SLOW DOWN THE TRAFFIC AROUND DELAWARE PARK

I am a Parkside neighbor and a mother of twin toddlers. I have lived in the neighborhood for six years and proud to have moved to the city during this revitalizing time. Buffalo is in an upward swing with families flocking back to city living. It is an exciting time, but we need to have that same revitalization within our traffic patterns. Some may state “well, you moved to the city—traffic comes with the territory.” Yes, there is naturally going to be more cars in the city. I am not asking for the disappearance of traffic. I am asking for safety measures and common sense to take place.

Being two blocks from a historical zoo and gorgeous park, I want to feel comfortable walking there with my children. Unfortunately, I do not have that comfort. As more families are moving into my neighborhood, it is a growing concern. There are dangerous speeds and curves on Parkside Ave. Once we get into the actual park, there is a freeway crossing through. Thankfully, it has been reduced to 30mph—but as a result of a loss of a young life. The 198 truly needs to be removed or placed underground or within a tunnel. The park should not be split. In fact, traffic throughout the whole park needs to be reduced. New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and even they have traffic controlled around their major parks. Just this week, it was announced that the majority of Central Park and Prospect Park will have no cars permanently. The purpose for this change was to protect pedestrians and return to the original vision for the park system. If a massive city like NYC can accommodate a traffic free park, Buffalo should have no problem following suit.

We don’t need additional lives to be lost before changes occur. Let’s focus on removing the freeway from the park, creating better pedestrian walkways, and placing a strong focus on the intersection of Florence and Parkside. This intersection is right in front of the park and has an abnormal accident rate. We all know a fatality is bound to occur there if changes aren’t made. Let’s be pro-active, not reactive.

> THERESA ROMA, BUFFALO