Making your way to Downtown Buffalo couldn’t be easier. Many public transportation, bicycling, ridesharing, and on/off-street parking options are available to visitors, residents, and workers alike.
ON-STREET PARKING
Did you know that most Downtown’s metered spots are free on weekends and after 5 p.m. on weekdays?
Otherwise, short-term rates are priced at $2.00 per hour based on location. All day parking is available at several locations for $3.00 - $4.00 per day. All meters accept quarters, or you can use your debit/credit card to purchase metered parking at any pay-and-display parking machine. Individuals may find the Buffalo Roam parking app to be the most convenient way to pay for metered parking. Simply download the app to make quick payments from your smartphone. The app even sends you notifications when your session is about to expire and lets you extend your session right from your phone.
OFF-STREET PARKING
Many off-street parking options are available Downtown. These include commercial, non-commercial, private, and public surface lots and ramps.
Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps, works in partnership with the City of Buffalo to provide safe, affordable, high-quality public parking at a reasonable cost. BCAR ramps are scattered throughout the area and offer a variety of options for parking, including hourly, day, evening, and monthly spaces.
+ DOWNTOWN PARKING MAPS
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) offers a variety of affordable public transit options to and around Downtown. See NFTA's Metro Bus & Rail page with links to Schedules, Trip Planner, the System Map, and the Smart Traveler real time bus info.
Check out NFTA's new Token Transit App! You can pay Metro Bus or rail fare quickly and easily with your smartphone. Don't have exact change? No problem! Use the Token Transit App to purchase tickets using your credit or debit card. Tickets can be purchased for immediate use or stored for future trips.
The NFTA operates a Metro Bus fleet that services the entire region, and a light rail rapid transit system along Main Street from the Buffalo waterfront to University Station in Kenmore. Travel on the aboveground portion of the light rail is free. Visitors may also take advantage of the NFTA Metro Park and Ride Transit Center locations. Travelers leave their vehicles at a select location in the outer ring suburbs and board a Metro Bus to access Downtown. Additionally, visitors may park in the north end of Downtown and use the light rail rapid transit system to access large-scale special events taking place at KeyBank Center, Sahlen Field, Canalside, or other venue near the water.
For out-of-town guests, public transit is the best way to get to and from the airport. Metro Bus service from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport is quick, inexpensive, and easy to use. The Airport-Downtown Express shuttle runs non-stop service between the airport and Downtown.
BICYCLING
Buffalo is quickly becoming a bicycle dream city. The City of Buffalo is working to support bike commuting with additional facilities, including more than 90 miles (and growing) of marked bike lanes, bike racks, and future priority projects designed to increase safe bicycling options.
The advocacy organization GObike Buffalo is working to build a thriving, dynamic, and connected Buffalo by promoting biking, alternative transportation options, and improved streetscapes. The advocacy organization is working to create positive impacts on health, the environment, our streets, and overall quality of life for residents.
For visitors who want to explore all that Downtown has to offer by bike, Reddy Bikeshare bicycles are available at several locations throughout Downtown from April to November. Reddy bikes are easily available on a short-term basis and give users the flexibility to return a bike to any location.
There are a host of companies that offer both public and private Downtown bicycle tours . Visit the Recreation section of our See & Do web page for details.
