park on those levels reserved for patients and visitors.
How are you mitigating additional employees parking in the neighborhoods during this time?
We do not expect any of the temporarily displaced parkers from the EGG to park in the Fruit Belt and/or Allentown neighborhoods. The vast majority of people who park in the EGG are patients and visitors of BGMC and GVI. We will continue to direct them to first-class valet services at the main hospital entrances as well as parking and shuttle options in the MiGo. In addition, the relatively low number of employee permit holders who currently park in the EGG will also be given access to the MiGo.
The BNMC continues to work to mitigate the impact of employee parking in the Fruit Belt. The BNMC and our partners are also in the midst of a Parking Study funded by the NYS Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) and NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to help inform legislation and develop a model residential parking program in the Fruit Belt neighborhood. We are currently in the data collection phase of the Parking Study, working with Fruit Belt residents, institutional partners, and local elected officials to assess current employee parking behaviors and surveying residents to determine their unique parking challenges and needs. The BNMC staff hosted several events and went door-to-door to survey residents, churches and business owners; we expect to have results to share by November 2015.
How will this new garage fit into the BNMC’s overall parking strategy?
This new garage provides a dramatic increase in convenient parking and improved customer service for the growing number of patients, visitors, and employees on the Medical Campus, in particular within the Buffalo General Medical Center, Gates Vascular Institute, the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. As a quickly growing Medical Campus in a dense and urban area, there is a critical need to ensure ample parking for patients and visitors while at the same time ensuring safe, efficient and sustainable transportation access for employees, students and neighborhood residents alike.
What is the timing for garage construction?
Demolition of the current EGG and construction of the new garage is expected to take 18-21 months depending on start date. The parking facility is expected to be partially occupied in May 2017 and fully constructed by November 2017. The contract will include MWBE construction goals.
How many spaces will this add to the BNMC parking system, and is it enough to accommodate the expected growth in the number of employees?
The EGG will expand from its current 892 parking spaces to just over 1,800 spaces. We are also in the process of acquiring additional off-Campus parking which will provide a modest increase to our overall parking inventory. It is the BNMC’s mission to work with our partners to develop a wide array of parking and transportation options to accommodate nearly all commuting needs for the entire BNMC population.
Currently, BNMC, with the assistance of its Transportation Project Management Group, has been exploring a number of nearby satellite parking options, including those on the NFTA Metro Rail line to the north and south.
In addition, we continue to work with our regional partners to manage and grow the GO BNMC commuter toolkit, an innovative program designed to provide employees with better access to healthier, greener and affordable transportation options.
Has GO BNMC been successful?
Yes, over the past three years we have developed several programs that have successfully encouraged drive-alone commuters to consider changing over to alternative modes of transportation (e.g. transit, carpool, biking, and walking). This includes incentive programs, educating employees about their options, and providing infrastructure improvements for safer and more efficient travel modes. Since launching GO BNMC, we have seen a 4% reduction in the number of employees driving alone to the Medical Campus. Moving forward, we are also seeing an increase in housing options in the downtown area, in the surrounding neighborhoods, and along the Metro Rail line. BNMC and partners are also working to create programs to encourage employees to live in these areas, which provide greater access to these alternative commuting modes and, in turn, dampen our on-campus parking demands.
Beginning on Monday, April 20, 2015 the Allen Medical Campus Metro Rail Station will be temporarily closed. The station is expected to be closed for wp-contentroximately 3-4 weeks. Between these dates, there will be no passenger access to the Allen Medical Campus Rail Station. The closing is a result of ongoing construction taking place at the Allen Medical Campus Metro Rail Station, as the University at Buffalo continues to build its new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences facility, which will be built over the existing rail station.
During the temporary closure, there will be free, daily Metro Bus Shuttle service (see schedule) available to avoid disruption of service to Metro Rail customers. Shuttle intervals will coincide with the daily rail schedule at 10- minute intervals during peak periods. Shuttle buses are ADA accessible for individuals with mobility devices.
