Congressman Brian Higgins is calling for more connectivity from South Buffalo and the Old First Ward to the waterfront, via proposed “Waterfront Parkways.”
Instead of Tifft Street’s four lane design, which promotes excessive speeds, the thought is to have a traffic calming parkway that would accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, instead of just cars. A boulevard or parkway, similar to Niagara Street, with dedicated bike lanes, would be the ideal answer to the plaguing problem.
Taking a close look at Tifft Street, it’s really quite a mess. It’s also the perfect candidate for a road diet, along with beautification measures.
A comprehensive project would include rehab and modifications to the shoddy Tifft Street bridge.
Hopkins Street would also be a part of the extended Waterfront Parkway. This would help to tie additional communities into the project.
The project would ultimately be extended to Lackawanna, via streetscape improvements, a pedestrian walkway, and dedicated bike paths leading from Tifft Street and Hopkins Street. From there, the urbanist undertaking would lead to South Park and the Botanical Gardens.
The Tifft Street and Hopkins Street project is estimated to cost $18 million.
According to Higgins’ office, “New York State is set to receive over $2.223 billion in federal highway funding this year alone thanks to the Infrastructure Law, a 21% boost over 2021 funding levels. We recently joined the FAIR Committee (Fair Appointment of Infrastructure Revenue), Construction Exchange, and local leaders to discuss plans to maximize the infrastructure funding for Western New York.”
Adding to the broader scope of this imperative waterfront connectivity project, FAIR Task Force has proposed a Waterfront Parkway along Louisiana Street. The Parkway would strategically intersect with the Buffalo Riverline project, thus creating an epicenter of bike-ped activity the likes of which we rarely see in this region.
Similar to the Tifft Street bridge overhaul, the Louisiana Street bridge would undergo similar improvements.
The Louisiana Street project is estimated to cost $22 million.
Between the Tifft /Hopkins Streets projects and the Louisiana Street project, we would be seeing vast improvements per everyday quality of life standards, which would amplify throughout both residential and commercial neighborhoods.
Just imagine being able to bike safely from these adjoining neighborhoods to the waterfront or to The Riverline so effortlessly. This is a great way to get more bikes out onto the road, and more people outside – it’s the groundwork of a roadmap to a more sustainable Buffalo.