Better looking roads, better looking business for Buffalo's booming West Side

“The biggest complaints that we get in our office are our sidewalks and our overlays,” said Buffalo Common Council majority leader David Rivera.

He spent some time Wednesday morning talking with 7 Eyewitness News about the street infrastructure projects on Buffalo’s west side. 

Rivera has been working for years to spruce up the roads and sidewalks.

Now, the project is extending to accessibility by installing ADA compliant ramps.

“[They] are handicap accessible for people with a wheelchair so people can get on, access the street, and get back [off].”

Rivera says that the city actually had extra money this year in their infrastructure budget in addition to some additional block grants.

“The city puts all of its projects out to bid and I guess they got a good deal on the bids - more work, less money.”

That money is going right back into sprucing up areas of the west side, and the warm weather is letting the city get more done this year than they usually are able to do”

What doesn’t get done before the snow hits, will be pushed towards next years goals, said Rivera.

“The worst of the worst, we want to make sure the worst streets, with the most potholes, get done.”

Rivera said that all projects are graded based on what should get done first, but there are some projects that are targeted towards certain areas because it gets neighbors excited about what’s to come in the neighborhood.

“They start seeing new sidewalks, curbs, lighting, infrastructure, overlay, it brings up a lot of enthusiasm and sometimes you get people to re-invest in their own properties.”

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