East Aurora Advertiser

Town Talks Safety Concerns Along Knox Road



Improving pedestrian safety along Knox Road has been an occasional topic with the Aurora Town Board over the past couple of years. Some measures are underway for immediate change, while others will require more money and support from other officials. 

The increased use of Knox Farm State Park with no easy access for walkers or cyclists coming from the village has been noted at recent meetings. The sidewalk along Knox Road ends before reaching the park, forcing people to contend with vehicle traffic. Supervisor James Bach, who often travels that road, noted the culvert area at the village and town boundary as a dangerous part for people. There is limited space for people to walk and traffic to move past. 

“We need to do something, it’s a choke point [for pedestrians and traffic],” Bach said. 

An accident in March occurred at the border of the village and town on Knox Road. This stretch of area has been highlighted as a dangerous intersection

The town has filed a request for a speed reduction. This would extend from the village and town boundary to Gypsy Lane. Right now it is 45 mph. As people head east into the village along Knox Road, the speed limit drops to 30 mph.  

Highway Superintendent David Gunner called it a “unique situation” where lots of people walk, run or bicycle towards the park along that road to get to the park. People can either go to the soccer fields or head right into the park. 

He said Erie County, which maintains the roadway, has been contacted about the situation. He said they are going to install better pedestrian crossing signs by the soccer field parking lot and crosswalk into the park. 

Gunner said the town could also have it striped for a crosswalk, but the town would have to maintain it, restriping it every three years or as needed. 

Earlier plans to create a stone walkway are not likely to move forward at this time, though. Gunner had talked about creating a walkway through the woods where the sidewalk ends at Knox Road and Woodside Avenue. It would have then gone towards the soccer fields. He was told by the county that it could be done, and it would have to be compliant with ADA standards for handicap accessibility. The cost of that is higher than original and so he is not doing that at this time. 

The county also does not have any plans to relocate the barrier along the culvert. In correspondence with the county, Gunner was told the county would look at the area for the next time a culvert replacement takes place, but there is nothing on the schedule at this time. 

“We’ll take a pause [on the walkway] to see if the bridge engineer can move it,” Gunner said. 

Gunner said it would be important for the town to keep highlighting the safety hazard of the road with county officials to get something changed. He said it might take some time, but he noted that the county has started to make progress in fixing Behm Road after the town has made numerous requests over the years. 

At the June 28 meeting, it was noted that the county was looking to fix a portion of Behm Road at a former railway crossing. East Aurora Police Chief Shane Krieger has called it a “ski jump” and not a simple bump. Several serious accidents have occurred there over the years, but no changes have been made. 

Gunner said it is now on the radar to be corrected, and felt the board should keep pushing for changes along Knox Road. 

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