City June 2, 2011 11:05 AM

Tell Albany to Support a Complete Streets Law and Make Roads Safer for All

Tell Albany to Support a Complete Streets Law and Make Roads Safer for All
By Green Options Buffalo:

Too many of our streets have been designed and re-designed just to speed traffic through our city and neighborhoods. That makes them dangerous and difficult to navigate on foot, in a wheelchair, or on a bicycle - especially for senior citizens and young people. Too many people have been injured or killed by dangerous roads, including 14-year-old Brittany Vega, who died last year in Wantagh, NY after being struck by a car while walking to school.



Complete Streets design principles assure that when roads are built or redesigned, the needs of everyone who uses them are taken into account. Currently, a bipartisan bill to require governments to include these principles in road design and construction is moving through the State Senate, but progress has been slower in the State Assembly.

Green Options Buffalo has played a key role in getting Complete Streets legislation passed in the City of Buffalo and the County of Erie, but statewide legislation is necessary to make all our roads and communities safer.

Brittany's mother, Sandi, has written to Governor Cuomo asking that he support Complete Streets and to help it move through the legislature. Leadership from him and other individual assembly members can help move this bill and prevent needless deaths and injuries. Please join Green Options Buffalo and other bicycle pedestrian advocacy efforts across NY and tell your representatives to stand up for safer streets!

Visit www.tstc.org/completestreets/ or visit our tell-a-friend page.

Read Sandi Vega's letter to Governor Cuomo here.

Read more about the complete streets bill on our Mobilizing the Region blog.

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It boggles my mind that Main Street, with two major colleges, direct connections to downtown and the waterfront, a mixed-use commercial corridor and as the mass transit spine of the region, was reconstructed without Bicycle Lanes. The area in University Heights is terrible for bicycle travel. If there is anyplace that should have good bicycle accommodations, its there.

Score: 10 ( 14 votes ) Vote up Vote down Report this comment

Yeah, that would been better than the medians with dead trees. I occasionally do ride on Main in the Heights, and I don't really consider it to be terribly dangerous for a competent bicyclist, but there's no denying that it is stressful.

Regarding Complete Streets legislature, I'm happy it's been passed into law (that's the first step), but I will be even happier when it starts getting enforced when streets are reconstructed. Let's see some new improvements when roads are repaved this summer.

replied to townline
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Main St between Hertel and Englewood is a nightmare for bikes, pedestrians, motorcycles, and even drivers. The entire stretch is congested with careless and distracted drivers, walkers, and bikers. It is amazing that more people aren't hurt while traveling that stretch.

replied to townline
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two times i've narrowly escaped vehicular manslaughter while on my bike and both with on main street near ub. i agree completely.

replied to townline
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Are you this guy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3nMnr8ZirI

just kidding so don't get mad :)

replied to grad94
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Brittany Vega died because she ran out into traffic against the light. The car that hit her had the right of way, and she was leaving a very wide sidewalk when she entered the crosswalk. How much more could we really do to make this more pedestrian friendly?

It is unfortunate that she died but we can't make enough laws to protect the stupid from themselves.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/22/h-s-girl-struck-by-car-dies-on-way-to-school/

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I understand what you are trying to say, BUT the word stupid should not be used anywhere in a posting about the death of the child.

replied to bobbycat
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Way to blame the victim. That highway is the 2nd deadliest road for pedestrians in the entire NYC metro. The larger question that you are missing is whether there should be streets this deadly running through population centers where children and teenagers are walking to school.

replied to bobbycat
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Read the link. The girl violated school policy by crossing that street. She was supposed to take a bus to school instead. And she violated the law by crossing against the light.

There are probably plenty of examples of pedestrians being hurt or killed on poorly designed roadways. This isn't one of them. NO street is going to accommodate people crossing against a light.

replied to JSmith
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JSMITH - The victim here is the 36 year old driver who has to live with the fact that she killed a careless 14 year old who broke the law and darted out in front of her car. Imagine living with that guilt and second guessing the rest of your life. Just driving along the road, following the rules, when all of the sudden a young girl darts into traffic and runs right in front of your car. I feel bad for the driver and hope she is able to recover fro this horrible turn of events. The death of the girl is a tragedy, but she is not the victim, she is the one who caused this accident that ultimately resulted in her untimely death.

