Cheektowaga Healthy Streets Initiative

Background

Based on a review of the Town of Cheektowaga’s Comprehensive Plan, there is a need for more pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and amenities to support the advancement of complete streets. 

GObike has been contracted by Erie1 BOCES through the NYS Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Schools & Communities program to provide community outreach and engagement, programming and small-scale infrastructure interventions to advance the goal of the town to adopt a complete streets policy and provide a multi-modal transportation network to improve community health.

The current conditions at Cheektowaga Town Park present a great opportunity to begin a process that will facilitate a welcoming atmosphere for increased walking and cycling. There are already multiple existing facilities at Cheektowaga Town Park such as the Youth Center and Ice Rink which will benefit from upgrading the cycling and trail amenities. Improving the existing conditions at Cheektowaga Town Park will lay a foundation for improving access and mobility through the Town of Cheektowaga connecting residents to everyday destinations.

Cheektowaga Bike Rodeo, hosted by GObike.

Now that this installation is complete, please read the report!

“Average speeds dropped by 36% (approaching) and 26% (receding). The 85th percentile speed, or the speed at or below which 85 percent of vehicles in the study are traveling, dropped by 14% for approaching traffic and 29% for receding traffic.”

Post-Implementation Report

Potential Improvements

The Cheektowaga Town Park neighborhood will be a great location to begin with some small-scale pedestrian and improvements. We’re recommending the implementation of pavement markings such as bumpouts, crosswalks, and shared lane markings, to improve visibility and safety for those accessing the park by foot. We also recommend the installation of bicycle racks within Town Park to encourage more people to ride their bikes to the park by providing amenities for secure bike storage.

In May 2022, GObike hosted an assessment and workshop for community organizations and leaders in the Town of Cheektowaga to better understand the planning process and solutions for improved walkability and street accessibility. Participants learned what Complete Streets are, the benefits to their communities, and began developing a vision and action plan for the implementation of various infrastructure improvements.

Community Engagement

Building support for a town-wide Complete Streets policy requires the interest and input from communities all across Cheektowaga. Therefore, community engagement plays a crucial role in our planning and policy work.

Since 2022, we’ve tabled at the Cheektowaga Town Ice Rink, the Anna Reinstein Memorial, Library, and hosted a Mobile Repair event at the Cheektowaga Youth & Recreation Center. Prior to implementation of the pilot project, adjacent residents were asked to provide input about their experience walking, biking, rolling, and driving on the affected roads near Cheektowaga Town Park. That input was gathered here and considered when choosing a specific intersection to work on and its design.

In 2023’s implementation, we teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of Cheektowaga where the children there put the finishing touches on these bumpouts with their own artwork!

 

FAQ's

Now that implementation is complete, we’ve heard from the surrounding community with various questions. We’ll answer them to the best of our ability here:

GObike executed this project, funded by Erie1 BOCES through the New York State Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Schools & Communities program.

This intersection was identified as pathway for surrounding neighbors to utilize to enter Cheektowaga Town Park. However, complaints of cars and trucks traveling at high speeds, ignoring stop signs, and making dangerous turns were identified as barriers for area children to walk or ride their bikes to the Town Park and use its facilities.

This new design adds crosswalks for the first time, and bumpouts. The crosswalks bring awareness to those who are our walking, and the bumpouts work to slow traffic when it approaches and passes through the intersection. The bumpouts also work to prevent drivers from making turns on an angle that prevents them from seeing people walking in the crosswalk. When dodging the bumpout, drivers put more of the crosswalk into their front windshield’s view, which increases safety for everyone.

This design, which was approved by the Town of Cheektowaga, meets all federal design and measurement guidelines. There is enough room for all emergency vehicles and school buses to share the road with other vehicles when all vehicle operators abide by the new markings.

The paint and bollards used are meant to be temporary. GObike collected usage data before implementation, and will collect more afterward. We’ll also conduct another survey to see how impressions of the intersection have changed.

On November 1, when winter parking rules are enforced in Cheektowaga, the bollards will be removed, and the paint will likely fade over winter.

In 2024, GObike will present a full report on the survey and usage data collected from 2022-2023 to the Town of Cheektowaga, and the Town will determine the long-term future of the intersection’s design.

Project Partners