We strongly request Mayor Byron W. Brown lead the city departments necessary to redesign Parkside Avenue, reducing it from four to two lanes to slow traffic and increase safety. Parkside Avenue is part of the historic, Olmsted-designed Parkside neighborhood. In the name of progress, the city made Parkside Avenue more like a highway with no buffer for the families and businesses along the street. It is no longer possible for citizens and tourists to fully realize Olmsted’s vision on the way to Delaware Park, the Buffalo Zoo and other nearby attractions unless there’s change.

We acknowledge that the mayor recognizes there is an issue on the street, and before Primary Election Day held a press conference to bring attention to solar power traffic control units added to the street. While the message sent to drivers about their speed raises awareness, it is mostly without consequence, and by no means a permanent solution. This issue needs attention beyond election season.

The Parkside Avenue and Florence Avenue Road Safety Assessment Report completed in Fall 2012 for the City of Buffalo found the accident rate at this intersection is more than three times the statewide average for urban signalized intersections. We know our city can do better immediately by restriping and allowing full time parking on both sides of the road. We hope the City does not use a study now underway as a reason to delay meaningful change.

Without measures to calm traffic, more people could be hurt. New York State Department of Transportation data shows that over a three-year period, from 2009 to 2012, the City of Buffalo had the highest numbers of collisions involving pedestrians or bicyclists at 2,002 collisions. Amherst came in second with 328. We are trying to prevent a pedestrian or bicyclist along Parkside Avenue from being one of those people injured or killed.

Mayor Byron Brown wrote in a letter sent to the Regional Director of New York State’s Department of Transportation, “… there is a need now more than ever to reevaluate how our streets can best serve the changing needs of the community and the region.” We, concerned citizens of the City of Buffalo, ask that you follow up on these words with action along Parkside Avenue.