Here are some tips to help make your commutes stress free:
For your safety, NFTA officers will be amping up surveillance along the temporary Metro Bus Shuttle route. Specific attention will be paid at and near all shuttle route stops.
Questions? NFTA Metro staff will be present at rail stations during peak hours between
April 14 – 17 to help answer any questions you may have. Also, for more information, you may call the NFTA at 855-7211.
Looking for a healthier, greener and more affordable ways to get to work? Checkout out GOBNMC.
On Thursday, June 12th, Bill Joyce, chair of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. board of directors, and Matt Enstice, president & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., presented an update on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The update focused on where the BNMC stands and its future with a strong emphasis on the current initiatives underway that impact the local community at large.
the Medical Campus is home to a thriving medical community, cutting-edge research, world-class health care facilities, and both established and emerging private sector companies. Leveraging those assets, the BNMC, Inc. has an ambitious vision to integrate energy, transportation, food systems, entrepreneurship, housing, education and jobs that will change Buffalo’s future.
The BNMC, Inc. focuses on: Entrepreneurship, Jobs and Workforce, Transportation, Energy, Neighborhoods, Housing and Healthy Communities. Learn more about the BNMC Initiatives.
Contact:Justin Booth
Executive Director, GObike Buffalo
(716) 220-1454
justin@gobikebuffalo.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Buffalo, NY] – On Friday, May 16th at 8:30am Mayor Byron Brown will join GObike Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) at a Bike to Work Day breakfast (927 Washington St) to announce the launch of the city’s development of a Bicycle Master Plan. The Bicycle Master Plan will be a document that will outline a network of bicycle lanes and paths prioritized for investment through community buy-in which will detail Buffalo’s commitment to becoming a premier bicycle friendly city.
In the past, Mayor Brown committed to adding 10 miles of bike lanes a year; a commitment he has honored to its fullest and continues to do so with complete street projects this year including Pearl Street, Niagara Street and Ohio Street among others. When asked why he endorses the Bicycle Master Plan, the mayor commented that, “Making bicycling and walking an integral part of life in Buffalo will not only benefit the city both financially and environmentally but will improve the health of our citizens.”
Businesses will also be pleased with the announcement that more bicycle racks will be available free of charge through the Mayor’s bicycle rack request form. The process is simple and business owners need only to place the request with the city by calling 311 or completing the form, which can be found here: http://www.city-buffalo.com/wp-contentlications/bikestandreq/default.aspx
Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo stated, “Thanks to the city’s consistent efforts, Buffalo has been awarded a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly City by the League of American Cyclists. This accolade demonstrates the success of Mayor Brown’s commitment of becoming a bicycle friendly city encouraging improved safety and accessibility of bicycling in Buffalo with the goal of being awarded Platinumin the future. The development and implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan will further lead the city toward this goal.”
The Bike to Work Day breakfast will be held at 927 Washington St., the future location of the GO Zone, a new project of the BNMC, Inc. The development of a robust multi-modal transportation and parking system is critically important on the growing, dense, urban Medical Campus. As one of the fastest growing employment centers in WNY and with a projected employee base of 17,000 by 2017, there is a need to ensure ample parking for patients and visitors, while creating sustainable and efficient access and mobility options for employees, partners and neighbors. The latest development is the GO Zone, a transportation resource center and bicycle commuter hub that will be managed by GObike.
“We are proud to have worked with Go Bike Buffalo for a number of years to support their work in improving infrastructure to make our campus and surrounding neighborhoods more bicycle and pedestrian friendly,” said Matthew K. Enstice, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Working with strong community partners like GoBike, Buffalo CarShare, the City and GBNRTC as well as the FTA, NYSERDA and the NYS Department of Transportation, we are creating increased opportunities for alternative transportation on and around the Medical Campus, improving access to job opportunities, and building a healthier community.”
The Bike to Work breakfast was the culmination of the city’s first Bike to Work week challenge, hosted by GObike Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc., for employees and residents on and around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, downtown, the Fruit Belt, Allentown, and Linwood neighborhoods; and Larkinville. Sponsorship was provided by Campus Wheelworks and Mobile Pharmacy Solutions.
