Anger, misery, and pent-up frustration characterize the experience of many drivers on one of the most traveled roads for University at Buffalo students. Most UB students and other commuters in Buffalo agree that driving on Main Street is one huge headache. Whether cruising the speed limit or racing like Evil Knievel, a short trip takes at least 15 minutes—often times much longer—even though Mapquest measures the distance from the intersection of Bailey Avenue and Main Street to the intersection of Pearl Street and Main Street as only 5.4 miles.
Luckily, Main Street drivers will eventually be given a large dose of aspirin, but only after another painful ordeal of new traffic-ridden agony. Most likely starting some time next year, Main Street will once again be under construction. This time, the work spans from Hertel Avenue all the way to where Main Street intersects New York State Route 198. Though the construction will undoubtedly cause some aggravation, ultimately the goal is to have a much needed coordinated traffic light system.
According to John Bidell, a senior engineer with the City of Buffalo in charge of the new construction project, the electric maintenance of the construction that took place from Hertel Ave. to Bailey Ave. is now being finished. The upcoming project will not only replace sidewalks and repave the street, but also will replace the sewer systems, the traffic signals, the street lights, and a lot of the electrical work that in some cases was put into place in the 1940s.
“Hopefully we’ll have a nice system that moves traffic slowly and evenly down Main Street,” says Bidell.
The funding for this project comes from the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC), a government funded agency whose main goal is transportation improvements and a long-range plan for travel. Through studies conducted a few years ago, the agency gathered an inventory of the traffic signals that did not exist before.
According to Steve Szopinski, a principal transportation analyst with the GBNRTC, many of the traffic signals are antiquated and still use old clock timers. Some, he says, are “not even warranted anymore,” meaning that even though there is a traffic signal in place requiring people to stop, it is not needed because traffic patterns have changed since the signal was originally placed.
The major problem with the traffic signals is a lack of coordination. Erie County placed control of the signals into the hands of local jurisdictions who then placed the signals into the hands of different agencies. In one town, a fire company is in charge; in another, the police department; in yet another, the public works department. The GBNRTC recognized this pattern and wants to narrow it down to one or two entities being in control for the county. As Szopinski noted, it would be “much more cost effective.”
Though the state is in control of the traffic signals from Bailey Ave. to Hertel Ave., Bidell hopes that their ultimate goal of a fiber-optic connected system will help ensure that no matter who controls the signals their timing is appropriate and that they work well together. “One of the objectives of the project is to coordinate the traffic system,” said Bidell.
Overall it seems that this is a great project, but for those unfortunate enough to remember the last time Main Street saw construction, it was a lengthy process and a horrific detriment to drivers—more so than the poorly timed traffic signals have ever been. Numerous articles written by student publications at UB as well as WNY newspapers lambasted the length of time of the construction and the overall state of Main Street while construction was taking place. Though everyone was relieved to see the construction completed, few will be eager to see construction begin once again. Bidell says that the planned construction will once again take two to three years and that traffic will be about the same as in the Bailey-Hertel section that has already been completed.
“One side or the other will be one lane. It will just be very slow, but won’t be as bad as the first section as there are less traffic signals,” says Bidell.
Though the traffic might not be directly in the path of UB’s South Campus, the effects will undoubtedly still be felt amongst many commuters and people headed downtown on the weekends. Brian Wilson, a freshman undecided major hailing from Lockport, remembers the construction that consumed Main Street before and dreads the thought of another two or three years of traffic and delay. Although he agrees that having the lights coincide with one another will help, the upcoming inconvenience to his commute makes his blood boil.
“Again? I didn’t think it was that bad to begin with. Other areas in the city need more work,” said Wilson.
Sophomore undecided major Molly Fitzpatrick agrees that the construction is going to significantly interfere with her daily commute. “I hate driving down Main Street. I avoid it as much as possible,” she said.
Fitzpatrick says living on Englewood makes driving down Main street unavoidable. Using Route 198 to travel to work and to her house will put her in the direct path of the upcoming construction.
“It’s going to be ridiculous. I don’t understand how people are going to move,” says Fitzpatrick.
Although the changes on Main Street are recognized as necessary, the process of doing so looks to be painstaking and long. New traffic signals, paved streets, and street lights will prove to be a huge benefit to drivers, but many may have to keep that goal in mind as they get stuck in traffic and construction delays. As Brian Wilson summarizes the prevailing attitude among many Buffalo drivers, “It’s a real pain in the ass.”
Eli George is a senior English and Film Studies major and a Features writer for Generation.
