Popular 'Red Line' makes its seasonal debut
Mayor Paul A. Dyster and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority announced the seasonal debut launch of Metro's vintage trolley service to guests staying at participating Niagara Falls hotels and motels beginning today. Metro's Niagara Falls Trolley buses will serve Niagara Falls Boulevard, Pine Avenue, Niagara Falls International Airport and downtown Niagara Falls, USA.
Niagara Falls Trolley stop signs along the route indicate where riders can board a Metro trolley. In downtown Niagara Falls, trolley stops are located at The Aquarium of Niagara, the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, and Tony Roma's Restaurant. Service will also be provided to hotels and shops along Third Street, Rainbow Boulevard and Buffalo Avenue. In addition, stops are located along Pine Avenue, at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara, several motels along Niagara Falls Boulevard, and Little Italy.
Patrons receive their free 2017 trolley day passes upon request at participating hotels and motels. The trolley pass, supported by the local Niagara Falls bed tax, allows passholders free access to the trolley service and the entire Metro Bus and Rail system in Niagara and Erie counties. Passes must be validated in Niagara County and may be used anytime on the date the Metro operator punches the pass.
Dyster said, "Thanks to unprecedented investment not seen in the City of Niagara Falls in many years, the number of recreational and tourist-friendly activities throughout our city continues to increase. With record numbers of visitors coming to our community each year, transportation services such as the Niagara Falls Trolley are a vital component to supporting our business community and enhancing the visitor experience allowing to experience all we have to offer at no cost."
"The trolley provides the public a unique and memorable travel experience," said Kimberley A. Minkel, NFTA executive director. "We are thrilled to be able to provide this service and help support our business community."
John Percy, president and CEO of Destination Niagara USA, said, "We work incredibly hard to inspire visits to Niagara Falls and Niagara County to people all around the country and from around the world. An important part of that story is helping people plan for the logistics of their visit, which includes transportation. The free Metro trolley service plays an extremely important role with assisting our visitors in more easily accessing all of the exciting attractions that we have to offer."
Frank Strangio, Niagara Falls Hotel Association president, said, "The citywide free trolley service for hotel guests makes the great destination of Niagara Falls, USA, much more tourist-friendly, allowing a better experience for our millions of visitors each year. I am honored to be part of the creation of this service as well as its continued growth. This could not be accomplished without the help of the fantastic tourism professionals in our local hotels and industry, the phenomenal service given by everyone at the NFTA and the great leaders we have in the City of Niagara Falls."
Those without a trolley day pass can ride the trolley by paying Metro's regular adult fare of $2, $1 for children (ages 5-11), seniors (ages 65 years and up), disabled and Medicare clients with valid I.D. All other Metro passes are also valid. Children ages 4 and younger ride free (limit three children per fare-paying adult).
Service will operate this weekend, then daily from May 26 through Oct. 8, and weekends Oct. 13-29.
The service, which is designated as the "
Red Line," will operate from 9 a.m. until midnight, and on all holidays. All Metro route maps, service updates and schedules can be found online at
nfta.com/metro, #NFTrolley, including trolley maps and schedules.
The NFTA is a regional, multimodal transportation authority responsible for airport and surface transportation in Erie and Niagara counties. NFTA/NFTM businesses include a bus, rail and paratransit system, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and the Niagara Falls International Airport. In 2016, a J.D. Power study ranked the Buffalo Niagara International Airport second highest in customer satisfaction for medium-sized airports in North America.
