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Thread: Widening William Street between Transit Road and Aurora Street status

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    Widening William Street between Transit Road and Aurora Street status

    The writer addressed the Lancaster Town Board on the status of the widening of William Street between Transit Road and Aurora Street last night.

    Chowaniec: At the last town board meeting County Legislator Ted Morton addressed the board on his effort to support getting the William Street open drainage ditches piped and covered to widen a section of county road that in many areas only has a one-to-two foot shoulder.

    At that meeting Supervisor Fudoli, you stated that a letter of support from the town would be sent to County Executive Mark Poloncarz and/or the Legislature. Has the town submitted such letter?

    Fudoli: I am working with Ted Morton’s assistant to draft such letter and getting it to the county. We are looking at the language we want to incorporate.

    Chowaniec: Hopefully soon. Yesterday’s Buffalo News ran a report on Transit Road regarding its development and transportation shortcomings. I found two comments analogous to what has happened in the town. “Even if its legal its unsafe,” There is no question there are other overburdened two lane county roads, but this stretch of William Street is unsafe for myriad reasons and needs widening.

    The report also stated: “A county planning board would have helped towns dealing with land use and transportation issues.” The town has never had an official/certified planner as well.

    I am an advocate of getting this section of road widened because I live here. I see on a regular basis the unsafe vehicular travel that takes place here. Seniors living in a senior apartment complex have little road shoulder to walk on; much less the sidewalks they have petitioned the town to have installed that would allow them to walk to the nearby Wal-Mart, other retail stores and/or the Rite Aid pharmacy.

    I see children and adults walking or biking this stretch of road at much risk; all because there is but a one-to-two foot road shoulder before falling into the open drainage ditch.
    Mr. Fronczak has spoke several times on his spouse being involved where an emergency vehicle was delayed and could not get past the pulled over stacked vehicles until they repositioned themselves; no shoulder to pull over on.

    In all the years that residents have been coming to the board seeking relief from traffic volume and traffic safety issues, this is the most opportune time for getting something done here. William Street is improved as much as its going to get. We have been told and understand that the county has not the money, nor would it spend $5 million several years ago to put n a third lane. All the improvements to this road have been made. We get that.

    But when you look at all the development that is to come along William Street in the future, residential and commercial, no matter how well the state and county synchronize signalization between the Wal-Mart signal and the Transit Road signal, that intersection is a hell-hole. Traffic is still getting backed up at this intersection where people blow horns, losing tempers and acting in such manner that leads to accidents. This intersection is miserably overburdened and attempts to calm the traffic have failed.

    It is the town’s number one priority to protect its residents. Something can be done along this stretch of William Street to address a pedestrian and vehicular safety issues. This stretch of two-lane county road is already overburdened with 15,000 daily vehicles travelling it; and with more development to come.

    It should be the county’s number one priority to protect its citizens as well. I find it hard to understand why Mr. Poloncarz is resisting in taking on this project; especially when the cost in undertaking the project is estimated at $100,000.

    I therefore hope the town submits a letter of support and puts it in the communications, or sponsors it by resolution for the residents of Lancaster to see. Mr. Morton and his staff have already posted a petition online and have like supporters getting hard copy signatures to petition Poloncarz to act on this needed project. Lancaster residents are tired of hearing from the town that William is a county road and there is nothing the town can do about it.” Legislator Morton is doing a good job in driving this project and the town should expend whatever effort necessary in support.

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    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Wouldn't the Lancaster police have some kind of accident report for that area that would show how unsafe it is? Or help drive home the point.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    Wouldn't the Lancaster police have some kind of accident report for that area that would show how unsafe it is? Or help drive home the point.
    Yes, that has been suggested to Legislator Ted Morton and his associates. I had foiled for a like traffic accident report in June of 2012 and the accident report which was posted on Speakup at that time showed the following:

    Traffic counts and traffic safety

    According to the latest 2009 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Transportation Committee traffic count study there were 27,800 vehicles travelling Transit Road between the intersections of Transit/French Road and the Transit Road and William/Losson intersection. That was before Wal-Mart and other businesses went into operation.

