Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While deterring drag racing along a popular waterfront straightaway may be an additional result, the City of Buffalo is looking toward overall safety with the installation of speed humps along a stretch of the Outer Harbor.
Temperatures are increasing in Buffalo as well as the foot traffic for destinations like the Outer Harbor. With concerts on the way for the harbor, new development, and speeding concerns in areas that aren't monitored routinely, the City of Buffalo decided to install 13 speed humps in the area in efforts to get drivers stop speeding and prevent accidents.
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Public Works Commissioner Nate Marton tells WBEN the humps installed on Monday are spaced evenly starting at the roundabout on Fuhrmann Boulevard and go all the way up North towards Coast Guard Station.
We asked the commissioner if this will have any impact in deterring ATVs, motorbikes and cars from speeding in that area, which continues to be an issue the city has to address as the weather gets warmer.
Marton responded, "Those speed humps do have impacts for that type of activity, which we all know is an issue across the city that the police are constantly looking to assist with. It will have an anticipated impact there, I would think. But from an overall viewpoint, we've looked at the increased activation [at the Harbor] and one of the key things is the overall public safety around the sidewalks at Wilkeson Pointe and all kinds of different activities that are ongoing with more to come. It seemed to make the most sense from a general community safety standpoint."
The cost for each speed hump is about $2,000 dollars per hump, factoring in all costs associated with the installation and materials.
These efforts are a continued initiative that the city calls their "Slow Streets" program, where citizens can request for their street to be evaluated for potential installation of the speed humps. You can find that website here.
Marton also adds that the city has just completed their second round of evaluations and will be installing some additional speed humps in the near future. They are also gathering street names most recommended by the public to look at for another round of evaluations.