baugh217:
WKTV-TV 2, Utica website

NORWICH - U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer was in Norwich Tuesday to tell a room full of business people that he secured $24 million to help fix Route 12. He says now it's up to the New York State Department of Transportation to stop "dragging its feet."

"Route 12 should be a blessing for this region and it's become a nightmare," Schumer said.

Senator Schumer and Congressman Michael Arcuri stood side by side Tuesday at Unison Industries in Norwich. Both agree improvements to Route 12 need to be made now, if not years ago.

They are calling on the New York State Department of Transportation to step up and do something about the ailing highway.

"The state D.O.T. is sitting on the money, moving too slowly and not understanding the needs of the citizens of the region that bounds route 12," Schumer said.

$24 million has been secured to help fix Route 12, whether it be adding passing lanes or widening curves.

"Norwich needs better access both North and South," said Congressman Michael Arcuri. "One of the things I always talk about. Utica and Binghamton are sister cities...yet they might as well be 500 miles apart."

Norwich, located in the middle of the two cities is said to be suffering the most.

"Trucks couldn't get through," Schumer said. "Some of our biggest employers...and it was hurting keeping jobs and growing jobs heres. So this is not just a question of time but question of economic vitality."

Senator Schumer went on to say he would like to see 29 short-term improvements that will add up to long-term benefits.

According to the Regional Director's office of the State D.O.T., improvements are already underway.

baugh217:
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Putting brakes on bumpy ride

By CHINKI SINHA
Observer-Dispatch

When Whitesboro resident Stanley Kalwara drives along Judd Road, he already is prepared for what’s ahead of him - a bumpy ride.

“It is not safe,” he said. “They should fix it all up.”

Kalwara and other frequent users of Judd Road, which joins Route 840 in New Hartford, soon can look forward to a smooth ride as improvements are scheduled for the near future, Oneida County officials said.

The $2 million pavement rehabilitation project for part of Judd Road will begin this year as part of a three-phased plan. The first phase is expected to begin this summer and will involve work from Halsey Road to the Thruway bridge.

Previous plans for improvements were postponed because of a lack of funds or other priorities. They now are becoming necessary with more traffic on the road after Route 840 opened, officials said.

“The entire road is in need of overhaul,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said. “It was a matter of appropriating funds.”

Since Judd road was built 40 years ago, it has not been resurfaced. This puts it well past its useful life of about 20 years, said Neil Palmer of the New York State Department of Transportation.

Although no accidents have been attributed to its poor condition, the road has developed cracks and is unsafe for drivers, he said. About 15,000 cars travel on the road daily.

“It can be dangerous. There is a possibility it could make your car go off the road,” he said. “After resurfacing, it will give us 10, 15 (more) years.”

Several residents raised concerns about the road’s condition, which prompted Whitestown officials to approach the county and the state to consider improvements, Highway Superintendent Sal Granato said.

The project is tentatively scheduled for competitive bidding this spring and officials hope the project to be completed by November. Officials are looking at 2010 to begin work on the second phase.

State and county officials will meet March 5 and present the details on the project, which also will consist of some minor improvements to the intersection at Judd and Westmoreland roads. The state DOT will help the county with engineering and design expertise.

While the $2 million in federal funds have been earmarked for the first phase of improvements on Judd Road, officials are looking at various funding options to fund the remaining phases.

“We have a variety of projects that we are considering,” Picente said. “We are working with Congressman Mike Arcuri to obtain more funds.”

Improvements to Middle Settlement Road and Old Route 12 in Remsen are some long-term projects that officials will be looking into next.

Whitestown Supervisor Charles Gibbs said the town has also requested the county and state officials to consider building a trailhead along the Judd Road to connect it with the Philip A. Rayhill Memorial Trail as part of the project.

baugh217:
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Transportation in the Twin Tiers: Interchange in homestretch
As Interstate 86-Route 15 project winds down toward summer completion, developers wait.

By Larry Wilson
lwilson@stargazette.com
Star-Gazette Corning Bureau

PAINTED POST -- Developers are watching closely as the Interstate 86-U.S. Route 15 interchange project at Painted Post nears completion.

"We've had inquiries for the past year," said Jack Benjamin, president of Three Rivers Development Corp. in Corning. "As this project finishes up, there will be more commitments made versus just looking at the site."

Benjamin expects several projects to get off the ground near the interchange in the next two years.

"They will be service businesses and a manufacturing/office type complex," he said. "There probably will be some retail, but given what is going on to the east of us, there isn't a whole lot of marketplace left."

Erwin Town Manager Rita McCarthy said contacts by potential developers have increased as the highway project nears completion.

"There is definitely increased interest," she said. "Folks are finally beginning to see a vision. We're going to start seeing site plan applications and concept plans and activity."

She said retail and service businesses have shown interest in the Town Center area, which includes the vacant former Kmart and P&C supermarket buildings.

"This highway project is the best thing to happen to this entire region in the past two decades," McCarthy said.

Benjamin agreed.

"As this thing gets cleaned up and all the access points get finished so people can see how this all fits together, we're going to have economic development around this ... for the next 10 to 20 years," Benjamin said.


