BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The City of Buffalo has released a survey seeking public input on potential improvements to Niagara Square, home of the iconic McKinley Monument and located outside of City Hall.
The survey, which is on the city's website, seeks feedback from everyone who uses the square - from drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Parking Commissioner Justin Booth said the city wants to make interim improvements this summer, with long-term improvements funded by a portion of a $2.9 million state grant also being used to update parts of Niagara Street.
"We know that a lot of cars consistently illegally park on Niagara Square," Booth said. "We want to make sure the square is safe no matter how you're coming downtown, no matter how you're accessing downtown."
Safety appears to be a significant concern. City data shows there have been 62 crashes at Niagara Square in the last five years. According to Booth, those concerns are also reflected in more than 250 survey respondents.
- 70% of pedestrians don't feel safe
- 77% cyclists don't feel safe
- 41% drivers don't feel safe
Visitors and users of the square shared their own observations on Monday. Nicole Wallace, a visitor from Dallas, was visiting City Hall. She said parking stood out as a challenge.
Joe Marusak works downtown and walks his dog through the square everday day. He pointed to maintenance issues.
"They have a lot of loose bricks around the monument," he said. "They need to do a better job pruning the trees."
WATCH: Buffalo seeks public input on Niagara Square improvements amid safety concerns
"At certain parts it's a little difficult to cross because sometimes traffic doesn't stop," Rosemary London said. "It'll keep going, goes past the lights. I guess they could just put better lights out, more pedestrian walkways."
The survey closes July 1.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
