A member of the Buffalo community has undertaken an effort to drum up interest in renaming the 198. After the horrific accident that claimed the life of a small child by the name of Maksym, a community came together to mourn, while calling for the freeway to be downgraded to a boulevard.
Seeing that the roadway is heading for momentous changes, Anthony Siracuse has proposed to rename the 198. “I have set up a Facebook page, to support the idea that I am floating around to rename the 198 after Maksym,” says Siracuse. “He is the small boy whose death was the catalyst for the downgrading of the expressway.”
Supporters of the name change can visit the Facebook page and express their support. If it took the life of a young boy to send a message that our communities must take precedent over our roadways, then maybe a name change might act as a constant reminder (of the boy and the precedent) as we rebuild and move forward.
Along with proposed name change, another community activist by the name of Kerri Machemer has set up Facebook page called Parents for a Safe Delaware Park. Kerri has been making the political and media rounds in hopes that the issues at hand remain current, and the senseless tragedy continues to have a ripple effect that will ensure the safety of the entire community through various grassroots undertakings moving forward.