Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A pair of local lawmakers are calling on the Peace Bridge Authority to correct a design flaw at the U.S. Plaza, and allow for a turnaround option for anyone that may make a wrong turn to the U.S.-Canada border.
State Assemblymember Jon Rivera and State Sen. April Baskin have jointly sent a formal letter to the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, demanding immediate corrective action to address longstanding traffic design failures at the Peace Bridge U.S. Plaza that continue to funnel unsuspecting drivers directly into U.S. Customs with no opportunity to turn around.
The problem stems from the 2016 re-design that constructed a new ramp carrying traffic from Porter Avenue directly into the Peace Bridge U.S. Plaza. The project allowed for the closure and removal of Baird Drive from the Frederick Law Olmsted–designed Front Park, restoring four acres of parkland and advancing long-standing preservation goals.
While the re-design successfully renewed the park, it also created unintended consequences that have never been adequately resolved.
"For the past few years, really since the new layout at the Peace Bridge which goes back to 2016, we've heard from folks that have accidentally crossed over the border attempting to drive up the 190 North and not going the right way, or people trying to get to the Peace Bridge instead ending up on the 190 North there and just getting confused around Porter Ave. There's all these issues with the layout, and anecdotally, we had been hearing from folks saying that these things were happening," said Rivera in an interview with WBEN.
The lawmakers stressed that the issue has become especially urgent in light of the federal government’s increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, which have heightened the consequences of accidental border crossings.
Earlier this month, Shovgi Huseynov, an Ajerbaijan native lawfully working as a researcher at University of Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, was unable to properly turn around at the Peace Bridge after attempting to drop off someone and was detained by border agents upon his return to Buffalo. He has no criminal record and a visa that allows him to work in the United States through 2029.
"Luckily, that UB researcher was able to come home, but he was able to come home after being detained in Batavia, then being shipped to another state. Meanwhile, his family was certainly beside themselves, worried about what was going to happen. If that can happen to him - a person who's here, doing good work at the University, and certainly here with all of his documentation in order - if that can happen to him, it can happen to anybody," Rivera said.
The new alignment placed U.S. and Canada exits in close proximity, forcing drivers to navigate a confusing roundabout, while yielding to traffic and attempting to determine whether they are headed toward LaSalle Park, the I-190, or the Peace Bridge.
For decades, drivers who mistakenly approached the border were able to exit on the New York side and safely turn around. That option was eliminated by the 2016 renovation.
As a result, as many as 20 drivers per-day reportedly cross the international border unintentionally. GPS navigation errors have compounded the issue, with major mapping services acknowledging that location inaccuracies can misdirect motorists in the area.
The proposed solution from Rivera and Baskin includes implementing a shoulder or pull-over area before the U.S. Customs inspection point, allowing vehicles that mistakenly enter the plaza to safely exit through the Vermont/Busti gate.
"My suggestion to the Peace Bridge Authority was to revisit what they currently have, revisit the plaza, and potentially consider creating a process where, in which, if a car simply has made the wrong turn or is in the space that it shouldn't be, they're allowed to exit through that gate," Rivera said.
However, the only response Rivera says he has received from the Peace Bridge Authority has been that of passing the buck.
"The Peace Bridge Authority will say, 'Well, State DOT needs to be involved. The City of Buffalo needs to be involved. The Border Patrol [needs to be involved].' But at the end of the day, we have to come up with solutions, not excuses," he said. "I'm hopeful that the more conversations we have, more will come out of it, and cooler heads will prevail and we're going to be able to find a solution for folks."
Rivera adds the Peace Bridge Authority doesn't feel an overhaul or a conversation regarding the issue is necessary.
"To overhaul that would be millions and millions of dollars that we shouldn't have to spend," Rivera said. "And although there's new leadership there at the Peace Bridge Authority, there's new leadership at City Hall, there's a lot of new eyes looking at things. At the end of the day, we should do the thing that's the best and more convenient for people, and the thing that's not going to cost so much."
Rivera also emphasizes the need for clear, humane procedures for border and plaza staff to assist drivers who have entered the border approach unintentionally.
"There are people that are absolutely reluctant to go anywhere near the border, we have that on both sides. We're at an all-time low of Canadians visiting us, and we're probably at a low of folks interacting with the border, because there's such haphazard and dysfunctional policies and actions done by the federal government that's really preventing people from investing here, moving in our economy, doing things in Western New York. And all the more reason why we have to address this sort of thing," Rivera added.
Rivera and Baskin are urging the Authority to act immediately to protect public safety, preserve Buffalo’s economic progress, and ensure that residents and visitors can navigate the area without fear of severe consequences stemming from a simple wrong turn.
"There's no reason why a person who makes the wrong right turn has to be worried about ICE or worried about Border Patrol, or worried about causing traffic jams. They should just be able to exit the plaza safely, even if they have to wait a bit. They'd much rather do that, I'm sure, than to cause a stir," Rivera said. "I think the solution's right in front of us, and I'm hopeful that the Peace Bridge Authority steps up."
The Peace Bridge is an essential international crossing and a critical driver of the Western New York economy. Buffalo’s recent population growth and economic revitalization have been fueled in large part by immigrants who have strengthened neighborhoods, launched businesses, and expanded the local workforce.
Rivera adds he has yet to receive any sort of pushback on the matter, and knows other local leaders are aware of how significant a problem this is.
"My DOT is contacting the mayor [Sean Ryan] today to talk about some temporary signs to go there, but also we're working with the Peace Bridge Authority to have additional measures, whatever else we can do," said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul when asked of issues at the Peace Bridge. "The Thruway Authority is prepared to have more permanent signs off the 190, trying to deal with the fact that people are making a mistake that can have some real consequences. So we want to straighten that out."
Mayor Ryan feels the Peace Bridge Plaza has become an unforgiving place for anyone who makes a wrong turn.
"Before, people who made the wrong turn were allowed to do a u-turn in front of Customs or to exit onto Vermont Street. Under this new administration, people are no longer able to do the turnaround, and it's led to people getting arrested, people being subject to unlawful confinement," Ryan said with WBEN.
That's why Ryan is committed to working with the city's Department of Public Works and the State Department of Transportation to see what changes can be made, especially at the roundabout off Porter Avenue.
"You have two choices to make: You can get on 190, or you're going to the Peace Bridge. Those are fast choices, and they're also going to engage the Peace Bridge Authority to see what we can do to make it a little more forgiving at the Peace Bridge," Ryan said.