History

Millions of Americans are unable to provide their own transportation—or even use public transportation—for medical appointments, job training, or other services. Such “transportation disadvantaged” persons are often disabled, elderly, or low income.   Much is yet to be done to improve local and regional coordination of transportation services for these individuals.  Duplication of services, insufficient funds, unmet trip demand, numerous regulatory constraints, lack of interagency coordination, and poor service quality still exist. Service area boundaries often preclude trips from being made by publicly funded transportation to important destinations, such as medical facilities, jobs, and training. In addition,  continued suburbanization in many communities have made it far more costly and difficult to provide accessibility by publicly funded transportation to many destinations.  Across educational systems and human services alike, transportation is often the top barrier cited and in many communities, and is viewed as an intractable problem—especially in communities with a weak transportation infrastructure, vulnerable populations and large numbers of people without motor vehicles. 

The Buffalo-Niagara area, like so many other regions, mirrors these challenges.  In response, the Center for Transportation Excellence was created in late 2005.  Paul Snyder III, CEO of Snyder Corporation and Virginia Oehler, Chair of the Board of Advisors, met one-on-one with over sixty community stakeholders. Through these conversations, a 25-person Board of Advisors was formed; then the vision and concrete plans for CTE were developed—collaboratively.  CTE’s headquarters were built on the site of a Brownfield on the East Side of Buffalo, a neighborhood noted for its struggling economic conditions.  The Brownfield site was reclaimed, followed by site renovation and construction.  Since the Center’s grand opening in September of 2007, CTE has continued to reach out to the community by hosting transportation summits, workshops and focus groups, collaborating on grants and creating other partnerships that are helping the community realize a fully coordinated transportation system.