NIAGARA COUNTY LEGISLATURE

NIAGARA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

175 HAWLEY STREET
LOCKPORT, NY 14094-2470
(716) 439-7000

September 15, 2021

Honorable Kathy Hochul

Governor, State of New York
Executive Chamber
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Hochul:

From your time as a Member of Congress and Lt. Governor, we know that you are no stranger to Niagara
County and our local municipalities. That is why I am writing you today regarding Shawnee Road in the Town of
Wheatfield.

Shawnee Road (NYS Route 425) is a major north/south connector in Niagara County and is heavily traveled by
commuters, school buses and commercial traffic each day. Yet Shawnee also has a large number of residential homes
right on it, as well as numerous neighborhoods and subdivisions that funnel into it. The communities that rely on
Shawnee also happen to be some of the fastest growing areas in Niagara County, according to recent census data.

I give this background information to make the case for lowering the speed limit on Shawnee Road, something
local residents have been seeking for years. As the attached report shows, there have been an incredible 183 traffic
accidents on this stretch of road between 2017 and 2019. The state Department of Transportation has done some
traffic studies and thus far has refused to act. While I appreciate that DOT must have some metrics that it relies upon to
make such decisions, the old-fashioned “eye test” clearly shows that something needs to be done. Consider:
 During high traffic times, it is nearly impossible to turn onto Shawnee from the adjoining neighborhoods
given the volume and speed of traffic
 School buses make regular stops on Shawnee to pick up children and any local resident will tell you how
often school buses with their lights on are passed
 There is little to no shoulder to the road, putting pedestrians in a dangerous position, especially given the
speed of traffic. Indeed, there have been fatal accidents on Shawnee.
 There are multiple speed zone changes on Shawnee from Lockport Road to Niagara Falls Boulevard,
creating confusion and inconsistency

The fact is a uniform speed limit along this long, straight stretch of roadway is sorely needed and that speed
should be 40 MPH. Our request is not unprecedented as the state took bold action on both the Scajaquada Expressway
and Niagara Falls Boulevard in recent years to lower speed limits. Again, given the number of traffic incidents on
Shawnee, we clearly deserve and need the same sort of action.

I recognize there are always requests for lower speed limits and that traffic engineers will say that lowering a
speed limit in some instances can actually create dangerous situations. With that being said, the situation on Shawnee
Road does not fall into that category. A once lightly traveled north/south road in a rural community has become a
major connector in a built-out and still growing suburban area. The community has significantly changed along
Shawnee and the speed limit needs to change with it.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jesse Gooch
Niagara County Legislator