Grand Island Transit Corporation

The Union Bus Terminal

Grand Island Transit Corporation

Here we will take a ride on Grand Island Transit's line run operations before the company got out of the line run business,first by selling its Buffalo-Niagra Falls route to
NFTA Metrobus in 1975 and discontinuing its Buffalo-Wellsville run in 1981. First bus boarding at Gate No.7 is for River Road, Grand Island, and Niagara Falls,NY. Second bus, departing at 9:00, also boarding through Gate 7 for East Aurora,Varysburg,Warsaw,Silver Springs, Perry,Castile, Portageville, Fillmore,Houghton,Oramel,Canadea, Belfast, Belmont,Scio, and Wellsville.

Founded in 1936 to provide a public transit service linking Grand Island with both Buffalo and Niagara Falls, Grand Island Transit Corporation had its headquarters in Buffalo for many years, first at 200 Mohawk Street, and later, at 200 Broadway (former home of Buffalo Transit Company). As Grand Island Transit built its Buffalo-Niagara Falls bus line, it developed its charter and tour business as well. Essentially a commuter service, the Buffalo-Grand Island-Niagara Falls bus line carried package express and a fair number of honeymooners as well. From the outset, Grand Island Transit was a high density, high frequency of service operation that connected with numerous other bus lines at Buffalo, including Edwards Lakes To Sea, Greyhound, Canada Coach Lines, Gray Coach Lines, and sister company Lockport Bus Lines. One connecting Line, Genesee Bus Lines of East Aurora,NY, became Grand Island Transit's merger partner, being merged into GIT in 1966. Genesee Bus, founded in1939, operated routes from Buffalo through East Aurora to North Java,Wellsville, and Hornell. Genesee's route structure provided Grand Island Transit with additional charter origination territory as well as regular route operations. The beginning of the end of the line run operation came with the March 22,1970 Buffalo-Wellsville timetable with service reduced to a Saturday Only 'franchise' run, while the Buffalo-Niagara Falls line continued as before with GMC PD4106s,MCI MC5s,MC7s being used on the route in addition to the six GMC suburban coaches purchased for the service. Four of these buses were GMC SDM4501s delivered in 1960 and 61, numbered 66,68,72 and 74, each seating 45 passengers. These were joined in 1967 by an SDM5302, No. 104, which at first seated 47 passengers with wash room, but later reconfigured to seat 49 as most buses of this type did. The final GMC bus ever purchased by Grand Island Transit was S8M5305A No.114, which was delivered in 1970. When GIT sold the Buffalo-Grand Island-Niagara Falls route to NFTA Metrobus, Suburban buses 66,68,104,and 114 came with the package. 72 and 74 were retired at that time. This was done in 1975 and the Saturday only run to Wellsville,NY continued for six more years before being discontinued in 1981, marking Grand Island Transit's exit from the regular route business. Today, the company offers only charter and tour service.

Timetables

Table 1A. Buffalo to Niagara Falls

2424      Trip Numbers         1         3       5       7      9      11      13        15      17     19      21       23

Buffalo(Terminal)    Lv    0600   0645   0730 0750 0900 1010 1120   1300 1410 1530 1645   1730

Hotel Statler                    0603 0648   0733 0753 0903 1013 1123   1303 1413 1533 1648   1733

Buffalo City Line             0622 0707   0752 0812 0922 1032 1142   1322  1432 1552 1707  1752

Wickwire Plant              0626 0711   0756   0816 0926 1036 1146   1326 1436 1556 1713 1756

Staley Road                   0631 0716   0801   0821 0931 1041 1151   1331 1441 1601 1716 1751

Grand Island Plaza       0633 0718   0803   0823 0933 1043 1153 1333 14431603 1718 1753

LaSalle Bridge              0640 0725   0810    0830 0940 1050 1200 1340 1450 1610 1725 1800

Niagara Falls (Term.)A 0653 0738   0823    0843 0953 1103 1213   1353 1503 1623 1738 1813

Table 1A (Continued)

Trip Numbers                   23          25          27          29         31

Buffalo(Terminal Lv    1720       1800     1930       2100     2315

Hotel Statler                 1723       1803     1933       2103    2318

Buffalo City Line           1742       1822     1952      2122    2337

Wickwire Plant             1746       1826     1956      2126    2341

Staley Road                  1751        1831     2001     2131    2346

Grand Island Plaza       1753       1833     2003     2133    2358

LaSalle Bridge              1800       1840     2010     2140    2355

Niagara Falls       Ar      1813       1853     2053     2153    2408

From timetable card effective November 11,1973 (final issue) Table 1b follows.

Table 1B Niagara Falls to Buffalo

Trip Numbers                 2            4            6         8           10          12          14        16          18

Niagara Falls      Lv 0600      0645     0720    0750       0900     1010     1120      1300     1410

LaSalle Bridge          0613      0658     0733    0803       0913     1023     1133      1313      1423

Grand Island Plaza   0620      0705     0740    0810       0920     1030     1140      1320      1430

Staley Road               0622      0707     0742   0812        0922     1032     1142      1322      1432

Wickwire Plant         0627       0712    0747    0817       0927      1037     1147      1327     1437

Buffalo City Line       0631       0716    0751    0821       0931      1041      1151     1331      1441

Hotel Statler             0650       0735    0810    0840       0950       1100     1210      1350     1500

Buffalo Terminal ar 0653       0738    0813    0843        0953       1103     1213     1453      1503

Table 1B Continued

Trip Numbers                   20           22         24         26          28          30

Niagara Falls Term. L 1530      1645     1800      1930     2045       2200

LaSalle Bridge              1543      1658     1813      1943    2058        2213

Grand Island Plaza       1550      1705     1820      1950    2105        2220

Staley Road                   1552      1707    1822       1952    2107       2222

Wickwire Plant              1557      1712    1827       1957    2112       2227

Buffalo City Line            1601      1716     1831       2001   2116       2231

Hotel Statler                  1620       1735    1850       2020   2135       2250

Buffalo   Terminal    A    1623      1738     1853      2023   2138       2253

When NFTA Metrobus took over this route in 1975, the schedule remained approximately the same, though published in a new format timetable (NFT format).

Table 2. Buffalo-East Aurora-Wellsville (Saturday Only) 3-22-70

501                 Run Numbers              502

0900     Lv Buffalo                  Ar      1715

0935     Lv East Aurora                    1635

1015     Lv Warsaw                Lv      1555

1025     Lv Silver Springs     Lv       1545

1035     Lv Perry                    Lv       1535

1050     Lv Castile                   Lv      1520

1055     Lv Portageville          Lv      1515

1115     Lv Houghton               Lv      1455

1125     Lv Belfast                   Lv      1445

1140     Lv Belmont                 Lv      1430

1155     Ar Wellsville               Lv      1415

Note: The numerous flagstops are not shown in this table, taken from the timetable in effect from March 22,1970   to the end of service in 1981. This was all that was left of the once extensive network operated by Genesee Bus Lines, which served Erie,Wyoming,Allegany,Steuben and Livingston Counties on several routes.