AMHERST, N.Y. — In the past five years, six people have died trying to cross busy Niagara Falls Boulevard. 

Up until recently, the state Department of Transportation hadn't done much to try and mitigate the danger. 

"The DOT needs to do a better job of not only routine maintenance, which they've done so far, but improving conditions for pedestrians along Niagara Falls Boulevard," said Assemblyman Ray Walter. 

After conversations with both the towns of Tonawanda and Amherst and elected officials on the state level, the DOT has begun making improvements like striping and markings. On Monday officials with the state agency joined town engineers on a "walking audit" along the more than two-mile strip from Ridge Lea Road to East Robinson Road. 

The two municipalities will "go and report where we find issues with the road, pedestrian crossings, crosswalks,” said Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa. 

Since Niagara Falls Boulevard is a state highway, neither of the towns that share it can make the safety improvements they want. Instead, they'll take the results of the audit and do the next best thing. 

"We're going to work with our engineers our planners to build a here's what we want, here's the plan. Here's what we want to see out of the boulevard for our neighborhoods for our businesses for our long-term growth," said Kulpa. 

That report will be sent to the DOT in the hopes that the agency will take the ideas and run with them.

"This is a big project. You’re not going to get the solution in three or four months or with a couple of road audits,” said Joseph Emminger, the town of Tonawanda supervisor. “It's going to take good planning by everyone, good communication. If we all work together, I'm sure we can accomplish the goal to make Niagara Falls Boulevard a safer road.” 

In the short term, both Tonawanda and Amherst are going forward with projects to improve street lights along the boulevard. 

As for the audit, there's no timeline for the report to be finished. Town officials hope to have a comprehensive plan for the future of all of Niagara Falls Boulevard done by this time next year.