GMAN - Elmwood is the oasis of safety in an otherwise unruly and unlawful city. This is the street that suburbanites visit to get their gritty urban fix. You can see the suburbanites trying to hide their GPS navigation systems under the seat or taking their EZ Passes off the windows of their car when they park. The list of places where suburbanites feel comfortable and safe is very short: Here is my list of places that the ex-urbs will frequent without a reason or an escort:

- Elmwood Ave between Rockwell and Ferry (maybe Utica) - Allen and Delaware (during the day) - Chippewa from Pearl to Delaware (if under 21) - HSBC Arena (park at UB and take the train) - Sheas (park at UB and take the train) - Delaware Park and the Zoo (once a year) - Canisius or Buff State (as needed)

You might find a few visiting friends in North Buffalo or South Buffalo, but they rarely visit the West Side and almost never venture near Broadway, Jefferson, Sycamore, or Bailey.

This doesn't factor in the people who work downtown, they typically take as few steps as possible on the Buffalo pavement, limiting their steps to the distance between their car and office, or the nearest restaurant for lunch.

To stay on topic, you will probably not find many suburbanites bicycling to the city, especially if their trip takes them through the East Side.

Azzarella needs to step his game up as head of EVA. Elmwood needs to be marketed, branded and put out to the local and out of town public to get more people to the street to support the businesses trying to make it work there. EVA should be all over City Hall to up the police patrols on Elmwood since it is the premier shopping/retail/dining destination in the city. Suburban women don't want to come to Elmwood because they don't feel safe. Times Square became relevant again when it was safe to go there. The City needs to stop giving out parking tickets on Elmwood and treating them as a revenue generator because it is killing business on the streets. We don't have a parking problem in Buffalo and the only reason for parking tix is revenue for the city. Suburbanites don't like coming downtown because they know the minute their meter expires they will get a ticket. While it's great that the common council is biking to work, I think this is more a political stunt because no one is dealing with the real issues of the city. Who needs bike racks on Elmwood if you have no stores or places to ride to.

Gman - do you even know what you just said??? No one will go down to Elmwood because it's unsafe...yet, no one will go to Elmwood because they get too many parking tickets by the Police??? You just said the Buffalo equivalent to Yogi Berra's famous saying when referring to a restaurant "No one goes there anymore, it's too packed!" The last I checked, Elmwood Avenue is full of cars and pedestrians. Have you been to Elmwood? Really?

Great news!

And, just for the record: Justin and others from EVA ARE already all over city hall. Ask your common council member (if YOU spend time at city hall) and you will see--they know Justin, see Justin, and hear about the priorities of the EV.

gman, have U been to Elmwood lately? I have no idea what your talking about no stores on Elmwood and Suburban women affraid to come to the area. Um ask any business owner along Elmwood and you will find out that many of the customers who come in are from the 'Burb" and far beyond. I always feel safe on Elmwood and "LUV IT" , it's vibrant and unique. And regarding Times Square, yeah it's changed but now it's a mini Disney Land with too many Tourists, trust me, the locals don't go to Times Square, everything there is over priced and fake. And the NYPD is quick to give out tickets here too, it's not just a Buffalo thing, it's like that in just about any city and town. Want to avoid a parking ticket? take the bus.

That's funny - I rode my bike to work today for the first time ever. I guess I'm a day early to the party.