Reconstruction of Fillmore Avenue North Parade Street to East Ferry Street

This $2.2 million project was a locally administered Federal Aid project sponsored by the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, Streets and Parks.  The 1-mile long project corridor is within the busy Fillmore Business District and is an important link between Delaware Park and Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, both of which are in Buffalo’s Olmsted system.  Watts was responsible for Phases I – VI and provided construction inspection and administration services.

The project involved resurfacing the street pavement, new curbs and underdrains, colored and stamped concrete sidewalk, new signs and pavement markings, street lighting and police cameras, new traffic and pedestrian signals, various pedestrian/bicycle amenities and extensive landscaping.  The project also included 36 curb-extensions (bump-outs) at every intersection, a first for the City.  This traffic-calming technique promotes safety by slowing traffic and shortening the crossing distance for pedestrians on Fillmore Avenue.  The project included the construction of two new off-site parking lots with pervious asphalt-concrete pavement (green infrastructure) and re-grading/planting low-mow lawn areas at several vacant lots.

The preliminary design services included: survey and mapping, accident analysis, environmental screening, preparing a detailed design report, and seven public meetings.  

The final design services included preparing the Plans, Specifications and Estimate (PS&E) package and administering the bidding and award of the construction contract on behalf of the City.  During the construction phase, we had a staff of three inspectors monitoring the general contractor’s operations, workmanship and materials, and enforcing the contracts documents.