University (formerly South Campus until September 1, 2003) is a Buffalo Metro Rail station located near the intersection of Main Street and Niagara Falls Boulevard on the University at Buffalo South Campus. It is a major transfer point between Metro Rail and many city and suburban bus routes and offers a unique "Kiss and Ride" facility on the top level, above the mezzanine. This allows drivers of automobiles a separate area to drop off passengers, so they do not add to the traffic congestion from buses at the station during rush-hour periods and a large park-and-ride facility directly to the east of the station. Since University station serves as a terminal, immediately south is a double crossover. From May 20, 1985, to November 10, 1986, due to construction issues at LaSalle station, Amherst Street station served as the northern terminus. Since November 10, 1986, University station has served as the northern terminus.[2]
University | |||||||||||
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 Exterior and bus loop as seen in February 2021 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | 3383 Main Street Buffalo, New York | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°57′17″N 78°49′14″W / 42.954705°N 78.820556°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | NFTA | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 inter-connected side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Underground | ||||||||||
| Depth | 55 feet (17 m) | ||||||||||
| Parking | 600 park and ride spaces, kiss and ride lot | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Fare zone | Paid fare | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | November 10, 1986 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | South Campus (November 10, 1986–September 1, 2003) | ||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||
| 2017 | 790,307[1] | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Bus connections
editUniversity station serves UB South and is a transfer point for buses to the north and northeast suburbs of the city and is also one of four stations that offers an off-road bus loop, requiring passengers to board/debark using curbside stops (the other three being LaSalle, Delavan/Canisius College and Utica) and is served by 11 bus routes:
- NFTA
- 5 Niagara–Kenmore (inbound)
- 8 Main (inbound)
- 12 Utica
- 13 Kensington (inbound)
- 19 Bailey (inbound)
- 34 Niagara Falls Boulevard (outbound)
- 44 Lockport (outbound)
- 47 Youngs Road (outbound)
- 48 Williamsville (outbound)
- 49 Millard Fillmore Suburban (formerly Hopkins) (outbound)
- 81 Eastside (inbound)
- University at Buffalo shuttles
- Blue Line - serves as a shuttle van to University at Buffalo-affiliated locations of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus from the University at Buffalo-South Campus.
- UB Stampede - connects the two campuses of the University at Buffalo (North and South). This service is open to members of the university community, but closed to the general public.[3]
Artwork
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In 1979, an art selection committee was created, composed of NFTA commissioners and Buffalo area art experts, that would judge the artwork that would be displayed in and on the properties of eight stations on the Metro Rail line. Out of the 70 proposals submitted, 22 were chosen and are positioned inside and outside of the eight underground stations.[4] University station is home of three pieces of work, from Stephen Antonakos (New York City), Harvey Breverman (Buffalo), and Beverly Pepper (Todi, Italy and New York City). The work from Stephen Antonakos is called "Neon for South Campus Station" and is an "abstract form of neon tubing, creating large, incomplete circles and incomplete squares, mounted on the interior ceiling of the mezzanine level of the station." The 550 feet of tubing is red, orange and blue.[5] Harvey Breverman's work is "a large triptych on a semi-circular wall at the foot of the escalators at the trainroom level." The work is entitled Synoptic Triptych. It focuses on the composite nature of a diverse, evolving University (at Buffalo) community and its attending resources.[5] Beverly Pepper's work is a sculpture of steel and grass located in the bus loop entitled Vertical Presence-Grass Dunes. The work changes in appearance as the passengers ride around the loop. An illusion of movement is created through the passing sun patterns.[5]
Notable places nearby
editUniversity station is near:
- Grover Cleveland Golf Course
- Community of Eggertsville, town of Amherst
- Kenilworth neighborhood of Tonawanda
- University Plaza
- University Heights Neighborhood
- University at Buffalo South Campus
- University Presbyterian Church
- VA Western New York Healthcare System at Buffalo
References
edit- ^ "Metro Rail Expansion Project Final Scoping Document" (PDF). May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ Interurbans Newsletter Pacific RailNews issue 280 March 1987 page 46
- ^ "Campus Transportation Services Page for Parking and Transportation Services - University at Buffalo". buffalo.edu. University at Buffalo Campus Transportation Services. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
The University requires passengers to swipe their UB Card in to a card reader as they enter UB Stampede buses
- ^ "Buffalo Art In Transit," Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, c. 1986
- ^ a b c "South Campus Station," Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, c. 1986