Overview

With the support and guidance of the City of Buffalo, State Senator Sean Ryan, Councilmember David Rivera, the NFTA, and many other Grant Street institutions and organizations, business owners and residents, GObike is embarking on a process to plan for a streetscape that reflects the current and future needs and aspirations of a street, a neighborhood, and a city with a bright and promising future.

Reimagining Grant Street

Located on Buffalo’s vibrant west side, Grant Street provides a critical economic and social anchor for many nearby communities.

Grant Street has always provided essential goods and services as needs, preferences, and people change. Like the neighborhoods that surround it, Grant Street continues to evolve while remaining a gateway to opportunity. 

Its future includes a place for all residents and visitors. How can this streetscape continue to build opportunity, safety, and happiness? And how can this be done equitably, in a way that ensures every person can feel welcome and included on the street and in the neighborhood?

How do you envision Grant Street? Based on your feedback to date, we’ve developed the following design proposals. Don’t miss your chance to weigh in! Learn more and vote on your favored option below.

We are proposing the following additions to all design scenarios:

• Unsignalized midblock crossings near Public School 42, Campus Walk Apartments, near Bugtla Asian Market (between Bradley and Forest), and Grant Street Neighborhood Center;
• Intersection treatments (various integrity based on design concepts);
• Traffic signal upgrades to include multimodal video detection and adaptive signal control, and ADA compliance measures;
• Tree plantings and landscaping treatments;
• ADA sidewalk compliance measures;
• Transit stop enhancements such as shelters or building awnings and benches; and
• Bicycle parking and bike share stations.
• LED Street Lighting

The Heart of the Community design was developed with placemaking and pedestrian access as the top priorities, based on feedback we heard from the community.

Grant Street south of Ferry Street and north of Forest Avenue –fundamental design features: 

• Protected bike lane (same design option presented in Destination Grant Street)
• Eastside parking lane maintained 
• 10.5-foot travel lanes for motor vehicles 
• Roundabout at Letchworth Street
• Intersection treatment at 198 Expressway ramps assumes future analysis necessary based on future of 198 
• Raised Mid-block pedestrian crossings would be added to blocks greater than 600 feet in length

Grant Street between West Ferry Street and Forest Avenue–fundamental design features: 

• Woonerf/social street experience–curb is eliminated; street is composed of porous material; and modes are mixed with no delineation 
• Curb extensions on all east to west streets 
• Raised intersections at Forest Ave, Bird Ave, Potomac Ave, W. Delavan Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, Breckenridge Street, and Ferry Street  
• Intersection median introduced at key intersections 
• Grant Street is narrowed from 36′ to 24′ to accommodate sidewalk expansion 
• The space between the buildings and traveled way would be flexible for cafe tables, seating, wayfinding, short term deliveries, parking, bike stations, etc.
• Curbing would be used at transit stops

Destination Grant Street was designed to connect the business corridors while keeping complete streets elements.

Grant Street north of Forest Avenue–fundamental design feature (treatment is the same as Heart of the Community design [option 1].

Grant Street south of Forest Avenue–fundamental design features: 

• Delineated mode separation 
• 10.5-foot travel lanes for motor vehicles and buses 
• Protected bike lane maintained with 3.5-foot hardscaped buffer 
• Parklets added 
• Eastside parking lane maintained
• Raised intersections at Forest Ave, Bird Ave, Potomac Ave, Delavan Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, Breckenridge Street, and Ferry Street  
• Raised Mid-block pedestrian crossings would be added to blocks greater than 600 feet in length

This concept was designed as a light facelift for the street.

In addition to basic improvements, we propose the following fundamental design features:

• Street width of 36 feet would be maintained
• Dedicated bike lanes
• Eastside parking lane maintained 
• Roundabout at Letchworth Street
• Intersection treatment at 198 Expressway ramps assumes future analysis necessary based on future of 198 
• 9.5-foot travel lanes for motor vehicles and buses 
• Buffered bike lanes between 198 Westbound  off-ramp to Amherst Street
• Curb bump-outs at most intersections  
• Raised Mid-block pedestrian crossings would be added to blocks greater than 600 feet in length