Tonawanda residents oppose intersection plan
Town of Tonawanda residents continued to voice their displeasure with the state Department of Transportation’s proposal to fix one of the state’s most dangerous intersections.
Vincent R. Demme, a Town of Tonawanda resident, told Tonawanda’s Town Board on Monday that he has gathered 618 signatures from neighbors who are against the DOT’s construction plans for the intersection where Ridge Lea and Koenig roads meet Niagara Falls Boulevard.
The area frequently appears on the DOT’s “high accident location” list. Residents agree that something has to be done, but they disagree with the DOT over what.
Known as “Alternative 9,” the proposal includes extending a median on the boulevard through what is now the intersection and installing a curb across Ridge Lea.
A new ramp would then be built farther east of Ridge Lea for vehicles getting on the eastbound Youngmann Highway. The Off- Track Betting parlor would be demolished so that the western end of the road could be realigned northward.
But Demme told the board that the proposal would redirect vehicles toward kid-filled side streets and that property values would decrease with the increased traffic.
“It would force 4,000 cars per day to side streets, putting our children and families in danger,” he said.
Demme is especially opposed to extending the median across the boulevard because it would eliminate left turns from Koenig onto the boulevard. Those looking to go left would have to first turn right and then make a U-turn, which Demme said would make the area even more dangerous.
He presented the DOT with his petition but said that it was rejected. “We were told our letters were biased,” he told the board, “Well, of course, they were biased; that’s why 618 people signed them.”
Representatives from the DOT are expected to be at the town’s next board meeting July 14. While the board will make a recommendation to the state, the ultimate decision on the fate of the intersection is up to the Federal Highway Administration.
The board also moved ahead on capital improvement projects for the Aquatic & Fitness Center.
