Parkdale Avenue

Engaging neighborhoods through the City’s first green streets

Buffalo Sewer, in collaboration with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, implemented a green infrastructure project within a combined sewer overflow sewershed (CSO 60) that outfalls into Scajaquada Creek near Hoyt Lake at Delaware Park. This project aimed to reduce and eventually eliminate overflow events into the creek by implementing and evaluating green infrastructure tools, including porous pavement and rain gardens in an effort to capture and infiltrate stormwater. This project represented Buffalo Sewer’s first green street design and construction effort, installing green infrastructure on five streets between Bird Avenue and Forest Avenue: Claremont Avenue, Clarendon Place, Elmwood Avenue, Parkdale Avenue, and Windsor Avenue.

Buffalo Sewer worked with several community members, including the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, the Elmwood Village Association, block clubs, business owners, property owners and residents and secured a NYS Green Innovation grant award to redesign the project. As part of the CSO 60 project, rain gardens were installed to intercept water before reaching storm located between the snow storage areas located between the curb and sidewalks on Parkdale Avenue. No rain gardens were installed in areas with existing trees. The rain gardens were designed to include dissipaters to slow the velocity of water entering the gardens and native perennials able to withstand the drought/flood conditions. No pesticides or herbicides were used as per stormwater regulations and the City’s pesticide free policy.