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Downtown Waterfront Improvement Plan

Share your thoughts on the four big moves!
  1. The Downtown Waterfront Improvements Plan aims to better connect residents, Downtown workers and visitors to the Downtown waterfront area through accessibility and placemaking enhancements, including improving roadways, trails, parks, signage, lighting, and more.

The following information was presented at a public meeting in August and you have one more chance to provide your comments on four big moves for Buffalo's Downtown Waterfront Area. COMMENTING CLOSED 11/10/2023, this site is provided only for reference.

  • Do we have the right projects?
  • What are your priorities?
  • Any other comments?

We will be collecting the community's comments through September 30th. Please share this link with your networks: https://openhouse.konveio.com/DWIP

 

Click here to see the progress on Buffalo’s Smart Streets Design Plan (SSDP) and provide comments on the draft recommendations.
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Tiffany Lewis Nov 9 2023 at 11:32AM on page 9

Suggestion
These are great plans. I’d like to advocate for additional warming centers or outdoor warming stations.
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 10:11PM on page 7

Suggestion
Mixed-use infill development, potentially including some structured parking, should absolutely be incetivized and built on the existing surface lots in this area, which are an unproductive, anti-urban, eyesore.
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 10:08PM on page 6

Concern
Likely outside the scope of this plan, but it is a serious misuse of public funds and resources to demolish these buildings rather than using historic tax credits to rehabilitate the existing structures, like the NYCHA is doing throughout New York City
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 10:00PM on page 6

Suggestion
Erie Street Redesign with separated bike lane looks great and should be prioritized from a cost/benefit perspective.
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 9:58PM on page 5

Concern
I would advocate for srtistic installations, or even statues of notable historic Buffalo figures over religious symbols, which might seem divisive or a target for vandalism.
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 9:55PM on page 5

Suggestion
Underpass looks great. I especially like the artistic crosswalk design.
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 9:52PM on page 4

Suggestion
The multi-modal road diet for Porter looks great. But wasn't the Porter Circle recently redesigned/rebuilt/invested in? It seems like the funds for that could be reallocated to other priority items.
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Richard Rogers Nov 8 2023 at 9:48PM on page 2

Suggestion
The new pedestrian bridge over the 190 should be expanded, if possible, to include a green space/small hill/cap for recreation with both city and water views.
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Donald Smith Nov 7 2023 at 2:32PM on page 2

Suggestion
Like to see more things for Riverside park.
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JG Nov 3 2023 at 10:09AM on page 10

Suggestion
Would be nice if the train went along this portion of downtown and north towards AKG and further. Provide better connectivity without needing a car.
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JG Nov 3 2023 at 10:07AM on page 7

Suggestion
Whatever it is that you design, just please bring density to the downtown area. We NEED more dense, walkable neighborhoods so that downtown isn't a deadspot, especially post-COVID.
replies
in reply to Brendan's comment

Ashley Smith Oct 19 2023 at 4:26PM on page 8

Suggestion
Agree; there's short, mid and long term recommendations for treatments endorsed by the Bike-Ped Advisory Board that can be pursued, including an option for the cycle track with the stairwell.
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Ashley Smith Oct 19 2023 at 4:20PM on page 8

Suggestion
Project is named "Bridge View Plaza" in the NFTA study, might be worth aligning here.
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Ashley Smith Oct 19 2023 at 4:16PM on page 2

Suggestion
See suggested naming changes on the map legend at the top.
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Ashley Smith Oct 19 2023 at 4:16PM on page 2

Suggestion
South Park Multi-modal Access Improvements would seem to fit more closely with the description here, while the DL&W Station & Shoreline Trail improvements make sense in the #4 Regional category.
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Ashley Smith Oct 19 2023 at 4:11PM on page 1

Suggestion
If possible, #12 could be split into two as DL&W Shoreline Trail & Bridge View Plaza Improvements and South Park Avenue Multi-modal Access Improvements. The two together can be a little confusing since they represent different access projects.
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Ashley Smith Oct 19 2023 at 4:07PM on page 1

Suggestion
Project #13: Could this be renamed to DL&W Station instead of DL&W - Proposed?
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Debra Park Oct 19 2023 at 2:51PM on page 3

