Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - If you drive through residential and side streets in the City of Buffalo, you're encountering speed humps on a regular basis. There are approximately 1,800 of them scattered throughout the city to slow down traffic.
"It was a community-driven program," said Buffalo Public Works Commissioner Nate Marton. "We listened to residents, and it's been successful."
But the bumps or humps may be having a negative effect on first responders.
"Specifically fire trucks. Those heavy fire trucks going down our streets, there is increasing damage on those vehicles," added Marton.
Marton says it's mainly suspension damage that's being suffered to the fire trucks.
The Department of Public Works is re-evaluating the program, and working with Fire Commissioner WIlliam Renaldo and Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia to make sure the program is still effective on slowing down drivers, and allowing first responders to get where they're going safely, quickly and without too much damage.
"It's a balance," Marton explained. "We would hope that everyone would follow the speed limit, but we know they don't. We have to find the right balance because of our first responders."
Firefighters say another issue is time. A speed hump can add about 10 seconds to emergency vehicle response times. If there are multiple humps, it can be critical in a life or death situation.
While the program is not being stopped, Marton said it is slowing down. The city is moving ahead with a next round of speed humps, but over the winter they will re-evaluate to make sure, in his words, "it's the right program."
