Delaware Avenue just got a lot safer… for cyclists. The beautiful street, home to Millionaire’s Row, has been solely reserved for cars for way too long. Recently, a road diet was implemented, with a middle turning lane and bike lanes. The street has been downgraded from four lanes of traffic, to one lane each way, with a center turning lane, which should make everyone happy.
Already, cyclists that never would have dreamed taking their lives in their hands, are now populating the grand avenue. There are also a number of new safety features at Gates Circle, including broad yellow striping, crosswalks, and even on-street yield signs that signal drivers to enter into the circle using caution, while yielding to drivers already in the circle (something that many drivers do not comprehend). Hopefully all of these new safety features will deter drivers from crashing into the circle, and the fountain, which has become a regular occurrence over the years.
The new bike lanes help to connect cyclists to Delaware Park, where they can then access various other bike routes, including the Jesse Kregal pathway that runs along Scajaquada Creek. From there, they can access the dedicated bike lanes (cycle track) on Niagara Street.
In the opposite direction, the bike lanes now offer safe, freewheeling, all the way to downtown Buffalo. Who would have ever thought that Delaware would become a bike thoroughfare?
Just this past week, GObike Buffalo posted the following:
Congratulations and thank you to the City of Buffalo for making it fully illegal to park in, stand in, idle in, or open your car door into any striped bike lane, raised bike lane, cycle track, or off road path. Sponsored by Joseph Golombek David A. Rivera, Niagara District Council Member, and Ulysees O. Wingo, Sr., passed by the Buffalo Common Council and signed by Mayor Byron W. Brown this week, bicycling in Buffalo just got a little safer.
Unless you are an emergency vehicle or a CoB maintenance vehicle, GET OUT. That means you, delivery trucks, US Postal Service trucks, boats, and drivers who could have parked literally anywhere else. Here’s what everyone should know to keep everyone out – because you have broken the law by parking in a bike lane, or opened your door into a cyclist’s path, if that cyclist has to swerve into traffic to avoid your illegally parked vehicle/open door, and there is a crash, you may be held liable in that crash. So why risk it? Leave bike space for bikes, and let’s all get where we’re going safely, happily, efficiently. Today’s a great day! Read the details at bit.ly/BFLO_noparkinbikelane22 (this is a link to the Common Council’s signed PDF of the passed law. It may view better on desktop than phone).
Next up, can we get bike lanes from Delaware Avenue to Main Street, via West Delavan Avenue? Now that would really be something!
Lead image: A welcome sight, as a family exiting a bike lane on Delaware Avenue, prepares to turn onto a side street.
