Fillmore Forward is taking steps to improve bicycle safety in their neighborhood.
By Josh Bazan
Published by WKBW News
Nov. 8, 2017
BUFFALO, N.Y (WKBW) – You’ve probably seen it before in Buffalo or, perhaps, you may have done it yourself. Sit on a street corner and you won’t have to wait long to see drivers passing each other in the bike lane. It’s dangerous for biker and for drivers and one neighborhood on the city’s east side is tackling the issue.
Fillmore Forward, a community group, is meeting Thursday to discuss the issue of drivers taking over bike lanes, among other topics. The group is working with University at Buffalo students to create a comprehensive street design plan to make it safer for everyone in the neighborhood.
Justin Booth has noticed this problem before while riding his bike around the city.
“I’ve had situations where you come up on the street and a car is double parked in the bike lane,” he said. “I’ve had cars pass me and the car is driving in the travel lane, in the parking lane, and squeezing me in between which is fairly uncomfortable.”
As the executive director of GO Bike Buffalo, Booth works with the city to make it safer and more bike friendly. He says many people tell him they’d start biking around Buffalo more often if they felt safer on city streets.
“I hear it all the time, ‘I would ride my bike more often if I didn’t have to deal with vehicle traffic’,” he said.
Fillmore Forward will present its plan and make recommendations to the City of Buffalo when the project is completed.