Assemblyman Burke calls for sidewalks outside West Seneca West High

West Seneca, N.Y. (WBEN) - State Assemblyman Patrick Burke is calling on local leaders in the Town of West Seneca to get the ball rolling on having sidewalks outside West Seneca West High School. One student's petition helped prompt the call.

Burke says he had a meeting Wednesday with leaders from the Town of West Seneca, West Seneca Central Schools, Erie County, New York State and GOBike Buffalo to address traffic safety issues at Seneca Street and Ridge Road, just down the road from West Seneca West High School.

"When West Seneca Schools let out, a lot of the kids go down across the street, and there's a Tim Hortons, there's a Mighty Taco, there's a bunch of stuff down there. And it is a significant traffic safety issue," said Burke during a Wednesday press conference. "I don't want to be the elected official who recognized a problem and didn't try and do something about it."

Burke credits Richie Schack as the student who led a petition with 400 signatures to get sidewalks outside the school.

"I'm so grateful to see the safety of our town grow," said Schack on Wednesday. "Each and every signature collected on this petition has brought this project closer to its success, and I could not have accomplished this without the massive support of our community."

While he hasn't witnessed any accidents where Main, Seneca and Ridge meet, Schack doesn't want to see one happen any time soon.

Burke says the odds of such an incident happen are high.

"If you imagine it, kids get out of school at 1:30 p.m. They're released and almost incentivized to go towards an open multi-lane road. It's three different roads converging, no pedestrian safety. There no sidewalks, no crosswalks, no walking signal. Something at some point will probably happen," Burke warned.

Burke adds the matter is complicated by the fact the county owns the roads, and the town owns the traffic signals.