Erie County Is the Buffalo travel ban still in effect today?
A Buffalo travel ban on non-emergency driving remains in effect today, December 27, 2022, in the latest update.
On December 27, 2022, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz wrote in a statement: “Interstates I-90, I-190, & I-290 and NYS Routes 400 & 219 are now open. The I-190 entrances from I-90 will remain CLOSED. If on the I-190, please do NOT get off at exits in the City of Buffalo. Routes 33 (Kensington Expressway) and 198 (Scajaquada Expressway) are still closed.”
He also wrote on December 27, 2022: “UPDATE: The driving ban for the City of Lackawanna has been changed to an advisory. A driving ban REMAINS IN EFFECT for the City of Buffalo.” He added, “We can announce that the driving ban has been reduced to an advisory for Cheektowaga as of 7am” December 27.
A driving ban was in place for Buffalo, Amherst, Lackawanna, Cheektowaga, Clarence and Hamburg, as of 3 p.m. on December 26, 2022.
“The driving ban will not be lifted any time soon,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a morning news conference.
According to Poloncarz, snow “is still dropping in the city” on December 26. He said 8 to 12 inches of snow was expected in some areas of the city through 1 p.m. on December 27, 2022.
“This is not helpful as we are trying to recover and clear off streets and get into areas that still have not had a plow,” said Poloncarz, adding that a state of emergency remained in effect for all of Erie County, and there is still a driving ban in the City of Buffalo and some other communities.
Here’s what you need to know:
Buffalo Is ‘Impassable in Most Areas,’ The County Executive Says
Erie CoBuffalo blizzard photos
The City of Buffalo “is impassable in most areas,” said Poloncarz. He noted that the “side streets have not been touched yet,” primarily because efforts were going towards opening up areas around hospitals, nursing homes, and “other emergent care.”
To underscore the difficulties in the situation, he discussed how authorities helped a woman with a complicated pregnancy make it to a children’s hospital, where her baby was born.
“Life safety was the first and primary issue we have been dealing with,” he said.
According to Poloncarz, most abandoned cars in the city had not yet been towed. “There’s cars everywhere.” They need to be dug out and towed, but it will “take time to clear those,” he said, noting that there are abandoned buses on roadways.
“The suburbs are better,” but there are still driving bans in some suburban communities, such as Amherst.
Police Will Start Ticketing Drivers Who Ignore the Travel Ban, Officials Say
Erie CoBuffalo Blizzard
The conditions are “bad,” Poloncarz said, and main roads are open for emergency travel only. He said there are reports of people “joyriding or going to a friend’s house” in defiance of the travel band, and he said that police would start ticketing people.
Police have been tied up “working around the clock on life-saving measures,” said Poloncarz.
“You are harming our ability to recover,” he said of the joy riders.
Looting has been reported through the city. Poloncarz acknowledged there has been looting as police are tied up trying to rescue people. Viral videos emerged showing incidents of Buffalo looting.
Poloncarz also said in the news conference that authorities are working on getting food to people and are focused on getting doctors and patients to hospitals. Many cars are still stuck throughout Buffalo, he said. He urged people to use 911 only for situations that are true emergencies.
William Clay and Anndel Taylor are the Buffalo blizzard victims named so far. He died outside, and she died while trapped in a car, family members wrote on social media.