Don't roll back the closing time for bars & restaurants

Closing earlier has no effect on Alcohol related motor vehicle crashes or fatalities. This is supported by local data in Erie County. Closing earlier will not reduce the number of DWI arrests but may shift the time of those arrests to an earlier hour. One study showed an increase in DWI’s among younger drinkers after closing hours were made earlier. This is known as “drinking to beat the clock” effect and is a phenomenon among younger consumers. Last minute consumption may also increase the BAC exiting drivers. Closing times can have an effect of DWIs, DWI crashes, and average BAC but it would require significantly greater restriction than the two hour reduction being considered. For example closing entire days, i.e. no sales on Sunday or Saturday, or closing at 11:00pm instead of 4:00am may have an effect. But no one is suggesting this.

Keep the bars open till 4!!! It won't make anything safer to close them at 2! People are going to make bad decisions no matter what!

Don't

I work in the bar industry in downtown Buffalo. Please don't take away my hours. It's ridiculous that this is about "safety" when there Buffalo doesn't have a public transportation system that runs pass midnight. Not only would that help with getting people home safely after a night out but it would do a great deal of good for the entire community as well.

As a City of Buffalo homeowner and long term resident. The 4 am bar closing adds so much to our economy. Pete Savage you are my rep and I voted for you. I am keeping my eye on you. Please vote to keep bars open till 4 am.

Keep it at 4am closing please!

Keep buffalo jobs!!

Cutting bar hours in Buffalo back to 2am is obviously a bad idea that would: -Hurt local restaurants. -Hurt local bars. -Hurt local musicians. -Put drunk drivers on the road earlier. -Take away Buffalo bar patrons' "sober-up" time. -Remove yet another element of Buffalo's appeal. This proposal is also not backed by any valid statistical data about DWI's.

As someone who works for a local business (even if it is just part time these days), some of our busiest days are Friday and Saturday nights. We cater specifically to the bar crowds on both Elmwood as well as Allen. I am a full-time student and working these late-night, weekend shifts really help me have the option to work less in the week and have the ability to focus on my studies. I am on the Deans List at Daemen College, and graduated with honors from ECC; all of which I credit being able to work for a LOCAL business that stays open late on the weekends. If the bars close, our hours change, and I will not only lose hours of work, but tips and wages as well. Not to mention, a drunk driver drove directly into my mothers house in 2012, around 2am. It has nothing to do with closing time, and if anything I think this will only drive people to drink more furiously.

Stop penalizing small business owners by careless laws New York. How do you expect us to keep paying high taxes if we can't make any money.

Why are you trying to take away the things that make Buffalo, well Buffalo.

I would lose my side job if this occurs.

I don't think that closing earlier is a good idea. It's a real stand out characterization of Buffalo that our bars are open late. Improve public and mass transportation or address other aspects that are prompting you to change the time bars close. Keep Buffalo, Buffalo.

Please do not change the closing time for area bars from 4 am until 2 am. This would be terrible for the local economy, bar owners and employees. In addition to that, it is extremely unfair to employees in any area that work the "second shift" and get out of work anywhere from 11 pm to 2am. These workers should have the ability to go out for happy hour or some food after they get out of work just like their first shift counterparts. I worked in the restaurant industry, with my shifts often ending around 2am. It was so nice to be able to go out after my shift and get a drink, or more commonly, food, at one of the establishments that was open until 4 a.m. DO NOT CHANGE OUR BARS' CLOSING TIME!!

Listen to the Industry Workers. We want a 4AM last call to continue! Be progressive and allow Buffalo to Have Uber!

I believe this will hurt too many businesses and also Buffalo's image. People from out of town enjoy it as well as people from the area. Studies show there is no difference in alcohol related accidents whether closing is at 2 or 4.

Keep 4am, add uber. Let's smarten up.

The lack of good public transportation and reliable cab service is the real problem. Let's fix that instead of hurting Buffalo's thriving businesses.

Please keep Buffalo bars open till 4am. Another reason it's safer is it spreads out the drivers coming home from the bars. Less people on the road less chance for an accident. Also less cars for cops to need to watch at once.

so dumb, get to work on real issues, not this garbage