    According to the latest 2007 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Transportation Committee traffic count study there were 13,500 vehicles travelling William Street at that time. That was prior to the additions of the Wal-Mart, Aldi, and several other businesses that were developed in the Flix Theater complex and the use of William Street to exit onto in order to get to signalization at Transit Road, thereby making a left onto Transit to head south. It is next to impossible to safely make a left from the Flix complex onto Transit Road. The count must be at least 15,000 today.

    According to a recent Lancaster police department accident report list, from 2009 until 5-08-12, there have been 134 accidents on William Street, from Transit Road to Bowen Road. While all involved vehicular damage, 22 involved personal injury.

    38 accidents (28.4% of the total 134) are noted on the report as taking place at or near the Transit Road intersection; 4 in 2009; 10 in 2010, 17 in 2011; 7 in only 4 months time in 2012. They are trending upwards as business begin operating; Wal-Mart in late 2009.

    6 accidents reported from the Flix Theater driveway to the west side of Penora

    3 accidents reported at the William/Penora intersection

    10 accidents from the east side of Penora to the south side of Aurora

    27 accidents reported at the William and Aurora intersection

    14 accidents from the east side of Aurora to the west side of Lake Avenue

    13 accidents at the Lake Avenue/William Street intersection

    3 accidents from east side of Lake Avenue to the William Street School

    7 accidents reported from the William Street School to Bowen Road

    13 accidents reported at Bowen Road

    Unlike the individuals who spoke at the previous board meeting, I believe that the lighting on William Street is adequate. However, there is insufficient road width for a bike path and therefore there is risk in walking or biking this road especially from te Transit Road to Aurora Street stretch. A town/county study was performed several years ago to look at the possibility of widening William Street to a three lane road. There is not enough road right-away to allow for a turning lane unless property would be taken by eminent domain and the cost to do so was deemed prohibitive - $15 million. The county put in for a federal grant that it most likely did not receive and the road was repaved and signalization was installed at Penora Drive.

    In other words, all the improvements that can be made to William Street have been made. It is what it is and will remain so. Should it have been widened years ago, of course it should have. Should there have another major east-west road constructed between Bowen and Transit Road, of course there should have. As late as 2010, I was told by the town board that there were no major traffic issues in Lancaster; and that included William Street.

    Signalization synchronization at the Wal-Mart driveway with the Transit Road signal to prevent east-west traffic backups on Transit Road has not taken place, and it appears will there ever be such synchronization in place to eliminate the traffic problems that occur during peak hour traffic and where vehicles are backed up into Transit Road.

    Most disturbing is when people say, “Why did you ever move there, you should have known better. Twenty-five years ago there was no way for residents to know how the south side of Lancaster was going to be developed, residentially and commercially, or that William Street would never be improved. Past town and planning boards had but one vision, namely to build out the town. Unfortunately that vision did not include any foresight to accommodate for the growth by building new roads and/or improving/widening county roads. Equally unfortunate is that rezones and rezones of rezones took place to make this so-called Gatewy to Lancaster a traffic nightmare.

    It has been disturbing to hear our previous administrations take the tact, “It’s a county road/bridge and there is nothing we can do about it.”

    The town creates the problems, the residents complain, the town blames the residents.


    That was in 2012. Since then we have seen more retail businesses built and residential subdivisions developed along William Street - and with more to come. What's changed since that time to make William Street improvements? Nada, zilch, zero. What are waiting for, a fatality?

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    It seems the traffic count data that they collect is always in the summer without school traffic. Where I live, near Walden and Central, I absolutely no problem with the traffic in front of my office this time of year. When school is in session, the traffic from the light at Walden and Central has the cars stacked in front of my house .3 mile away.

    We don't have the traffic the William/Transit area has and we have a much wider road.

