BUFFALO, N.Y. — Some new infrastructure has been coming to Parkside and Linden since the end of July. According to GoBike Buffalo, it's being installed as a test.
"From 2017 to 2021, there were 18 crashes there. Eight people were hurt," Kevin Heffernan of GoBike Buffalo said.
The Erie County Department of Health, other state and federal health agencies, and Buffalo Common Council member Joel Feroleto gave GoBike $33,000 for the pilot project.
Installation is expected to be complete next week. The temporary changes are meant to make the area safer not just for those with disabilities, but also for pedestrians and drivers.
The lanes are narrower for drivers so they slow down, and there's now more space for walkers and cyclists.
Heffernan says ADA ramps will also be installed.
"Those aren't actually bike lanes you see adjacent to the travel lane. They're shared paths. They're meant to be used by those walking, biking and wheelchairs. That's why they're a little wider too than a typical bike lane," Heffernan said.
Heffernan says the green paint is meant to grab drivers' attention — to a conflict area — or an area that could have pedestrians in it, so they're less likely to hit them.
2 On Your Side spoke to one woman walking through the area who says she's happy to see something being done because of how many people speed through it.
On the NextDoor app, a lot of other residents aren't as enthused. Some call the changes ugly to look at, while others say it's harder to drive in the intersection.
"The complaints are loud, but we've also received plenty of accolades from the neighbors who wanted to see this in the first place, from the neighbors who never used to cross the street and now do, people who ride their bikes with their kids now through it, who have greater access to the park. So we'll have a survey coming out in September. If you didn't like it, tell us why specifically," Heffernan said.
GoBike's pilot project will remain at Parkside and Linden through November 1.
They'll then pass the data to the City of Buffalo, who will put $3 million into a permanent solution in 2024.