AMHERST, N.Y. — There was yet another crash involving a pedestrian on Niagara Falls Boulevard – this time, an 18-year-old man was seriously injured when he attempted to cross the Boulevard. No charges have been filed, as police investigate.
The crash once again is putting a spotlight on safety on the boulevard.
A manager at a Checkers in the 2300 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard, says the teen who was hit in Sunday night’s accident works there as a food service worker.
The teen then got off a bus across the street, which he normally does to report for work.
But this time, he was hit by a car while crossing, suffering serious injuries to his neck and head.
“It’s extremely frustrating especially this one,” said Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa.
Kulpa adds that the frustration comes from the fact that the town is in the process of adding light poles on the Amherst side of the Boulevard. The additional lighting hasn’t reached the 2300 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard, where the crash happened.
“Not that it would’ve necessarily made the difference, but we certainly think the areas where the lighting is in place have dramatically improved,” Kulpa said.
Since the state Department of Transportation released a report on Niagara Falls Boulevard safety issues this past summer, the state has reduced the speed limit of 45 miles per hour to 40, north of the 290. This is one of the recommendations in the report.
“Simply decreasing this thing 5 miles an hour is not enough it needs to go back another five miles an hour in terms of speed,” Kulpa said.
2 On Your Side's Jeff Preval asked Kulpa, "Are there any other recommendations that you have seen that the state DOT has enacted in the last several months?"
“They changed the countdown timers so that they have a little bit more time to cross crosswalks,” Kulpa said.
Another recommendation – to create raised median islands at multiple areas of the boulevard including where last night’s crash happened.
"Have they given you any idea as to when some of these things are going to be done? Preferably before the winter?" Preval asked.
“I think they’re trying to do some of the low-hanging fruit now but I gather there’s going to more done this spring,” Kulpa said.
The state DOT mentions in that summer report that many of the recommendations, that are part of a $2 million project, will be completed next year, with design work happening this year. Amherst’s lighting project goes to Creekside Drive and will be finished in a couple of months.