The City of Buffalo may take after some of its suburbs and turn a confusing intersection into a roundabout.
The downtown intersection of Genesee, Ellicott and Chippewa Streets, a block west of Oak Street, could soon be ripped out and reconstructed as a traffic circle.
Buffalo Urban Development Corporation Vice President David Stebbins told the Buffalo Place Board last week property owners along Genesee Street, including M&T Bank and the Electric Tower's Iskalo Development, have helped fund preliminary design work.
The proposed round about is within Councilmember Darius Pridgen's Ellicott District. But Pridgen, who also sits on the Buffalo Place Board, says he is undecided about the project.
"I am looking into it. I know in some places these have been very interesting additions....they have also been kind of catastrophic with traffic patterns and accidents. So I'll reserve decision on it until we do more research on it to find out if this is something that's good for that area," said Pridgen.
No cost estimates were released, but Stebbins said the goal is to begin work during the upcoming construction season.
Buffalo's Commissioner of Public Works was not immediately available for comment.