BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) About 18 hours into a major lake effect storm in Western New York, and travel bans have been adjusted.
"We're in constant communication with the city of Buffalo and Erie County. The county made adjustments acknowledging that the Northtowns were not hit hard, so it's a travel advisory, not a ban. It's the common sense approach to this, not to have a complete ban for the whole county," said New York Governor Kathy Hochul on WBEN Friday morning.
A travel ban is in place across much of Erie County, mainly the central and southern portion of the county, with only emergency travel allowed. A travel advisory is in place for the northern-most areas of the county.
The city of Buffalo altered its original travel ban, making it a travel advisory Friday morning. Hours later, the city reinstated the ban from William Street downtown to the Town of Cheektowaga line and everything south.
"If people are under a ban, then they need to know that there is a current dangerous situation or one that is impending," said Governor Hochul.
Acknowledging that it is difficult to announce a ban, then take it off, and then put it back on. The governor said with a fairly substantial amount of snow this weekend, she just wants to make sure that people are safe.
As of late Friday morning, officials shut down a portion of the the New York State Thruway, from exit 53 (I-190) to Dunkirk. Commercial truck traffic is banned from the Pennsylvania State line to exit 46 in Rochester. Hochul said she wrestles with the need to keep it open versus the safety of shutting it down.
"We've learned lessons from past storms and this is a major, major storm impact on Western New York. I have to take this seriously, but also understand that some people will say, why so long? and why do I have to do this?" Hochul added, it comes down to balance.
"Our tolerance level is pretty high in Western New York. But I also have to make sure that we make the right decisions that we don't regret later. We don't want people stranded, and that's what we're trying to prevent here."
Storms can also be unpredictable with the bands still in the region. "We all have those images in our head of people stranded on the Thruway for days and days and that is not tolerable. That is why we are taking pre-emptive strikes right now to protect Western New Yorkers."