After a brief shutdown that began at Christmas, work on the $145 million highway project is set to resume shortly, said Andrew Bertch, the 43-year-old engineer in charge for the state Department of Transportation.

Bertch said drivers will face some lane and ramp closures in April and May when milling and paving operations begin.

"They'll be relatively short-term closures compared with last season," he said. "It will be a matter of days or weeks as opposed to months."

The reconstruction of the interchange, which began in October 2003, is scheduled to be finished by July 31.

"The only thing that could be remaining (beyond that time) is some of the landscaping," Bertch said.

Bertch is pleased with the configuration of the interchange because it achieves the goal of the project -- to separate local traffic from through traffic on Interstate 86 and U.S. Route 15.

"A lot of mergers have been eliminated," he said. "Some were pretty tricky. I certainly don't want to go back to the old traffic circle. It's a lot safer than it was."

In an effort to minimize traffic disruptions, Bertch said, some of the more difficult remaining operations will be scheduled at night.

One of the major elements of the project yet to be completed are the Robert Dann Drive bridges over South Hamilton Street in Gang Mills, Bertch said. One takes southbound Route 15 traffic west and the other takes traffic eastbound from Chatfield Place to northbound Route 15 and eastbound I-86.

On both sides of the Robert Dann overpass, a cast concrete logging scene will give the bridge a local flavor.

There will be other aesthetic touches along South Hamilton Street, including decorative plazas with architecturally treated walls, decorated fencing, stamped concrete walks and benches.

"We have six more of those to do," Bertch said. "We've already done four."

Bertch hopes drivers will be patient for one more season.

"It seems like we're never going to be out of here, but we will," he said.

Bertch agrees with Benjamin that economic development will follow the project's completion.

"In my estimation, it's a certainty," he said. "We've done some things that will certainly promote business. We've made it appealing. Hopefully it works out for the area."

baugh217:

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State hopes to untangle Jay-K intersection

By CHINKI SINHA
Observer-Dispatch

NEW HARTFORD - The so-called Jay-K intersection could be headed for a reconstruction that might include widening of roads to ease traffic congestion, state transportation officials said Monday.

A study that could cost up to $500,000 is underway to assess possible options for improving the Commercial Drive and Seneca Turnpike intersection, said Neil Palmer of the state State Department of Transportation.

That study is examining the impact of possible options on the environment and on neighboring properties. It is still two years from completion.

After that, $2 million might be spent to improve traffic flow, state officials say.

Many drivers routinely complain to the town and state about the intersection near Jay-K Independent Lumber Co., where a left-hand turn from Commercial Drive onto Seneca Turnpike can become a driving adventure.

With Middle Settlement Road and state Route 5B intersecting nearby, drivers who might be shopping, headed into Utica or commuting to Clinton all converge in a potentially hazardous tangle of vehicles.

Among the factors spurring plans for improvements:

Accidents: There were about 30 collisions at the intersection from mid-2004 until mid-2007, statistics show. Half of them resulted in injuries to drivers or passengers.

“It has been a problem area,” Palmer said.

Commercial Drive growth: The addition of Consumer Square and The Orchard in recent years has pushed more traffic onto Commercial Drive.

Business park: Town officials plan to extend Woods Highway from Seneca Turnpike to state Route 840, enabling it to serve a new business park that inevitably will bring more traffic to the area.

Truck driver's concerns

Last year, the state added lanes to ease traffic flow on a three-quarter mile stretch of Commercial Drive from Kmart Plaza to Seneca Turnpike.

But the project stopped short of the Jay-K intersection.

Sauquoit resident Eugene Ray, a delivery-truck driver for Independent Courier, said more must be done. He often uses the intersection and finds it difficult to navigate.

“They put a ton of money right down and stopped,” he said, pointing at the new lanes that were added last summer. “The intersection is more of a problem. A small accident can back up the traffic.”

For businesses such as J-Kay and Zebbs Grill & Bar, fixing the intersection is a priority.

“People come off Commercial Drive and try to go west on Route 5 and Middle Settlement Road,” said Pete Sanders, the general manager at Zebbs. The traffic does not flow and people can't see where they are going.”

He suggested a widening of nearby Middle Settlement Road, where Lowe's Home Improvement recently opened.

For J-Kay Lumber, an arrow sign marking the left turn into the company's parking lot would be a good solution, President Dean Kelly said.

“It is confusing,” he said. “It is a dangerous intersection. We are optimistic they will do it without detrimentally affecting our business.”

For Big Apple Music store owner Peter Bolos, the $2 million could be spent on repairing other county or state highways because he does not think the congestion is too bad at the intersection, particularly after Route 840 opened.

“I don't see a problem,” he said. “At one point I thought there was a need for it. Up until two years ago … but not anymore.”

Years of concerns

A town study in 1992 indicated the intersection would suffer from a capacity problem, Town Board member Robert Payne said.

He said he supports easing traffic and addressing safety concerns there.

“I am always concerned because of the large volume of traffic,” Payne said. “It will be of benefit to all.”

