By Beth Chafetz with information from the Town website
Tigne and Bond was hired by the town to conduct a traffic and pedestrian safety study recently completed for the town. It recommends a number of improvements for local roads, including the realignment of intersections, installation of roundabouts, and the addition of stop signs, crosswalks, and crossing signals. The use of traffic data including crash data from previous years, field observations at locations all over town, and surveys of the public were used to inform the study.
According to Karen Isherwood, Town Engineer, the town is planning to apply for a federal grant program, Safe Streets and Roads for All, which provides grants from $1 to $10 million. To be eligible, towns must have an action plan, a requirement that is filled by the traffic study. Just because a project is recommended by the study doesn’t mean it will happen exactly that way, or at all. The recommendations are meant for discussion and are a starting point.
The projects were graded based on safety benefits, priority, complexity, and cost. Some of the recommendations include:
Vehicle Traffic Recommendations
- Realign the intersection of Warnertown and Mountain Roads to the apex of the curve to improve sight lines and decrease vehicle speeds.
- Create designated left turn lanes on the southbound approach to intersection of South Main and Bridge Streets, and northbound approach to intersection of North Main Street and Mountain Road. Also, add a “Do Not Block The Box” sign
- Install a modern roundabout at the intersection of Mountain and Babbs Roads. The intersection experiences a high frequency of crashes that indicate high speeds on Mountain Road and difficulty exiting Babbs Road.
- Install a roundabout at intersection of Route 187 and South Stone Street to deter northbound truck traffic from using South Stone Street and reduce vehicle speeds.
Pedestrian Traffic
Many Thanks from the Knights of Columbus Recommendations:
- Install a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the crosswalk on Mountain Road in front of St. Joseph’s Church, and shift the crosswalk away from the church driveway and connect to existing sidewalk.
- Install a crosswalk on North Main Street at the intersection with Day Avenue.
The full study and all of its recommendations can be found on the town’s website, under the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety link.