Main and Portage will be remade

(Editor’s note: In 2024, the Niagara National Heritage Area did a presentation for the City Council on redesigning the hazardous intersection of Main, Portage and Pierce near Niagara Falls Public Library. The project gained no momentum and never advanced. The Heritage area regrouped and represented the project to the city council earlier this year with letters of support from numerous organizations. The project was approved but still had to overcome the bureaucracy of the Restaino administration which loves to stall every project it didn’t think of or can’t control, especially when it benefits the less fortunate or the tourism industry.)

The North End Triangle Traffic Safety Asphalt Art will be installed Monday, Oct. 6 – Friday, Oct. 10. The asphalt art will be installed at the intersection of Main Street, Portage Road, and Pierce Avenue.

This art installation will include two crosswalks, five curb extension murals, and an intersection island mural. It will serve as a destination for the community and, more importantly, create a markedly safer and pedestrian-friendly intersection. This project is supported and paid for by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the leading authority on this method of street safety. The installation will be completed by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, in partnership with the City of Niagara Falls.

The intersection will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, October 6th from 8 AM until Friday, October 10th until approximately 4 PM. Traffic, including school buses and NFTA passenger buses, will be rerouted down nearby streets. All detours will be clearly marked and communicated through City channels. During installation, the intersection will still be open to pedestrian traffic, and we encourage businesses to remain open during this week. Parking South on Main St. and Portage Rd. will not be interrupted. Business patrons who park in this location will be required to make a five-point turn to exit the area.