BUFFALO, N.Y. — A lot of you have been asking us about traffic posts lining part of Abbott Road in South Buffalo. Even though it doesn't look like there's any construction going on, it's actually something the City of Buffalo is doing in an effort to protect pedestrians.
For the past few years, Buffalo Common Councilmember Chris Scanlon's been working with the Department of Public Works on the Abbott Road streetscape project.
"We're looking at an overhaul, rehabilitation of all the infrastructure here. Streets, sidewalks, curbs, lighting, everything," said Scanlon.
One of the things they're considering are bump-outs at the intersections. Bright orange posts are up now from Stevenson to Edgewood to test the idea.
"How would they make the roads safer?" asked 2 On Your Side’s Kelly Dudzik.
"So, by squeezing the road down, hopefully, people are slowing down," said Scanlon. "They decrease the crossing distance for pedestrians. They slow down traffic on turns making it more safe."
The posts are just temporarily stuck to the road right now. That way with your feedback, adjustments can be made before the permanent construction is done.
Scanlon says at first, the idea of the bump-outs didn't go over so well.
"At the first meeting, to be perfectly honest with you, the public was overwhelmingly against them. But, we continued to talk about them, and at the next meeting, the feeling at the meeting kind of flip-flopped," said Scanlon. "One of the things I saw come through today was people questioning why they say, quote-unquote waste of money. Why not use it to improve other things? But, if you look at the overall cost, or overall budget of the project, all of Abbott Road, again we're talking down from where Abbott Road starts all the way to the city line, you're talking somewhere 10, 12, $15-million maybe by the end of it, the multiple phases, so again, these bump-outs, they're just a minor, minor part of that budget."
State funding covers this phase. The orange posts will be up for the next 4 to 6 weeks. Your feedback will help the city and construction firm come up with the final design. If the NYSDOT approves it, construction starts next spring.
To give feedback, call 716-851-5169 or email Rachel Reid.