Wehrle Drive, Maple Road part of transportation improvement plan

An 11-year, $6.1 billion transportation plan for the Erie-Niagara region will be aired in a public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 15 at the AAA Travel and Insurance Center, 100 International Drive, Williamsville.

Approximately 260 projects have been programmed for federal funding over the next five years. The total for those projects would be $1.1 billion when local and state matching funds are added. The Transportation Improvement Program is the capital programming component of the draft Long Range Transportation Plan that extends to 2030.

Projects in Erie County that are outside Buffalo would receive $91.1 million in federal aid during the five-year period. Highlights include two Amherst projects: widening Wehrle Drive at a cost of $18.4 million and reconstructing Maple Road, at $11.1 million.

At the hearings, staff presentations by the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council will be followed by public discussion. The plan also can be viewed at www.gbnrtc.org

Another public airing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 17 in the Central Meeting Room of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library at Lafayette Square in Buffalo.