Buffalo’s Gates Circle redesign could change access to Chapin Parkway

Buffalo is reviewing two preliminary concepts for Gates Circle that would disconnect Chapin Parkway from the circle for vehicle traffic, potentially changing how drivers reach the intersection and how pedestrians and cyclists move through it.

The concepts were presented at a City of Buffalo public input meeting on July 22, 2026. They are not final designs, and the city says the project remains in the design-development phase.

What the preliminary concepts show

Both concepts would disconnect Chapin Parkway from Gates Circle for vehicle traffic. They also would adjust entry and exit geometry with the stated goal of reducing vehicle speeds, add pedestrian crossings and create a 12-foot-wide, sidewalk-level shared-use path with ramps connecting to existing bicycle lanes.

The concepts would expand the usable area inside the circle to the outside edge of the existing circulatory roadway, add green space and provide a sidewalk around the interior. They also include new pedestrian access points to the center of Gates Circle.

Concept 1A would provide interior access from mid-block locations. Concept 1B would route pedestrians from the existing splitter islands. In both concepts, the presentation shows two pedestrian crossings with traffic signals activated by pedestrians.

Why the city is considering the changes

City Engineer Alex Bullers told WKBW that the preliminary designs are intended in part to address severe T-bone crashes and shorten pedestrian crossing distances. Those are the city’s stated goals, not proven results from a completed redesign.

The city’s presentation also identifies lower-speed entry and exit points, safer pedestrian crossings, bicycle connections and improved access to the interior as project objectives. The presentation describes the work as an effort to convert Gates Circle into a modern roundabout while respecting the site’s historic context.

Gates Circle is listed among Buffalo’s major transportation improvement projects. Because of the circle’s historic context, the city says the project does not include work within the curbs that define the existing interior. Improved access to that interior, however, remains part of the project scope.

Residents raise routing and access concerns

The possible change to Chapin Parkway access has prompted questions from nearby residents and community leaders. Gretchen Cercone, president of the Lancaster Avenue Block Club, told WKBW that residents were surprised by both concepts and had concerns about their effect on the surrounding neighborhood.

Residents interviewed by WKBW raised questions about daily routes, access to the neighborhood and whether traffic could be shifted onto nearby streets. One resident said maintaining both walking and driving access was important, while others questioned the need for disconnecting Chapin Parkway.

Those reactions do not represent a final community consensus. The city is still collecting feedback before selecting or advancing a design.

No immediate traffic change

The proposals do not currently close Chapin Parkway or change traffic patterns. The city has not approved a final design, construction plan, project schedule or funding package.

Next steps include additional public input, continued design work and determining the funding needed for later phases and construction. WKBW reported that any physical changes to Gates Circle are likely years away.

The city’s project page directs residents with questions or comments to the Gates Circle project team at GatesCircle@buffalony.gov or 716-851-4288.

Sources

• City of Buffalo Gates Circle Roundabout project page
• Buffalo weighs Gates Circle redesign that would cut off Chapin Parkway access