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More about GObike Buffalo
Through advocacy efforts, infrastructure improvements and community programs, GObike Buffalo strives to make positive impacts on our environment, community, health and economy by making Buffalo a great place for bicycling. Visit us on the web at GObikeBuffalo.org.
More about Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is a consortium of the region’s premier health care, life sciences research, and medical education institutions, all located on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo, New York. The BNMC is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship. BNMC member institutions are the University at Buffalo, Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Olmsted
Center for Sight, Upstate New York Transplant Services, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. The BNMC, Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local
More about the GO Zone
The GO Zone, located directly behind the NFTA Allen/Medical Campus Metro Rail Station on Washington Street, is an under-construction adaptive reuse project that will transform a vacant historic building into an alternative transportation hub. Funded through a cost-sharing agreement with NYSERDA and the FTA, the Go Zone will include an indoor bicycle parking center, a community bike workshop operated by GObike Buffalo, and a transportation resource center where employees and residents can come to learn more about the transportation services and programs available to them. The GO Zone will also be a major Buffalo CarShare and BikeShare hub. Phase 1 of the GO ZONE will open this summer.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and GObike Buffalo invite you to join the growing number of employees who are going green by riding their bikes to work. Between Monday, May 12th and Friday May 16th, we will host the City’s first annual Bike to Work Challenges!
Whether you’re a seasoned bicyclist or just interested in trying it out, now is the perfect time to hop on your bike, get some fresh air, and join your colleagues in a celebration of all things bicycle!
We have two fun and commitment-free challenges you can participate in for the chance to win some awesome prizes:
Bike to Work Week Challenge: If you bike to work 3 or more days between Monday, May 12th and Friday, May 16th, you’ll be entered in to a raffle for a chance to win a grand prize.
Bike to Work Day Challenge: Not ready yet to bike 3 days? That’s okay! If you bike to work the morning of Friday, May 16th, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a separate grand prize.
If you are participating in both Challenges, you’ll be entered in to both Grand Prize Raffles.
There will also be several smaller raffle prizes for Challenge participants. You just need to check-in at the GO Zone @ 927 Washington Street (corner of Carlton and Washington Streets) every morning you bike to work that week, so we know you’re participating! Check-in will only take a few seconds because our staff will be waiting for you!
Schedule of Events
Monday, May 12th – Friday, May 16
Bike to Work Week Challenge
Friday, May 16th
Bike to Work Day Challenge
GO BNMC Bicycle Breakfast
Bicycle Commuting 101 Workshops
GObike will be holding three Q&A sessions and quick commuting workshops to help you prepare for the challenges.
Workshop 1
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
The BNMC is working with the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council on a study that will identify major streets that could be upgraded through traffic-calming measures, in order to better connect the Medical Campus with surrounding communities and Downtown Buffalo.
We would like your input on which streets need to become more pedestrian, bicyclist, transit-rider and driver friendly, and how these goals can be accomplished!
Please join us at the next Four Neighborhoods, One Community meeting on Wednesday, April 23, 5:00-7:00 pm (light refreshments at 5pm, meeting starts promptly at 5:30 pm) at the Innovation Center, 640 Ellicott St, for a discussion on Transportation in and around the Medical Campus.
In addition to the transportation study, we will be sharing updates on the new GO Zone Bicycle Workshop, located at Carlton and Washington Streets, as well as the exciting events planned for Bike to Work Month in May.
Let us know you are can attend! RSVP to emends-aidoo@bnmc-old.local or 716-566-2314.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) in partnership with National Grid, was recently awarded $1 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop the BNMC Green Commons. The Green Commons, located at 927 -937 Washington Street, will involve the adaptive reuse of three historic buildings located adjacent to the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA Metro Rail Station and the site of the soon to be constructed University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The buildings will showcase sustainable best practices in land use, energy, and transportation.
