Tonawanda officials urge cautious trial for proposed downtown motorcycle 'cruise nights'; applicant to amend permit

Downtown business owners and motorcycle organizers asked the City of Tonawanda to approve a recurring motorcycle “cruise night” on Thursdays from late May through September to draw visitors to Main Street. Police and fire leadership told the Common Council the city should test the proposal more cautiously, citing public-safety, traffic and staffing concerns.

The proposal presented at the meeting originally listed a weekly Thursday series from May 29 through late September (the applicant later described it as May through September, Thursdays 5 p.m.–10 p.m.). City public-safety officials said they could not support a 17-week, weekly event without a staged trial because the city’s available patrol staffing and fire‑safety access requirements could be stressed by repeated closures and larger-than-expected attendance.

Both the fire and police chiefs recommended a more limited pilot and asked for permit language that preserves the city’s right to suspend the series if public-safety issues arise. Fire staff flagged concerns about restricted egress for apparatus, blocked fire-department connections and the need for movable vehicle barriers that still leave room for emergency access. Chief McNulty (police) said that a conservative staffing plan is necessary; he gave the council and applicant an estimate for overtime costs if officers must be posted to the event. The chief said, “If we do it once a month, I'm not saying I'm against it. What I'm saying is let's go slow into this instead of just banging out 17 weeks,” and later provided a sample cost range: “If I put 2 guys down there for 5 events, that's 3,200 to 6,400. If we have 17 events down there, that's gonna be anywhere from 11,000 plus to 22,000,” reflecting overtime estimates for patrol staffing.

Applicants and downtown business owners said the events are a low-cost way to bring customers to bars and restaurants that otherwise see limited traffic on weeknights. An organizer who runs motorcycle cruise nights in nearby communities said his events typically attract enthusiasts who patronize local businesses and said he has not seen the trouble the chief described in other municipalities. Organizers stressed they would provide private security, request vendors to follow rules (including “no colors” policies to discourage gang identifiers) and work with city staff on traffic control.

The council asked the applicant to amend the special-event application to propose a less frequent schedule and to include contingencies for safety and suspension. Staff and chiefs agreed they would review a revised application and recommended language allowing the city to revoke the permit for health and safety reasons if necessary. The council indicated support for a pilot of more limited frequency; the applicant agreed to return with a revised application that would limit events to roughly twice a month beginning May 29, with the understanding the city could stop future dates should problems develop.

Why it matters: The proposal pits downtown economic development goals—bringing more customers to struggling weekday businesses—against city operational limits for public safety and emergency access. Council members and chiefs said they favored trying the idea in a controlled way to balance both objectives.

Ending: The applicant will file an amended special-event application with revised dates and safety language. City departments will review the amendment and the council will be informed if staff or chiefs recommend denying or suspending remaining dates.