Niagara Leader

Standing outside the Lewiston-Porter High School campus, New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, Assemblyman Angelo Morinello, and Superintendent Paul Casseri urged Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to reconsider their decision not to install a traffic light outside the school.

In January 2023, the DOT informed the school district that the intersection of the main school driveway and Route 18 did not meet the criteria for a traditional three-way traffic signal or any engineered traffic intervention. Since then, school administrators, staff, and community members have reported numerous "near-misses" at the intersection.

"The data from the traffic study may not meet the criteria set forth by DOT regulations to install a signal," said Senator Rob Ortt. "But these studies rely on traffic data and do not account for the lack of experience of young, new drivers or when traffic flow is heaviest during the school's opening and closing. Numbers on a sheet of paper may say one thing, but those who work in this vicinity every day are saying something very different. It is best to act now to avoid any future tragedies—so often in government we do things as a reaction instead of working to prevent issues from occurring in the first place."

Since the initial study, Sen. Ortt and Assemblyman Morinello have collaborated with the school district to call for a reconsideration of DOT's original findings, only for the department to reference back to its 2022 study.

"Safety should always be the number one priority," said Assemblyman Angelo Morinello. "It is better to be over-precautious than under-prepared. During school opening and closing each day, young new drivers fill the roadway in a short period which can lead to congestion and accidents. One too many 'close calls' means it is time to act and improve safety."

"Student and staff safety is critical," added Lewiston-Porter Central School District Superintendent Paul Casseri. "Putting a traffic light at the intersection of the high school entrance and a state highway is a simple, proactive, common-sense response to a clear and present problem. A blinking yellow light activated at peak traffic times and events is all we are asking."