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A legacy city modernizes its historical streets with smart technology and data-informed decisions

Location
Buffalo, New York
Offices
Client
  • City of Buffalo
Award
Congress for the New Urbanism, Merit Award for Emerging Projects, 2024

City of Buffalo Smart Streets Design Plan

Building on the success of the week-long charrette and the insights gained from the Future of Mobility report in 2020, the City of Buffalo aims to set a new standard for future connectivity in Buffalo. By harnessing their historic waterfront walkable neighborhoods and well-planned legacy infrastructure system, the City will modernize and establish new, equitable mobility solutions, focusing on one of its greatest assets—its streets.

Together again, the City partnered with our Urban Places team to develop a transformative downtown smart streets design plan. Our approach, rooted in understanding Buffalo's downtown, involved an intentional public engagement process, a downtown-wide parking inventory and utilization sweep, and a policy and governance analysis. Armed with this data and the City’s goals, we created a smart streets design toolkit. This toolkit was key as we tested four corridors, with Washington Street emerging as the ideal implementation corridor. Its design plan will revolutionize the street and support future deployment downtown and beyond.

Leveraging curbside and street design, technology, and data, this forward-thinking plan will elevate Buffalo’s connectivity and position the City as a national leader in adaptable and equitable mobility.

Location
Buffalo, New York
Offices
Client
  • City of Buffalo
Award
Congress for the New Urbanism, Merit Award for Emerging Projects, 2024

How a historic city is redesigning its streets

From enhancing curb usage to integrating cutting-edge technology for various modes of transportation, Buffalo’s Smart Streets Design Plan pilots a new way to enhance connectivity and accessibility.

Meet Our Team

Ralph DeNisco, Senior Principal

I put my training and experience to work to show people how smart transportation planning creates exciting places that work for everyone.

Jon Hartley, Principal, Transportation

As a transportation engineer with diverse projects and clients, I see each day as an adventure on the road to improving our communities.

Greg Rodriguez, Principal, Mobility Policy

With mobility innovations like micromobility and automated and connected vehicles, we’re creating safer and more equitable transportation.

Jason Schrieber, Senior Principal

Mobility is not about moving vehicles. It’s about giving all people better access to their daily needs in a smart, equitable and efficient manner. Whether by car, bus, bike, scooter or on foot, multi-modal travel is our passion.

Rory Weilnau, Associate

When designing safer streets, we think about how to simplify complex environments for the people that use them.

Ralph DeNisco

Senior Principal

Jon Hartley

Principal, Transportation

Greg Rodriguez

Principal, Mobility Policy

Jason  Schrieber

Senior Principal

Rory Weilnau

Associate

We’re better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

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