While it will be a few years until any physical changes are made, the study is a good start, Police Chief Raymond Philo said.

“They are incredibly expensive,” he said of such projects. “We would like to get that addressed.”

baugh217:
First off, apologies to those of you who are frequent visitors to New York Routes. Gribblenation.net has been undergoing some updates and maintenance. As a result, New York Routes was closed during this time. Things appear to be up and running. The only thing that has been delayed is the index link update project that started a few weeks ago. Once my OT at work is over and done with, I will resume working on the hotlinks.

Secondly, Adam Moss gave me a heads up to a new designation that will be surfacing in the Watertown area. According to NYSDOT, the I-81 to Fort Drum connector that is slated for completion in 2010 will be given the NY 781 designation. It could have easily been numbered NY 181 or NY 381 as they are not in use. But they are presumably being held for any other I-x81 designations should the need arise. Personally, I'm not a fan of the high numbered route designations (this coming from someone who drives NY 840 an average of once or twice a month) and believe that routes 600 and above should be reserved for interstates and extensions thereof, and the reference route system. I have a re-numbering scheme that I will post at sometime, and have even made some suggestions with "New York Routes Recommends". But I'm not NYSDOT. Anyhoo, I've started thumbing through articles for research and will post more information on NY 781 on the index in the coming weeks.

baugh217:
Many media outlets along the Thruway corridor have been reporting this for weeks now. Today, it becomes official.

Cash tolls on the Thruway are going up.

From the Albany Times Union (http://www.timesunion.com/)...

Cost of ticket to ride Thruway rises
E-ZPass users avoid 10% increase that takes effect today on the toll road

By CATHY WOODRUFF, Staff writer
First published: Sunday, January 6, 2008

If you're among the shrinking number of holdouts who still haven't signed up for E-ZPass, you'll be paying more for your trips on the state Thruway today.
Cash tolls were set to go up 10 percent at midnight in the final phase of a controversial package of increases approved by the Thruway Authority in 2005.

The first phase, which went into effect in May 2005, was the first toll hike in 17 years -- 25 percent for cash-paying car drivers and an average of 35 percent for truckers paying cash. At the same time, E-ZPass discounts of 10 percent for cars and 5 percent for trucks were introduced.

While toll increases never inspire a celebration, the hike should be a bit less painful this time around, thanks to the growing popularity of E-ZPass, noted Bill Joyce, president of the New York State Motor Truck Association.

"I think it's more palatable because there is a way to avoid that cost," Joyce said. "That's different from an across-the-board increase, where everything goes up and you have no way out of it."

Cash remains an option that Joyce compared to choosing a full-service gas station.

"If you want that personalized service, you're paying a premium for it. You can pay more if you want someone to smile at you when you pay your 30 cents," he said.

In fact, since cash tolls are going up while E-ZPass tolls are not, the effect will be to increase the value of E-ZPass discounts.

Here's an example:

The 45-cent E-ZPass toll between Albany Exit 23 and Schenectady Exit 25 reflects a 10 percent discount from the old 50-cent cash toll, but it provides an 18 percent discount over the new 55-cent cash toll.

Looking at it another way, E-ZPass motorists will save 10 cents on the trip, rather than 5.

More motorists and businesses are qualifying for the discount as the financial incentive becomes stronger.

The number of E-ZPass accounts is up about 25 percent since the discount plan went into effect in May 2005, the authority said.

Now, more than 61 percent of Thruway transactions at toll booths, bridges and barriers are conducted using E-ZPass. That's up from 25 percent 10 years ago.

Still, there are some motorists who just don't want to use E-ZPass. They use the Thruway infrequently, or they pass through less-congested toll plazas when they do use the highway. Perhaps they don't consider paying tolls electronically worth the red tape involved with keeping an account.

Many farmers probably fall into one or more of those categories, said John Tauzel of the New York Farm Bureau, which vigorously opposed the 2005 toll hike and is preparing to fight another one being proposed now.

"Many of our farmers don't run on the Thruway all the time. They may transport apples or bees or use the road only at harvest time, so it doesn't make sense to have E-ZPass," he said. "I think this is going to have an impact on them."

baugh217:
From http://www.star-gazette.com

The New York state Department of Transportation today announced the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed upgrade of Route 17 from just east of the exit 56 interchange to approximately three miles west of exit 59.

The preferred alternative calls for constructing a controlled-access expressway, mainly on the existing alignment, and would eliminate all at-grand intersections along the 6.5-mile corridor. It also calls for construction of a diamond interchange on Route 17 near the existing connector at Reed's Crossing.

The project will include a parallel access road that will incorporate segments of County Route 60, Brant Road and Oneida Road.

The preferred alternative was selected because it will reduce the potential for traffic accidents, keep landfill traffic off the local roads, separate local and through traffic, and minimize impacts to the Newtown Battlefield historic site, according to state transportation officials.

All maps, drawings, sketches and other information submitted in support of the preferred alternative are available for inspection at the Ashland Town Hall, the Chemung Town Hall, the Steele Memorial Library in Elmira and at the DOT Region 6 office at 107 Broadway in Hornell

baugh217:

Coming Soon!