DOT rejects Route 25 traffic light near All-Star
Residents who live in the development across the street from The All-Star bowling alley are hoping New York State will install a traffic signal at the intersection of Main Road and Forest Drive.
They say that on weekends, when traffic is heaviest, they can’t make a left turn onto Main Road and also have difficulty turning right.
The idea has failed to gain any traction with the New York State Department of Transportation. A spokesman said the DOT does not favor installing a traffic signal at that location.
The Town Board has received letters on the issue from several residents who live in the subdivision, known as Duck Pond Estates. But it’s a state road, so the state DOT will have final say on the issue.
“There is increasing traffic here and there are times when we find it very difficult to leave our little neighborhood,” wrote Barbara Reynolds of Maple Wood Lane, one of three roads that connect with Forest Drive, along with Fox Run Lane and Ruth Court.
She said there’s a sign telling people not to block the intersection, and a painted box on the road, but people either don’t notice them or ignore them.
“We feel this is a really dangerous spot and even more so when making a left turn,” she said.
“I’ve always had a fear of leaving my neighborhood to turn left onto Route 58 [sic],” wrote Katie Ordemann of Ruth Court.
“With the inevitable sale of Homeside Florist, and the vacant land that is for sale to the west of the neighborhood, future congestion is a guarantee,” read a letter from Kathy O’Neill and Janine Schmalz of Fox Run Lane.
Councilman Tim Hubbard said he’s heard from residents who say it’s difficult to make a left, particularly in the fall and on summer weekends.
“That has been an issue for a long time,” he said in an interview.
Mr. Hubbard said he would not be opposed to having a light at that intersection, so long as it was a trip light, meaning it would only change when someone was trying to exit from Forest Drive.
But the DOT sees it differently.
“The State Department of Transportation earlier this year completed a comprehensive investigation, which determined that Forrest [sic] Drive and Route 25 (Main Road) does not meet state guidelines for a traffic signal,” DOT spokesman Stephen Canzoneri said in a statement.
“Traffic signals installed at locations where they are not warranted can cause an increase in crashes and congestion. We will check the timing and operation of the Route 25 traffic signal nearby and continue to monitor the area.”
Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith said the board has received a letter about the request and referred it to the town’s traffic safety committee.
“It’s very close to the other traffic light, so I’d be curious what DOT would say about it,” the supervisor said. “It’s hard getting in and out of there, for sure.”
The town did receive one letter from a resident opposed to a traffic signal.
Diane Murray of Fox Run Lane wrote that she feels that if the sign saying not to block the box were moved farther west and/or the sign was moved to the east corner of Forest and Main Road, instead of the west, where it is now, motorists would be able to see that they should not block the intersection.
The sign should also be more prominent, Ms. Murray wrote.
Photo caption: A sign warns motorists to avoid blocking the side road. (Credit: Tara Smith)
