Board wants speed reduction on River Road

by Larry Austin
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, September 28, 2006

For the second month in a row, the Wheatfield Town Board discussed roads in town and potential traffic risks.

During the August board meeting, Wheatfield Supervisor Timothy Demler said that the intersection of Niagara Falls Boulevard and Crescent Drive was so loud, “You couldn’t even speak with all the screeching noises” from traffic and near-accidents. The board called for the State Department of Transportation to install a traffic light at the intersection before another fatality occurs. Likewise, at September’s board meeting, the five members voted to send another letter to the DOT requesting a lower speed limit, this time on River Road, with an additional sign regarding passing on the shoulder of the road. The board asked that the speed limit be reduced from 45-40 mph.

Councilman Larry Helwig made a motion to send the DOT the letter.

Demler said he received a call and a letter from River Road residents on the issue.

“We’ve had several fatalities on River Road, most recently about three or four weeks ago,” Helwig said. “And the fatalities that we’ve had have been directly caused because of people passing on the right. They’ve been passing on the shoulder causing accidents.”

Helwig said the situation was so dangerous for motorists attempting a left turn from River Road to Sunset Drive, Hird Street, or York Road that many opt to drive by the turns to a gas station and double back to make a right turn.

“I had a girl killed on my front lawn 10 years ago,” said Mindy McNamara, who lives on the east end of River Road, regarding the frequency of accidents. She said traffic is so heavy there that it takes her five minutes just to cross her street.

The resolution was adopted by a 5-0 vote.