City Engineer

The City Engineer serves as the head of the Division of Engineering and acts as a Deputy Commissioner, authorized to perform all duties of the Commissioner as needed.

Qualifications

The City Engineer must be a New York State licensed professional engineer with at least ten years of experience in civil engineering. Graduation from a recognized school of engineering may substitute for two years of that experience. The individual must have had at least five years of responsible supervisory experience and be qualified to design and oversee engineering projects.

Duties and Powers

The City Engineer shall:

• Exercise all powers and duties within the department that require a professional engineer’s license, as well as any additional powers or duties granted by ordinance or law.

• Have exclusive authority under state law to regulate traffic within the City of Buffalo, including adopting, amending, or rescinding traffic rules and ordinances. Such regulations become effective 45 days after their first appearance on the Council agenda unless modified or disapproved by the Council.

• Oversee the installation, repair, and maintenance of traffic-control devices, signs, and signals; study and report on traffic plans and programs; and develop a comprehensive traffic management system and master traffic plan for the city.

• Prepare and submit applications for federal, state, or other funding for transportation-related projects, and recommend traffic-control plans and programs to the Common Council.

• Develop and maintain a system for monitoring traffic patterns, analyzing accidents, and recommending improvements based on data and design considerations.

• Plan, design, construct, repair, and maintain all public streets, alleys, park approaches, and park roadways; oversee sidewalks, crosswalks, and the use of public streets and rights-of-way by utilities or private entities.

• Supervise the construction, maintenance, and repair of bridges, viaducts, subways, and related structures, except where otherwise governed by state, federal, or contractual authority.

• Plan, design, construct, and maintain public waterways, docks, piers, bulkheads, and related structures; ensure navigable waters are kept clear of obstruction; and oversee private structures along public waterways in accordance with applicable laws.

• Maintain and preserve all surveys, maps, plans, and drawings related to public works, infrastructure, and public buildings.

• Oversee the lighting of all public streets, parks, bridges, and other public areas, and supervise the maintenance of lighting infrastructure.

• Perform any additional powers or duties assigned by the Commissioner or required by law.

Street Records

The City Engineer shall maintain records of all streets, alleys, park approaches, parks, and public grounds, including their established grades and any alterations.

Dedication of Streets

Any land shown on official maps as a public street, avenue, alley, or square and filed in the Erie County Clerk’s Office since 1880, and exempted from taxation or bounded by taxed adjacent property, is deemed to have been dedicated and accepted as a public street. Amended or corrected plans for such streets must be approved and marked “heretofore dedicated” by the City Engineer before filing.

New Streets

Plans for proposed new streets must be filed with the City Engineer and conform to existing ordinances. Upon approval by the City Engineer and acceptance by the Council, the City Clerk shall mark the plan “accepted” with the date of acceptance. No subdivision map may be filed without certification that the street has been duly accepted by the city.

Street Repairs

The Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets shall not repair pavement unless less than one-third of the surface requires repair. If more than one-third is deteriorated, the Commissioner must certify this to the Council, which may order repaving. If reconstruction is deemed necessary, the Council may authorize it upon certification from the department.

Traffic and Transportation

The City Engineer shall:

• Investigate, study, and report on traffic-related projects and make recommendations to the Commissioner.

• Advise on policies and plans for developing, maintaining, and improving the city’s transportation systems.

• Establish standards and procedures for local highway safety programs, including:

  • Traffic engineering and control

  • Traffic enforcement

  • Emergency medical response

  • Accident analysis and surveillance

  • Highway safety education

• Coordinate city highway safety programs with state and federal initiatives in accordance with applicable regulations.

Salary

$122,791