University at Buffalo (UB)
Published November 29, 2021
Matt Kenyon Joins West Side Residents to Paint Their Own Crosswalks
BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Six west side neighbors and a group of volunteers say they accomplished something the city has failed to do for years — paint crosswalks to make it safer for the community.
West side residents paint their own crosswalks for safety
original story By: Eileen Buckley
Posted at 5:46 PM, Nov 23, 2021 and last updated 5:57 PM, Nov 23, 2021
“The city has had ample time and opportunity to invest in our streets,” declared Jalonda Hill.
Hill is with Colored Girls Bike Too and is an advocate for street infrastructure in communities that historically don't get attention.
“I am outraged. I am angry and I really think it's time for the city to take action,” Hill remarked.
This past weekend, a neighborhood team borrowed a striping machine from a church and spent about $200 on paint to stripe four Hampshire Street intersections near Buffalo Public School 18 where 12-year-old Marcell Yanders was a student.
Marcell was struck and killed last week while crossing the street outside his school. This tragedy prompted residents to take action, saying they want to make the streets safer for pedestrians.
“We would like to see the city prioritize our students and the health of pedestrians and make it a walk-able city,” explained Elizabeth Meg Williams, president, Upper 14th Street Block Club.
“If a group of volunteers, with no training, can show up and put the money together and create all this signage, just image what the city could do,” reflect Matt Kenyon
Read the entire article over at WKBW Channel 7's website