No stop lights, crosswalk timers, or "complete streets" would have altered the outcome of this event.

replied to JSmith
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The driver was male, not female, as I indicated in the previous post. It was also mentioned that she was listening to her ipod or on the phone when she crossed the street.

replied to bobbycat
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What I am saying is that the guilty "party" is the design of the street, not the driver of the car and not the girl who tried to cross the street (anymore than Cynthia Wiggins should be blamed for being killed crossing Walden Avenue).

If Sunrise Highway was a slow two-lane street like, say, Allen Street rather than a 50 mph seven-lane divided highway running through the middle of residential neighborhoods, then this incident would likely never have happened, or if she was struck by a car, she would have had a much greater chance of surviving the collision.

replied to bobbycat
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Sunrise Highway is exactly that, the south side highway for Long Island. It was built as a 4 - 6 lane highway that would run almost the entire length of Long Island from Queens, NY to Shinnecock Bay. The road carries more than 60,000 cars per day through Wantagh, and that number more than doubles to 125,000 cars per day with summer beach traffic.

This would not work as a two lane 30 MPH Allen Street. It wasn't designed that way, and would not work that way.

It is a 6 lane highway, and the development and residential was largely built around the highway, not the other way around. The school district and this girl's family had rules about staying away from the highway that this girl ignored.

replied to JSmith
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Well, then the moral of that story is that you shouldn't build a residential area around 7 lanes of traffic (including left turn lanes). Expressways should go around and between urbanized areas, not through them. So I will modify my statement and say that the problem is not the design of the street, but the design of the whole damn town.

It's very sad to see that the ability to drive through neighborhoods at 60 mph is considered to be more important than human lives.

replied to bobbycat
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The moral of the story is don't run into traffic.

The highway runs parallel with a four track railroad bed that carries the Long Island Rail Road. It is less than a quarter mile from where the girl darted into traffic. The school has a policy against crossing those tracks without a crossing guard too because a 17 year old boy was run over by a train there in the mid 1990s. Maybe the trains should slow down to 10 mph through residential areas too. That would be as practical as slowing traffic down to 30 mph for the entire populated stretch of the highway.

It is obvious that you don't like cars or highways, maybe you would fare better living with the Amish in Orleans County. They have successfully lowered the speed limits on many connecting roads around Lyndonville to make travel safer. Right now there is a petition to lower the speeds on route 18 to 40 MPH in the stretch that has the highest density of Amish residents. I support that, based on the demographics and location. I wouldn't support the same for Wantaugh, where there are thousands of commuters that are using this road everyday.

replied to JSmith
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I own a car and I like highways just fine, I just don't think they belong in the middle of urbanized areas. Especially at-grade 50 mph highways that pedestrians need to cross to get places.

Regarding trains, the best policy is to completely separate them from any at-grade crossings. Failing that, yes they do go slowly in areas where they have to interact with other traffic.

I guess a lot of people are OK with the occasional person dying if it means that everyone else gets to drive through a neighborhood at 60 mph instead of 30. That's how so many of our cities and suburbs are designed. I feel differently. I think it's worth slowing down a little and taking a few more minutes to get where you're going if it saves lives.

replied to bobbycat
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You are laying on the hyperbole a little thick today aren't you? No one is ok with anyone dying, it is the ignorance of one person who ran out into traffic that caused this accident. The highway was built in 1960 and like so many places in America, the communities developed around the highway. I imagine you expect the road to be moved after the communities start to thrive, maybe you would prefer to have everyone who works in NYC live in NYC. You might understand how Long Island is developed and commuting patterns if you lived on Long Island for a while.

Slowing down a little would not have saved this girl's life, her following instructions and paying attention would have saved her life. Her mother cannot cope with the fact that her daughter made a critical mistake that cost her her life, so she wants to blame everyone else for her daughter's death.


replied to JSmith
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Before they started to put safety guards on chainsaws, far more people lost their fingers. I guess it was their own fault for not being more careful and keeping their hands away from the chain?

