[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 151 (Monday, October 28, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE VILLAGE OF WILLIAMSVILLE'S PICTURE MAIN STREET PROJECT

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                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2013

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Village of 
Williamsville: Picture Main Street Project as the Amherst Chamber of 
Commerce's choice for the Revitalization Award for their 2013 Business 
of the Year Awards for their efforts to transform the main commercial 
strip of the Village of Williamsville into a more vibrant and vital 
urban village core.
   Through the process of placemaking, the village of Williamsville 
initiated a citizen-driven effort to create a vision for what Main 
Street should be and to create a plan to make that vision a reality. 
More than 36,000 vehicles travel down Main Street each day, and 
residents and businesses identified the lack of a pedestrian 
environment as a detriment to both commerce and the viability of the 
future of the village.
   The Community Plan was devised in 2005 which identified a solution 
to the traffic problems on Main Street. Picture Main Street directly 
addressed those issues by seeking to make the state road more equitable 
for both drivers and pedestrians. The plan called for numerous 
improvements to make the shopping district more accessible to 
pedestrians which include $7,000,000 streetscape enhancements, 
aggressive tree planting, bulb-outs, a mid-block signal for 
pedestrians, lighting, gateways, pocket parks, and even a smartphone 
application or valet parking in the village. Changes could also result 
in the creation a ``village-square'' or second shopping district around 
the Historic Williamsville Water Mill.
   Although pending approval by the state, the changes are set to go 
into effect next spring. Within the waiting period, thousands of 
residents took part in ``taking back Main Street,'' an old-fashioned 
block party that closed the thoroughfare to traffic and invited 
residents out onto the street.
   Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to recognize 
the Village of Williamsville: Picture Main Street Project's effort to 
revitalize the Village of Williamsville. Their innovation and 
determination are not only admirable and deserving of such praise, but 
an incredible asset to the future success of Western New York. I 
congratulate the Village of Williamsville: Picture Main Street Project 
as the recipient of the Revitalization Award for the Amherst Chamber of 
Commerce's 2013 Business of the Year Awards.

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