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Board hears request to press Amherst, Cheektowaga and county on pedestrian safety at Worley-Arrow intersection near BOCES
Summary
The villagetraffic and safety committee asked the board to send formal communications to the Town of Amherst, Town of Cheektowaga and Erie County to address missing sidewalks, crosswalks and signal timing at the Worley-Arrow-Garrison intersection used by buses to reach BOCES.
Village board members and committee representatives pressed for a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional response to hazardous pedestrian and turning conditions at the intersection of Worley Road and Arrow Street, a route used by school buses bound for BOCES. The traffic and safety committee asked the board to prepare formal communications to the Town of Amherst, the Town of Cheektowaga and Erie County to open a dialogue about improvements.
The discussion described several recurring problems: no sidewalk or crosswalk at the intersection and no dedicated left-turn arrow for traffic turning from Garrison/Worley onto Arrow even though buses and commuter traffic use the turn to reach BOCES. A committee representative said the area is increasingly pedestrianized and “not a safe place” as drivers often move quickly through the yield/merge area.
Speakers also described signal-timing issues. One board member said the local signals along Garrison and Worley were not synced and recalled previously calling the town to request adjustments; another said the town handles traffic signals while the county plows and maintains sections of the road, creating a multi-jurisdictional coordination need.
Board members suggested starting the outreach with the town staff member who handles signal coordination so the discussion can address both pedestrian crossings and the absence of a left-turn arrow for buses. They did not adopt any motions or make formal commitments during the discussion; the committee requested that staff prepare the formal communication for the board to send to the other governments.
Why it matters: The intersection is used by school buses and pedestrians, and speakers said current conditions include no sidewalk, no crosswalk, and limited opportunity to make left turns, which they described as a safety risk during peak traffic times. The village lacks sole authority for signals and some maintenance on portions of Worley Road, so improvements will require cooperation with Amherst, Cheektowaga and Erie County.
The board did not vote on specific engineering remedies or funding at the meeting; members asked staff to prepare the proposed communications and to involve relevant town and county contacts for further action.
