USD $2 local fare beats any BUF taxi meter if you’re solo
NFTA Metro Bus Route 24 Genesee runs from Buffalo Niagara International Airport’s terminal loop to downtown for the standard local fare (around USD $2, exact /X) instead of the USD $30–$40 you’ll see on taxi boards. It’s a regular city bus, not an express, with a typical journey time of 45–60 minutes between BUF and the downtown terminal.
The stop sits right on the airport terminal loop near arrivals, so you stay on airport property and don’t walk across Genesee Street, but the bus signage is smaller than the big rideshare and taxi signs by the doors. Buses usually come every /30+ minutes in the daytime, with thinner headways in the evening and on weekends, so check the NFTA tracker before you walk outside.
Route 24 runs along Genesee Street into downtown Buffalo and drops you at the NFTA Metropolitan Transportation Center, about two blocks from the Metro Rail at the Fountain Plaza or Church Street stations. Locals on Reddit say that during rush hour the 45–60 minute timetable is realistic, even though Google sometimes shows 30–35 minutes in light traffic that rarely happens at 8:00–9:00 a.m. or 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Regular riders recommend planning your trip so the bus lines up with a quick Metro Rail transfer downtown instead of hopping off at some random Genesee stop; the rail runs every 10–15 minutes on the main trunk, and those intermediate bus stops have limited shelter in January. If you roll light, a carry-on and personal item are fine on the 24, but cramming two 50 lb checked bags onto the front steps during a 5:15 p.m. crowd isn’t fun.
Watch out for winter slop: Buffalo riders report the Route 24 buses bunching and running several minutes late when Lake Erie decides to dump snow along Genesee Street. Transit folks also complain that “slow and not frequent enough” is the norm after about 9:00 p.m., with 30+ minute gaps showing in the NFTA tracker and some last trips leaving the airport earlier than visitors expect.
At the downtown terminal, pay attention to signage: several r/Buffalo threads mention visitors missing their Metro Rail or bus connections by waiting on the wrong side of the building, even though the correct bays and rail direction are clearly numbered once you walk inside. One last tip: before you leave baggage claim at BUF, pull up the NFTA real-time tracker—if the next 24 is 25–30 minutes out and it’s close to midnight, just grab rideshare instead of killing half an hour on the curb.
- Mode: Local city bus (NFTA Metro Bus Route 24 Genesee)
- Time: 45–60 minutes BUF–downtown in real-world traffic
- Cost: About USD $2 local fare (/X)
- Frequency: About every /30+ minutes in the daytime, less late
- Best for: Solo or light-pack couples on a strict budget heading downtown or to Metro Rail