    With the high school down the street and the counts taken during the 2 months of the year that the traffic is significantly lighter, they don't get a true picture of the traffic, IMHO.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
    Traffic counts and traffic safety

    According to the latest 2009 Greater Buffalo-Niagara Transportation Committee traffic count study there were 27,800 vehicles travelling Transit Road between the intersections of Transit/French Road and the Transit Road and William/Losson intersection. That was before Wal-Mart and other businesses went into operation.
    According to a GBNRTC traffic study from 2013, there were 33,619 vehicles traveling Transit Rd from Clinton St to Losson Rd. That's a 20% increase in 4 years.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    According to a GBNRTC traffic study from 2013, there were 33,619 vehicles traveling Transit Rd from Clinton St to Losson Rd. That's a 20% increase in 4 years.
    Yes, that stretch of Transit Road was cited in the BN report the other day as one of the fastest growing sections of Transit. Yet the DOT still doesn't feel signalization is warranted between the one mile stretch of road between French Road and William.

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    Lancaster Bee article on widening William Street

    http://www.lancasterbee.com/news/201...en_Willia.html

    The online petition can be obtained and filled out within a minute by clicking on the link attached:

    https://www.change.org/p/erie-county...tition_created
    Last edited by Lee Chowaniec; August 20th, 2015 at 12:39 AM.

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    After requesting such response from the board for several meetings it finally arrives by resolution #6; sponsored by Supervisor Fudoli


    WHEREAS, with the growth of Lancaster over the past several years the amount of traffic on William Street has increased exponentially; and

    WHEREAS, this has led to a dangerous situation for pedestrians and bikers who also use this county road during periods of heavy traffic; and

    WHEREAS, William Street needs to be redesigned and reconstructed between Transit Road and Aurora Street in the Town of Lancaster in such a way that it can support the increased traffic count and ensure pedestrian safety; and

    WHEREAS, local residents have signed a petition asking for the county to take care of its road and now it is time for something to be done; and

    WHEREAS, Executive Poloncarz needs to take appropriate measures to protect the safety of the public and the residents who live in Lancaster and all county residents that walk or drive on William Street.

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
    RESOLVED,
    that this honorable body hereby supports the redevelopment and redesign of William Street in the Town of Lancaster to keep in mind the safety of drivers and others that share the road with motorists; and,

    BE IT FURTHER
    RESOLVED,
    that certified copies of this resolution be sent to the Erie County Executive, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works, the Superintendent for Highways of the Town of Lancaster, and any other party deemed necessary and proper.

    The question of the foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote on roll call which resulted as follows:

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    After requesting such response from the board for several meetings it finally arrives by resolution #6; sponsored by Supervisor Fudoli


    WHEREAS, with the growth of Lancaster over the past several years the amount of traffic on William Street has increased exponentially; and

    WHEREAS, this has led to a dangerous situation for pedestrians and bikers who also use this county road during periods of heavy traffic; and

    WHEREAS, William Street needs to be redesigned and reconstructed between Transit Road and Aurora Street in the Town of Lancaster in such a way that it can support the increased traffic count and ensure pedestrian safety; and

    WHEREAS, local residents have signed a petition asking for the county to take care of its road and now it is time for something to be done; and

    WHEREAS, Executive Poloncarz needs to take appropriate measures to protect the safety of the public and the residents who live in Lancaster and all county residents that walk or drive on William Street.

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
    RESOLVED,
    that this honorable body hereby supports the redevelopment and redesign of William Street in the Town of Lancaster to keep in mind the safety of drivers and others that share the road with motorists; and,

    BE IT FURTHER
    RESOLVED,
    that certified copies of this resolution be sent to the Erie County Executive, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works, the Superintendent for Highways of the Town of Lancaster, and any other party deemed necessary and proper.

    The question of the foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote on roll call which resulted as follows:
    ABOUT TIME!!!
    Thank you Ted Morton.

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    You’re one of 208 people to sign this petition. Now help find 292 more people to reach the goal.

    Click here - be heard: https://www.change.org/p/erie-county...tition_created
    #Dems play musical chairs + patronage and nepotism = entitlement !

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