Buffalo committee confirms DPW may finalize documents for NFTA bus rapid transit project

Nate Morgan, DPDW commissioner, told the Community Development Committee on July 15 that the committee’s enabling item authorizes the Department of Public Works to execute documents allowing the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s bus rapid transit project to proceed in the city right‑of‑way.

“This is the formal approval from council allowing DPW to move forward with executing documents,” Morgan said, adding the administration is “tweaking some wording” in the memorandum of agreement so the project will satisfy the Federal Transit Administration’s review.

The committee briefly revisited the item to confirm whether the measure required a separate committee recommendation or whether the council’s prior vote had already provided the necessary authorization. Committee members clarified that the council had adopted the resolution and that the committee was being used to respond to outstanding procedural questions so the project would not lose grant funding.

Morgan said DPW maintains ultimate control of the public right‑of‑way and that DPW will coordinate with NFTA on project construction and infrastructure improvements. He said the city needs to acknowledge the authority’s right to work in the right‑of‑way in order to secure grant funding.

Councilmembers asked for procedural clarity about whether the committee should send the item back with a recommendation or simply receive and file the matter for the record. The committee confirmed the item had been adopted previously and that the current committee placement was intended to ensure wording and procedural language meet federal grant requirements. No additional conditions or policy changes were attached to the authorization during the July 15 meeting.

The committee then moved to adjourn; no vote tally was recorded on the record for this item.