Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - A new postgame traffic pattern around Highmark Stadium is said to be causing significant delays for fans trying to leave Buffalo Bills games in Orchard Park.
Lt. Jeremy Lehning with the Erie County Sheriff's Office says this new pattern is intended to keep pedestrians safe.
"Everything revolves around pedestrian safety. We had a pedestrian struck and killed at the stadium last year. Pedestrian safety is absolutely paramount every single time we go to the stadium and set up traffic details. We're constantly looking at the traffic patterns. We're constantly evaluating the traffic patterns," Lehning stated in an interview with WBEN. "The people that are making the decisions to make slight alterations to traffic patterns or pedestrian movements are people that have been doing this pretty much since the stadium opened. These people are very squared away."
Lehning understands the delays may be frustrating for drivers that are trying to make their way home, but the roads were never intended to handle thousands of cars leaving at the same exact time.
"There are only two-lane roads, so there's only so much that we can do with so many cars. And you compile that with most of the traffic is not going to move until the pedestrians are cleared anyway," Lehning stated. "I wouldn't say it's an issue, but it's something that we have to deal with because we don't have a choice. There are two lane roads, and it's just simply not designed to handle that amount of people and vehicles."
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