Walmart may get on board with Metro Bus after all. Company executives were in town Tuesday to discuss public safety concerns over Walmart's plan for its new Cheektowaga store.
State Senator Timothy Kennedy says he's "cautiously optimistic" that Walmart will grant Metro Bus access to the corporation's property when the store opens in April. Kennedy recalled how two decades ago Metro riders had to cross busy Walden Avenue to get to the Galleria Mall.
"That was an extremely unsafe protocol that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old girl," Kennedy said.
"It took that death in order to make changes. We want to prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again by significantly lowering the safety risks."
On average, Kennedy says about 25,000 vehicles a day pass by the new Walmart. He says having customers who use public transit, especially families with young children, cross the busy road is not right.
In a written statement, Walmart Spokesman Phil Keene said, [the company was] "in touch with the Senator, among others, Tuesday. We are discussing additional options with local officials and the NFTA," Keene said.