“The Green Commons is a manifestation of the programs and partnerships that BNMC has been developing over the past few years around alternative transportation and energy,” said Bill Smith, director of campus access for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Thanks to this generous award from NYSERDA, we will be able to create a unique, highly accessible, and sustainable complex of facilities that provide a number of important services for the campus and community.”
The design and construction of the Commons will follow low-impact development principles, including energy efficiencies, utilizing renewable energy sources, and featuring on-site storm water management.
A major component of the project involves the creation of an Integrated Mobility Hub (“the Hub”) where employees and residents can access and learn about an array of alternative transportation services in a centralized and highly accessible location. The Hub will be home to a large indoor bike parking facility and community bike workshop operated by GObike Buffalo; Buffalo CarShare vehicles and Buffalo BikeShare bicycles; as well as an outreach and education center for the GO Buffalo transportation initiative.
Another large component of the BNMC Green Commons will be Smart Home Buffalo, an initiative of energizeBNMC, a Medical Campus-wide partnership with National Grid, to create a model energy home that demonstrates how to make energy improvements to existing buildings practical and tangible. Visitors will learn about energy creation and delivery, consumption, conservation and what is in store for the future of energy.
“We’ve worked very hard to develop an integrated and innovative energy strategy for the BNMC, and this grant will help all the partners move that strategy along,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, regional executive for National Grid. “National Grid and the BNMC want to take what is learned and implemented on the campus and make it available more broadly. The Green Commons will help the campus meet its long-term energy goals, and will also serve as an education tool and model for the larger community.”
The project will also involve additional commercial and gathering space that will serve both the Campus and surrounding communities.
In addition, the BNMC, Inc. recently wrwp-contented up a mutli-year project with NYSERDA to help promote the use of alternative transportation modes to employees on the Campus. Through cost-shared research agreements from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), and two separate grants from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Job Access-Reverse Commute (JARC) program over the past two years, the BNMC has been able to advance alternative transportation efforts on the l Campus and surrounding neighborhoods. Read the final report.
This year's BNMC Fit event will feature health enhancing activities, raffle prizes and giveaways.
Don't miss this fun event. All BNMC employees and neighboring community members are encouraged to attend.
The purpose of the BNMC Fit event is to motivate, inform, and empower employees by offering knowledge and support of eating healthy, active living, and making small steps towards success in building a healthy future. The event will feature displays and demonstrations related to fun and active exercise options as well as demonstrations related to bike and pedestrian safety and education and transportation demos.
The event is scheduled to between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with an intended audience of 1000 employees from our nine member institutions.
GO BNMC has made new Carpool Only parking spots available in the 589 Ellicott Street lot and the Michigan-Goodrich Garage. Starting Monday, May 27th, carpoolers must have a special “Carpool Parking Tag” to gain access to these spots.
If you are a current carpooler or are interested in carpooling, please call 716.218.7351 to register you and your rideshare partners for the new parking tags. There are no additional costs.
Also, to make carpooling easier, registered carpool parking tag holders can now be given an additional parking tag that they can share with their rideshare partner. There are no extra costs for this additional tag.
Please keep in mind that only one parking tag will be allowed in the lot or garage at a time to avoid abuse of this system. The parking gates will not open for the additional tag if the other tag is already inside the lot/garage.
As demand for carpool parking grows, GO BNMC will expand the amount of designated carpool spaces and adjust carpool policies to make it as easy as possible to choose this economical commuting option.
Do you want to try carpooling, but need to find someone that to rideshare with? As a GO BNMC member, you can connect with other potential carpoolers that work on or near the Medical Campus. All you have to do is sign-in to your account, see where interested carpoolers live, determine if their work schedule coincides with yours, and see what their ridesharing preferences are. Once you have found a potential match, you can send them a message to jumpstart the conversation. It’s easy, safe, and can be a great way to meet new people.
For more information or to register for carpool parking tags, please call 716.218.7351 or email gobnmc@bnmc-old.local. Visit www.gobnmc-old.local to learn more about carpooling and other alternative transportation options for employees on the BNMC.
NOTE: The above carpool information does not wp-contently to employees who park in the Roswell Garage on Michigan and Carlton.
