BUFFALO, NY — New legislation from state lawmakers is aiming to complete street projects that provide safety for pedestrians and cyclists while also providing lower spending costs for cities statewide.
“Traffic violence has become a real problem across this state and across the nation,” said NYS Senator Tim Kennedy.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationin 2020 more than 6,500 pedestrians were killed and an estimated 55,000 were injured nationwide.
But with this legislation - new Complete Street Projects will be prioritized by cutting city's spending on these projects in half.
The goal to reduce deaths and injuries up to 30 percent with projects like the cycle track on Niagara Street in Buffalo
"With calmer traffic and safer ways for cyclists to get around projects like this prioritize community over congestion," said Sen. Kennedy.
The new legislation raises questions for cyclists who tell me there are still problems with the completed projects.
Ethan Johnson with Campus WheelWorks says the cycletrack is rarely plowed, and even roundabouts create more safety concerns.
"Paint does not protect people its a good direction where people should go and how we should be sharing the road with one another. But its just a start in the right direction we need physical barriers that will provide some safety," said Johnson.
Johnson says this legislation is just the start to creating safer streets for everyone.
"Its hugely positive to having everyone take different modes of transportation seriously. We have hundreds if not thousands of customers within our surrounding area so its a big population of people who will benefit them this and they are taxpayers and they deserve to have a safe way to get around our city," said Johnson.
