A new lower speed limit of 25 MPH for most roads in the Town of East Greenbush was considered at a public meeting on April 12, 2023 at Town Hall. The resolution approving the speed limit for over 300 Town roads was approved by the Town Board on April 19th. Per the Town website, “State legislation enacted in 2022 authorizes a town to reduce speed limits on town roads to 25 miles per hour. Pursuant to that legislation, the Town has received a report from a licensed engineer relating to the reduction of the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on town roads, basically stating that there is adequate engineering justification for this reduction in speed.” Some roads will remain at 30 mph. State Highway speeds in the Town are not impacted as they are governed by the State DOT. No resident at the meeting spoke against lowering speed limits. Several complained they lived on roads prone to dangerous speeding that were to stay at 30 mph. A copy of the local law may be downloaded from: https://www.eastgreenbush.org/download_file/view/4276/1631.
Route 4 Corridor Study conducted by the Towns of East Greenbush and North Greenbush and the Capital District Transportation Committee. The primary study area is the US Route 4 Corridor, from Mannix Rd to NY 43, in the Town of East Greenbush and the Town of North Greenbush and the surrounding land uses. See the map on the website for the secondary study area where the impacts of current and future land uses will be evaluated. A public meeting will be held on March 27, 2023 at 6:30pm at Defreestville Fire Department @ 350 N Greenbush Rd, Troy, NY. The public may also attend by Zoom by registering at the website.
Town of Brunswick Hoosick Road Corridor Study. This study is jointly funded by the Town of Brunswick and the Capital District Transportation Committee. Per the CDTC Website, the study “will examine improvements on NYS Route 7 from Lake Ave to Sweetmilk Creek Road including traffic signal timing, signal coordination, and advanced corridor-wide computerized traffic signal control that may reduce vehicle delay, improve travel time reliability, reduce vehicle emissions, and improve safety. Intersection reconfigurations, including roundabouts and the addition of turning lanes, may also be examined. The study will also develop recommendations relating to access management, land development regulations, and improving travel conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.” The contract for the study was awarded to Creighton Manning in November of 2022 and was expected to begin in December of 2022. We are seeking additional information.
Troy Federal Street Corridor Study. This recently completed study looked at how to calm traffic, improve pedestrian connectivity and access management, and provide bicycle connections within the City of Troy and to the Empire State Trail. The study coincides with planned removal of a large public housing structure by the Green Island Bridge and separate state planning for the Green Island Bridge itself.
NYS DOT Troy – Menands Bridge Project. This study is being undertaken as the nearly 100 year old bridge will need to be replaced in the next ten or so years. On April 26, 2023 DOT held a well attended Zoom event with 74 participants. DOT acknowledged lots of interest in bike-ped issues, especially:
- Access to the Troy side riverfront
- Fixing the bridge approach on the Troy side for cyclists
- Access to Broadway on Menands side
However, the presentation was mostly concerned about reducing commuter traffic backups on the bridge and Morrison St (leading up hill to HVCC). Nine design proposals were presented.
- Concept of moving the bridge North with direct approach to Mill Street was most popular (can handle traffic better than Morrison)
- Option to move bridge to 787 Exit 6 (by old Montgomery Wards) was least popular
NYSDOT has a site for project materials and a means to provide comments.
Livingston Avenue Bridge Replacement. The current Hudson River rail bridge connecting the Cities of Albany and Rensselaer is over 100 years old with its piers constructed in 1866. Public comment period for this project closed in June 2022. Final design is expected to be completed Winter of 2023. The latest plans called for a new bridge just north or south with a separate multiuse path. Links to schedules and public presentations are provided in the link to the right.
Do you have information about another project or legislative initiative of interest to the cause of reducing traffic violence? Do you have any update for the projects above? If so, please e-mail: visionzero518@gmail.com