She did make a mistake. But wouldn't it be better if the street was not so deadly that it doesn't leave any room for mistakes or accidents? Wouldn't it be better if she was alive to learn from her mistake? Why is driving at 60 mph through a town so important that it justifies having streets like this that are so unforgiving of mistakes?

replied to bobbycat
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To use your analogy, the safety guard for this road would be a device that would stop traffic as soon as a distracted 14 year old darted out between cars. I don't believe we have that technology today. We also do not have the technology that stops someone from climbing an extension ladder and using the chainsaw to cut the limb above their head. That happens frequently too, and it is not the chainsaw's fault when the wannabe lumberjack has the limb fall on his head and then falls off the ladder from the force. The good thing is the chainsaw will stop spinning when he begins to fall.

For your general information, the speed limit on this section of Route 27 is 45 MPH. The driver was going the speed limit when he struck Brittany Vega, as indicated in the police report.

45 MPH, would you prefer that all roads where pedestrians are present slow down to 30 MPH or below? What would make you happy in this situation and what will a complete streets resolution really solve to make this better?

replied to JSmith
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The website I saw said that the speed limit was 55, but maybe you know the area better than me.

Yes, I would prefer automobile traffic to be reduced to 30 mph in all areas where there is significant foot and bicycle traffic (so all dense urbanized areas, including the centers of rural village cores). Some cities are even reducing speeds to 20 mph to further reduce pedestrian fatalities. London has reduced their speed limit to 20 mph across much of the city (and casualties have dropped by 42%). New York City is beginning an experiment with a 20 mph zone in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx.

This isn't theoretical stuff. It is being done, and it is saving literally thousands of human lives.

replied to bobbycat
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It is 45 mph, there is a speed limit sign about 2 blocks from where the accident occurred. The road is only 55 in the areas between cities, and proposals to increase it to 65 have been killed several times. Also keep in mind that there is a huge sidewalk that is separated from the street throughout this entire stretch of highway in Wantagh, there is a bike lane on Montauk highway (rte 85) for those who want to through travel in parallel to the highway, this is only a half mile, or less, south of the Sunrise highway.

If you want to follow London's example, then the major roads in Buffalo should be lowered to 20 MPH. This would include Main Street, as mentioned in the article above. Doing this would surely entice more drivers to head to the highways, which would potentially increase the odd of accidents and deaths on those roads. It would also significantly increase congestion, but that is something we really don't have to worry too much about in Buffalo. Just look at the increase in traffic on the Thruway when the tolls were removed. The back-ups on the 33 decreased as a result of a more efficient, and less expensive, option somewhere else. I support dropping the speed limit to 20 MPH along Main Street, Elmwood, Delaware, and most of the downtown areas that are designed as city streets. This is what they have done in London and in limited situations in Washington DC.

The difference is that route 27 was designed as a highway, recent expansion has been done to pull drivers off other streets like route 85 and keep them flowing through one highway. They have done exactly what you are asking for throughout most of Long Island, they have lowered the speed limit on parallel routes in order to push drivers on to the highways. To lower the speed limit on the highways would be counterproductive and would likely increase the number of accidents on the parallel roadways. You mentioned Claremont in the Bronx. They lowered the speed limit on Webster Ave because it was too fast for the residential neighborhood. This is a 4 lane roadway with a turn-lane and a bike lane, multiple high rise residential buildings and numerous stores. This is also an area where many people do walk everywhere, it is not similar to Wantagh, NY where there are suburban style single family houses spread throughout planned communities. To drop the speed limit on route 27 is like dropping the speed limit on the Cross-Bronx Expressway in Claremont. That highway runs through the same section of the neighborhood that had the speed limit lowered, but the limit remained the same because it was a highway. If the traffic planners elevated all highways like the CBE in NY, then you'd take issue with the division in the neighborhood that resulted from all the concrete and asphalt like you complain about the 33.

I do enjoy your knee-jerk reactions to issues without thinking them through. You should keep in mind that roads are not designed without extensive planning. There is a reason that a highway was built through Long Island, if you can open your mind past what you have been told to believe and see things from a different perspective, then you might understand why they built this and the good that it serves. On the other hand you can keep with the 'suburbs bad, cars bad' attitude and look like a reactionary jackass until you realize the error in your ways.

replied to JSmith
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I'm sure it serves lots of good. The good of moving cars through the town at 50 mph. I guess a little human collateral damage is just the price we pay for that. Regardless of who was at fault in Brittany Vega's death, this highway is still the 2nd deadliest street to pedestrians in the NYC metro area. But what do I know, I'm just a reactionary jackass.

