AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — Staff at Bornhava, a New York State-approved preschool serving children with disabilities, are raising concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety tied to construction across the street from the school.
The school says construction vehicles have at times blocked a travel lane during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal, creating traffic backups as students, families and staff enter and leave the building.
Many Bornhava students require one-on-one assistance, adaptive equipment or other support to safely navigate the area.
WATCH: Bornhava staff raise safety concerns over construction traffic in Amherst
Executive Director Shannon Karcher said the school has repeatedly asked the construction crew to avoid deliveries or other activity that blocks the roadway during the school's busiest windows.
Karcher also showed 7 News photos documenting instances when construction vehicles blocked the roadway and made it difficult for school buses to safely get out.
The school says there have also been instances where drivers attempted to maneuver around traffic. Bethany Wrigglesworth, Bornhava's director of programs, said she was nearly hit by a vehicle while trying to manage traffic near the school's entrance.
Bornhava says it is not asking for construction to stop, but wants consistent traffic management during the short periods when students are arriving and leaving.
The construction is part of a scaled-back redevelopment of the former Squire Shop complex on Main Street by Benderson Development.
Amherst Police told 7 News they received two complaints last week involving residents driving through a parking lot to avoid the intersection. Those complaints were forwarded to the department's Traffic Division, and traffic investigators have been assigned to the area.
I have also reached out to Benderson Development for a response to the school's concerns and to ask whether additional traffic-control measures could be put in place. The company had not responded as of publication.
