Chippewa St. to limit vehicle traffic as council continues push for 21-and-over rule

The Buffalo Police Department has announced restrictions to vehicle traffic and parking on certain days on Chippewa Street as city leaders eye changes in the name of public safety in downtown Buffalo's entertainment district.

The changes affect the stretch of Chippewa between Franklin Street and Delaware Avenue. Fillmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski, whose district includes Chippewa, says restrictions on traffic during peak hours are just one way to keep people safe.

"That small density of that one block when individuals are going into ride sharing, they find themselves seven to eight Ubers deep, waiting for their friends to come out, and it's creating a large vehicular issues," said Nowakowski. "There's even vehicular accidents that have happened in recent months. So congesting and controlling that traffic is also for pedestrians as well."

But a push Nowakowski is leading in the Common Council is a local law that would limit Chippewa Street to those 21-and-over only, again targeting peak entertainment hours. He believes incidents like gunfire and large-scale brawls are being caused mostly by young people who aren't patronizing bars.

"They're loitering. They're creating fistfights and brawls, and then they're discharging weapons. We need to stand up in the city," said Nowakowski. "We need to demand better out of all of us and everyone on how to treat people. And we need to have a safe city and especially a safe entertainment district."

The City of Buffalo's in-house lawyers have greenlit the feasibility of Nowakowski's age restriction proposal. In Tuesday's Common Council meeting, a representative from the city's corporation counsel said they will begin drafting up a bill. It would then head to the council for a full vote.

The Chippewa Alliance's president Chris Ring supports the restriction, and said the business coalition has been lobbying for it. Ring owns Rec Room on Chippewa.

But a group of bar owners led by Bottoms Up, said they are calling on lawmakers to drop the proposal. They say 18-plus events are vital for their business, and not a source of issues.