Flame on, dude.

replied to bobbycat
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Admitting that you are a jackass is half the battle, good for you.

FWIW, the Sunrise Highway is the second deadliest highway in NY because it is also one of the longest and most heavily used at-grade highways in NY. It carries over 40 million cars per year.

There is no doubt that pedestrians and traffic are not a good mix, and both need to be attentive and aware of their surroundings. There is very little we can do to stop people from doing stupid things, that goes for running into traffic, gambling, drinking, smoking, obesity, and the list goes on. You can try to create legislation to stop it, but there is no doubt that someone somewhere is going to find a way to kill themselves with stupidity and ignorance.

FWIW, there were 10 deaths between 140th street and 150th street in NY in 2010, 9 of those caused by pedestrians jaywalking in front of cars or crossing against the light. NYPD installed fences along some of this stretch, yet people climbed over the fences to avoid walking 1/2 block to the corner. You can create legislation to fix that level of ignorance.

replied to JSmith
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How about the guilty party was the parents, for letting her walk to school on a route that violated school policy?

A 120-mile-long numbered State Highway (NY 27) that begins at an interchange with an interstate highway, runs through two boroughs of New York City and the length of Long Island, should be built like Allen Street?

replied to JSmith
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Yes less inconvenience 90% of the population by slowing down traffic so little old ladies can walk across congested streets......great idea!

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yeah, your wobbly old mother has some nerve. we ought to be able to mow her down with impunity, because driving fast is our sacred right and besides, it'll save you on nursing home bills.

replied to KangDangaLang
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Yea when traffic is slowed, it benefits businesses because you're focused on them more. So 5 more seconds could be all that it took for you to stop and check out Parkside Florist (love the vines on the side!).

I mean if I owned a business, I'd want cars to drive slowly by my store/restaurants because I want them to have a higher chance of seeing it.

replied to KangDangaLang
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Is the city going to pay for the upgrades to the roads? I sure hope we don't expect the much maligned and often hated suburbanites to subsidize this luxury.

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Bike lanes would be nice, but I'd like to see some money put towards reflective paint for the road markings. They are impossible to see at night, especially in rainy conditions.

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We have too many top-down, centralized planning laws now, another one is indefensible.

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Mike, can you give some specific examples of these "top down" planning laws you are referring to? Based on what I can see, any planning that happens in home rule, local government heavy NYS is anything but "centralized."

Accommodating alternative modes of transit on public roads does not seem like an example of centralized planning.

replied to Mike in WNY
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I honestly think the Buffalo Schools should teach children how to properly cross a street. Niagara is the worst. Daily I almost hit someone because they do not cross at the cross walk, are on their phone or texting, or wait until the light turns green (for me) and then try to cross. I don't think anyone ever explained how difficult it is for cars to stop on a dime or how difficult it is to see pedestrians when they try to cross where they're not supposed to. I follow the rules when driving and so should they when walking. I'm sick of getting dirty looks because some mother is pushing her stroller casually across the street and doesn't bother to even look for cars until they almost get hit.

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I'll agree with that. My parents taught me to only cross the street when and where it is safe to do so. Granted, there are too many streets where you have to walk a mile out of your way just to find a crosswalk. But kids today are taught from day one that the world is supposed to come to a halt whenever they feel like darting into traffic. I blame the school buses for that. They have crossing bars, stop signs, red flashers, strobe lights, and now some places are even adding cameras to ticket passing drivers. But do any of those buses have seat belts? Or encourage the kids to actually LOOK before they run into the street? What's worse is when you see mothers with strollers do it!

replied to brownteeth
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Try crossing at Main and Minnesota, that's scary. Cars going in and out of Aldi's, turning off/into Minesotta, you literaly have to walk over to LaSalle and cross just to be safe.

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I know it might sound stupid, but out west in these biking friendly cities (Boulder, Chicago, San fran, etc) they have a lot of signs reminding people to 'SHARE the ROAD'. It's a concept some people just don't get around here yet.

