For years, urbanists have been discussing traffic calming ideas and concepts that could be applied to Niagara Square. In European cities, these types of squares are not simply for cars, they are for people. But in Buffalo, cars have pretty much ruled the roost, until now.
With the arrival of Mayor Sean Ryan, talks began to take place that would reexamine the potential of Niagara Square as a Civic Square, instead of a thoroughfare dedicated mainly to automobiles. These public discussions led to some real action, believe it or not.
I spoke to the City’s Commissioner of Parking, Justin Booth, who told me that a lot of things are changing at Niagara Square, including the addition of single lane traffic calming measures, as well as painting and striping that will ensure that the Square is no longer used as a parking zone (for anyone, including City employees or any affiliates)…