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Additional safety measures are being put in place for pedestrians and bicyclists along Route 198, aka the Scajaquada Expressway. After a car struck and killed a 3-year-old boy in late May, Governor Cuomo ordered immediate changes to lower the speed limit from 50 mph to 30 mph on Route 198. The Buffalo News is now reporting that The Department of Transportation (DOT) will also construct three signalized crosswalks to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the Expressway with ease. Other changes announced by the DOT include permanent flashing Reduced Speed Ahead signs, narrower lanes, and hatched striping on the shoulders.

Some believe the newly lowered speed limit is too slow. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has said the speed limit should be boosted in certain segmented areas of the expressway. However, Assemblyman Sean Ryan says the changes to Route 198 will be permanent, adding, “We want obstructions on roadways because that sends a message to drivers that you’re not on a straight-shot roadway and the roadway isn’t just for cars.”

The DOT is also in the process of changing the functional classification of the roadway as a “principal urban arterial – expressway,” which would require approval by the Federal Highway Administration. The classification helps determine the future development, design, and speed limits on the roadway. There will be discussions with elected officials, stakeholders, and the public about other long-term changes to the highway.

While the final costs and timeline remain uncertain, state DOT Commissioner Matthew J. Driscoll explains, “Short-term traffic-calming measures will be made while long-term solutions are finalized, ensuring that the corridor is safer, in harmony with the surrounding community and accessible to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.”

If you have been issued a speeding ticket on Route 198 or anywhere else in NY, our dedicated team of attorneys can help with your defense. Call us at 1-888-434-0406 for a free consultation.

On May 30, 2015 a vehicle struck and killed 3-year-old Maksym Sugorovskiy while he was walking with his family in the Delaware Park area of Buffalo, NY. In response to the tragedy, Governor Cuomo immediately ordered guardrails to be installed and the speed limit to be lowered from 55 mph to 30 mph on Route 198, commonly referred to as the Scajaquada Expressway.

This decision has since stirred up controversy with those accustomed to cruising down the road at 50 mph. According to a recent report, the city plans to recommend a segmented speed limit increase to the State Department of Transportation, which may result in the speed limit on Route 198 changing yet again.

The city argued that an increase in the speed limit on Route 198 would benefit drivers in the short and long term. According to Buffalo City Mayor Byron Brown, “We think it makes sense to increase the speed limit so that people who are merging into a faster roadway are at the proper speed to be able to merge effectively and safely.”

Mayor Brown suggested segmented speed limits be implemented along the highway. City engineers, who have been studying Route 198, agree that the speed limit could be segmented by raising the limit back to 40 mph outside of Delaware Park area and permanently leaving the segment in Delaware Park at 30 mph. However, many neighborhood groups surrounding Delaware Park are in support of the plan to keep the speed limit at 30 mph on the entire highway in the interest of pedestrian and cyclist safety.

The Department of Transportation will be making an announcement and scheduling a public meeting to discuss these findings later in July. There is currently no timeline on when and if these changes will be approved or take effect. In the meantime, city police officers will continue to strictly enforce the 30mph limit.

If you have been issued a speeding ticket, you need experienced legal representation. Call us for a free consultation at 888-434-0406.

The New York Post has reported on a story that is all too familiar – a pedestrian was struck by a speeding driver.

The driver, Hector Minaya, was apparently speeding through the Inwood section of Manhattan when he hit Edwin Soriano. Mr. Soriano, whom was rushed to Harlem Hospital, was listed in critical condition.

Police later found the driver in a parking garage – weeping while attempting to avoid detection.

A witness had stated that the car was speeding down the road before the crash.

Continue reading “Speeding Driver Hits Pedestrian”

It appears that at least some jurisdictions are getting the message: speeding and red light cameras are more trouble then they are worth.

Speeding cameras in school zones, as well as red light cameras, which we will collectively refer to as “cameras,” were placed in both New Jersey and New York with the stated goal of increasing pubic safety. In NY, these cameras coincided with the passage of Vision Zero.  It is hard to deny that there is a significant problem with injuries due to traffic violations. Whether these cameras were the best method to fight this problem was hotly contested.

Continue reading “Will New York City “Get the Picture” about Traffic Cameras?”