Question
I don't understand the Marine raised intersection. Is this your way of saying this a first step to get rid of the Skyway?
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Brandon Burke Oct 19 2023 at 12:55PM on page 3

Suggestion
6 - 12 pickleball courts with fixed lines, nets, and lights in Ralph Wilson Park would be incredible. It is the fastest growing sport in the country and we unfortunately do not have much access to the sport in Buffalo with people having to travel out into the suburbs to play. Compared to tennis courts, they are used a lot more and allow for many more people to use it for their smaller size. 12 people can play on 3 pickleball courts in about the size of one tennis court. It would be great for people of all ages!
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:43AM on page 12

5
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:43AM on page 12

4
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:42AM on page 12

3
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:42AM on page 12

2
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:42AM on page 12

1
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:39AM on page 11

Concern
Neighborhood parking benefit districts for lower west side would help with existing residents need for parking and go a long way to support neighborhood investments to improve quality of life for the current negative impacts free parking creates for residents.
replies

Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:36AM on page 10

Suggestion
There are very few access point to the waterfront. More East/West connections to the existing neighborhoods.
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:27AM on page 2

Concern
If the goal is to strengthen connections to neighborhoods, there needs to be East/West bike/ped onnections, not just North/ South. Streets such as Virginia, Carolina, W.Huron are all very wide one-way streets that currently only accommodate vehicles.
replies

Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:25AM on page 2

Suggestion
Turn the 190 to a high volume boulevard. These have been in use in other cities and were developed by Olmsted in NYC such as Ocean Parkway.
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Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:22AM on page 1

Concern
There have been plans since the early 2000's to rethink the impact of the 190 dividing the city and its residents to the waterfront. The green code even has a transect for a high volume boulevard which cold still maintain existing vehicle traffic while providing equitable access to west side residents to the waterfront. Pedestrian bridges are not the solution.
replies

Justin Booth Oct 17 2023 at 9:19AM on page 1

Question
Why does the plan exclude a significant swath of the lower west side neighborhood sandwiched in between the central business district and the waterfront? This plan should support existing residents.
replies

David Steele Oct 16 2023 at 2:02AM on page 4

Suggestion
These ramps are far too big. They could be significanlty reduced with the land returned to productive urban use.
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David Steele Oct 16 2023 at 2:01AM on page 4

Suggestion
Feeder ramps are too long and take up far far far more space than can be justified. These ramps should be shortened to segements parallel to the highway with 90 degree turns to the east west direction, The city stree grid should be restored and a significant parkway should be inserted to create a direct connection from Niagara Street to the new Ralph Wilson Park.
replies

David Steele Oct 16 2023 at 1:57AM on page 7

Suggestion
Thruway needs to be buried or eliminated in the downtown area. Highways do not need to pass through downtown. They just need to feed downtown. This is a major barrior that needs to be eliminated.
replies

David Steele Oct 16 2023 at 1:55AM on page 7

Concern
These blocks are much to big. Giant deve;opment blocks will never yield quality walkable urban space
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Dan Oct 15 2023 at 11:29PM on page 1

Cool
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Kyle Oct 15 2023 at 9:43PM on page 8

Suggestion
love the buffered bike paths! More of these on all streets.
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Kyle Oct 15 2023 at 9:42PM on page 7

Concern
way too many parking garages. Use this space for more housing and consider improving public transit access
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Kyle Oct 15 2023 at 9:38PM on page 5

Concern
this is just lipstick on a pig. Don't try to make a highway overpass more friendly...it needs to be removed altogether
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Brendan Oct 12 2023 at 12:35PM on page 8

Suggestion
I like the proposed separated, buffered bike lane shown here over painted lanes or sharrows. However, I was under the impression that the NFTA's stairwell/bridge project at DL&W terminal would reduce the street width at one point between DL&W and the arena enough that a buffered bike lane would not fit. It's worth coordinating with NFTA to find a creative solution that allows the existence of a continuous buffered bike lane along South Park even with the stairwell project (maybe a brief sidepath instead of sidewalk in that small section of street).
replies
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