BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A dialogue is starting in Buffalo, but some believe it’s taken too long to get here.
“It’s incremental and slow. We spent generations on roadways to facilitate vehicle speed,” GObike Buffalo Executive Director, Justin Booth said.
On June 17, three women were struck by a moving car. One was killed and two were injured.
The vigil for Sara Rogers, 29, is taking place on Monday. While family and friends mourn this loss, Booth wants to take action now and not let this happen again.
“Putting in speed humps in certain areas has been a step in the right direction, but a lot of these simple projects like painting crosswalks, and striping some fresh bike lanes. Working with the community to address some of these needs that they have directly in their neighborhood so we can make some immediate changes. This doesn't have to cost a lot of money to make people safe tomorrow,” Booth said.
In response to the fatal crash, Buffalo put legislation into place that is getting the ball rolling and conversation starting.
Joe Golombek is a North District Council Member in the city. He said after the crash, they looked into original legislation and found out there needed to be change.
“We found out that there was technically not an illegal impediment for parking in them. I mean, you think to yourself that people should know better,” Golombek said.
As someone who bikes and runs throughout the city himself, Golombek said this is something personal for him. He wants to see progress for years to come.
“I’ve been an advocate of walkable Buffalo and for bicycle lanes in the city of Buffalo. Make it safe for everyone involved,” Golombek said.
