Brighton PD: Traffic is a main concern with new Whole Foods location
[anvplayer video=”5171523″ station=”998131″]
BRIGHTON, N.Y. In five days, Whole Foods opens in Brighton.
The project survived years of lawsuits. Now we’ll see if it can survive the traffic. There are two main concerns: having space to get ambulances and fire trucks to the plaza and traffic backing up on the highway.
Brighton Deputy Chief Michael DeSain has been working on the Whole Foods opening. The maps help police pinpoint where they will put their officers. The number one concern is traffic going back up onto 590.
Deputy Chief Michael DeSain, Brighton Police: “This map here, you’ll see the expressway off ramp coming off the 590 north onto Monroe. We’ll be making sure that ramp does not back up. We cannot have that happen.”
Since the highway is the concern, News10NBC decided to see how long it takes to get to Whole Foods from 590. Police say they’re prepared to make immediate changes to traffic if it affects the highway or if it blocks ambulances and fire trucks. Even on a holiday Friday, traffic on Monroe Avenue was typically heavy and there was a wait to make a left turn into the Whole Foods plaza.
Brean: “So we’ve arrived here at the Whole Foods parking lot and according to our calculations, it took us 3 minutes and 31 seconds to get here.”
News10NBC will compare the travel time after the opening Wednesday.
Brean: “Lots of people are going to be traveling that area starting Wednesday, even more than we usually experience. What’s your message to people that may be driving through there?”
Dep. Chief Michael DeSain, Brighton Police: “From the Brighton Police perspective we would just ask that people be patient and drive slowly and we’ll get you there and we’ll get you out of there safely.”
On average, 42,000 cars and trucks drive that stretch of Monroe Avenue every day. On behalf of the project, Anthony Daniele said they’re working with police and the Department of Transportation. They expect higher than normal traffic next week, but after that, it should go back to normal as it was designed.