Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "We had one or two 9-1-1 calls of somebody walking on the Skyway," said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia on WBEN on Wednesday.
"Our patrols got up there but did not find anybody," he said when asked about
the traffic mess at the Outer Harbor following A Boogie Wit da Hoodie concert on Friday, Aug. 4.
WBEN confirmed sightings of concert-goers walking on the Skyway to escape the bumper to bumper traffic.
Gramaglia said it's all about pre-planning. "You have to have your ride established to and from. There is ample free parking in the large lots at the venue."
While ride sharing was encouraged, many ride sharing drivers could not get
to the venue when the concert let out. Fuhrmann Boulevard was a sea of brake lights for close to two hours after the show.
Gramaglia said police are working with Buffalo Waterfront Management Group to establish a better spot for ride sharing. They will put that information out on social media.
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Bottom line from the Commissioner, "If you're going to an event that has a large number of people, you're just going to have to have patience waiting to get out of there. We have police officers at different choke points. They're directing traffic. They're getting the flow out of there. You come out in two
different directions. One lane takes you westbound going toward Lackawanna. The other lane takes you over the Skyway. It's just going to take time," he said.
The Outer Harbor concerts are capped at five thousand tickets.
Gramaglia did offer this perspective. "If you go out to the Bills Stadium, you have a lot more access points, but you also have 70 to 75-thousand people. You're still stuck in traffic for an hour or two. If you go to a Sabres game an park inside the ramp, you're going to be waiting to get out of there. This is the same thing." Adding, "be patient, we'll get you out of there."
Another large concert is expected Saturday, Aug. 12. The Outer Harbor Concert Series featuring Arkells at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Officials with the Outer Harbor offered this statement on last weekend's concert:
"Buffalo Waterfront Management Group (BWMG) was thrilled to see so many people come out to enjoy three successful concerts last week as part of the Outer Harbor Concert Series, including a nearly sold-out crowd for A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and surprise special guest, 50 Cent. Especially with our larger shows, we proactively via social media and other avenues strongly encourage concert goers to use rideshare and carpool as well as provide detailed parking information on our website. BWMG works closely with Buffalo Police on all of our larger events at the Outer Harbor to ensure the safety of all event goers. We will continue our partnership with BPD to ensure all patrons follow traffic rules and are provided safe and convenient passage to and from the venue."