Weekend Chippewa traffic to be closed in safety effort
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Chippewa Street in downtown Buffalo will be closed to traffic during late night, weekend hours until Labor Day, Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon said Thursday.
The closures will take place from Delaware Avenue to Franklin Street from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
The development comes after three people were stabbed in a large fight on Chippewa Street over the weekend -- however, a spokesperson for Scanlon said that the traffic changes "were not directly in response to the stabbing" and that discussions had been taking place for weeks.
The Vintage Room at 88 West Chippewa St. is temporarily closed after that fight, according to B-District Police Chief Tommy Champion. The fight spilled out into the parking lot and across the street. Three people were reportedly stabbed in the fight and suffered non-life threatening injuries, Champion said.
Scanlon said the Chippewa closures are intended to keep patrons, business owners, and police officers safe.
"By reducing vehicular traffic during those peak hours in this corridor, we're creating a pedestrian friendly environment that's safer, more walkable, and better suited for a night life activity and beneficial to all the restaurants and bars down here in this area," he said.
Scanlon is collaborating with Buffalo police and the Chippewa Alliance in this effort. It is unclear when the Vintage Room will be reopened.
Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.