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LEGO your right about that I live in that area too. The worse are those islands the state put in. I noticed since they put those islands in there have been more cars in accidents too. People slamming on their brakes to make turns then getting slammed from someone behind. The turning lanes were so much better before there was those islands put in.

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The islands are ridiculous... The first one by the 198 just got smashed into, broke the entire front of it off... I've been waiting for that to happen, it was inevitable

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The islands are ridiculous... The first one by the 198 just got smashed into, broke the entire front of it off... I've been waiting for that to happen, it was inevitable

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Install all the bike lanes you want, but not much will change until the selfish mentality of the typical WNY driver beings to shift toward a willingness to share the road. a bike lane is just another line, and many drivers simply do not respect bike commuters. I can think of several examples of being yelled at to "get on the sidewalk" from the driver or passenger of a car, usually a giant SUV. And I am a VERY courteous and law abiding bicyclist. I would never move toward the center of a lane in order to make a left hand turn if there was a car that would have to wait for me to make the left. It's just not worth the risk or abuse. Local drivers are just always in such a hurry to get to that next red light.

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The problem is on both sides - cyclists and drivers. I can't remember the last time I actually saw a cyclist stop at a red light. They just slow down then go right through. This isn't just a few cyclists... it's almost all of them. At stop signs they don't even bother to slow down.

I agree that lots of drivers don't share the road with bikes, but cyclists can't expect respect from drivers while ignoring basic road rules themselves.

replied to freeyourmind917
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I stop at all red lights. Stop signs I will stop at if there is anyone at or approaching the intersection; otherwise I will slow down and carefully coast through after making sure there's no traffic. If there are cars at the intersection, I stop and take my turn according to the traffic laws.

I'm not saying cyclists should disobey the traffic laws, but it's not like drivers don't run red lights and roll through stop signs, either. Being 100% perfect in obeying traffic laws can't be a requirement for access to the road or nobody would be allowed to drive either.

replied to 300miles
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Really? "Tell Albany"? Ye gods...


Also, I find the drivers in WNY to be nicer and more considerate than most places I've been. Bike lanes that have been installed DO make a difference!

Driving 5-10 mph slower won't make more than a minute or two difference in your overall drive time. Why are you in such a f***ing hurry?

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Like I said earlier, there needs to be classes taught for pedestrians and drivers as to the proper laws and way to cross a street. As a city resident I drive, walk and bike all over the city. However, pedestrians seem to feel entitled to being able to cross a street anywhere and anytime they like and cars are just supposed to accomodate this. Its a two way street, no pun intended.

replied to Jesse
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Either the deceased girl's mother is a shameless liar in her letter to Gov. Cuomo linked in the article here, or this news report is full of lies about what was shown in video of the tragedy.

Mrs. Vega's letter says "With no count-down clock, there was no way Brittany could tell how long she had to get across. With no pedestrian island in the roadway, she had no safe refuge."

The CBS news report says:
"A nearby gas station had surveillance cameras rolling as the high school freshman darted into traffic against the light.
... Police say Brittany apparently thought the coast looked clear and took a chance.The driver who hit her had the right of way as she darted into the crosswalk.
...Brittany ‘s friends wonder how such a mature, independent, free-thinker made the decision to ignore the light."

If the video is genuine showing the girl ran into the crosswalk while the light was already against her and immediately struck, a countdown clock and pedestrian island would have both been irrelevant - contrary to Mrs. Vega's claims.

The video news report here (props to Bobby for posting it)
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/22/h-s-girl-struck-by-car-dies-on-way-to-school/
shows that there was a red 'don't walk' sign (red hand graphic) there, and it shows very sad video of the girl running into very heavy traffic.

The Green Options Buffalo group will share in the blatant dishonesty about what happened if they continue to endorse Mrs. Vega's letter.

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Joel Rama, a 9 year old west side boy died after swimming in an unsupervised pond this past weekend. Should we create a law that requires fences to be built around all ponds, or perhaps the government should hire lifeguards to supervise all open waters 24x7x365 just to ensure that other kids don't fall victim to the same fate as this young boy.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/west-side/article446422.ece

When will we create enough laws and rules to save everyone from themself.

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