BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Several bicyclists in Western New York are voicing the importance of having the New York State Safe Streets Act in place to implement safer roads for bikers and drivers.
7 News reporter, Yoselin Person, spoke with a cyclist, Christine Krolewicz, who rides her bike “Dreamcycle” regularly.
Krolewicz says she had encountered a time when she was almost hit by a vehicle who failed to be vigilant.
“A few months ago, a driver was parked and was going to reenter the roadway,” Krolewicz says. “And he didn’t have his signal, so I didn’t know they were coming out, and they almost hit me.”
Therefore, cyclists like Christine are hoping Gov. Kathy Hochul signs the “Safe Streets Bill” to help improve infrastructure for both bikers and drivers.
“If we don’t have that infrastructure, you’re literally sharing the road with vehicles with the same laws,” she says. “And I’m still trying to learn what my rights are as a bicyclist, what the laws are.”
The GObike Buffalo Justin Booth executive director says there’s a “traffic safety epidemic” in the US.
In WNY, Booth cites the NYS Department of Transportation of at least 67 fatal crashes in WNY involving pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles in a year, and over a third of them are 16 and younger and senior citizens.
“The bill that’s on the governor’s desk to sign would incentivize more communities to implement more complete streets,” Booth says. “And support them by providing more state dollars to do those types of projects that the community so desire.”
Booth also says disadvantaged communities are being the most impacted by this epidemic.
“Because we know that most of these communities, up to a third of these households, don’t have access to a vehicle,” he says. “They’re relying on walking, riding a bike, so this is about giving every person dignity in the way their choose to travel in their community.”
Yet, cyclist, Christine Krolewicz hopes Gov. Hochul will sign the bill.
“It would be wonderful if this were to move forward,” she says. “It’ll help people feel a lot safer. As a bicyclist, like watching out for yourself as a driver and others and trying to protect each other right now until we have more protected bike infrastructure.”
According to the executive director of GObike Buffalo, Justin Booth, he spoke with a representative from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and says the bill wasn’t signed.
