The City of Buffalo is taking steps to address concerns about speeding in residential neighborhoods.
Mayor Byron Brown officially launched a new Neighborhood Traffic Calming program on Newburgh Avenue, off East Delevan Ave., on Wednesday. Brown says the pilot phase includes the installation of speed humps on Newburgh and several other streets where there's been a lot of complaints about speeding.
"The next step, after they see these temporary speed humps and speed signs and digital speed display signs, will be police officers out in the neighborhoods writing tickets. We don't want to do that as a first option. We want to let people know their responsibility to drive the speed limit, to drive safely and to look out for pedestrians and bicyclists," Brown said.
Arden Newburgh Block Club President Sandria Banks says the two speed humps installed on Newburgh recently have already made a "1,000 percent difference."
"Things have changed drastically. We can see people's faces as they're driving through the speed humps and they're actually shocked. We've seen motorcycles go up in the air and come down and they don't come back again. We're very happy about all of this," Banks said.
According to the city, the hard rubber speed humps are more gradual than speed bumps common in parking lots. Brown says the program was funded in the current budget.