Delaware Ave. road diet would improve safety, study finds

Photo: Rulison, Larry, Creighton Manning/LA Group

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How Delaware Avenue in Bethlehem near the Dunkin’ Donuts looks today

Photo: Rulison, Larry, Creighton Manning/LA Group

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How Delaware Avenue in Bethlehem near the Dunkin’ Donuts would look under a “road diet’ being looked at by the town.

Photo: Rulison, Larry, Creighton Manning/LA Group

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How the section of Delaware Avenue in Bethlehem looks now just south of the Jiffy Lube.

Photo: Rulison, Larry, Creighton Manning/LA Group

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A rendering of how Delaware Avenue just south of the Jiffy Lube would be transformed by a “road diet.”

Photo: Rulison, Larry, Creighton Manning/LA Group

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Click though the slideshow to learn what readers told us are local roads and intersections they like to avoid.

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Click though the slideshow to learn what readers told us are local roads and intersections they like to avoid.

A reader in the Getting There column is concerned about the size and weight municipal waste trucks

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Photo: Lori Van Buren

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“The Northway is by far the most dangerous road in upstate NY let alone albany. Rush hour it gets so congested and people tend to drive 85 instead of 65 just to get home faster.”

– Alex Obregon-Lopez

“The Northway is by far the most dangerous road in upstate NY let alone albany. Rush hour it gets so congested and people tend to drive 85 instead of 65 just to get home faster.”

– Alex Obregon-Lopez

Photo: John Carl D’Annibale

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“The roundabout at Fuller Road and Washington Ave. is definitely the worst due to design construction. This is due to road design as well as speeding , and puts the individuals exiting Washington Ave going east seriously at risk. There appear to be not only frequent but serious accidents here.”

– Karen Pappis

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Photo: Lori Van Buren

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“The roundabout at Albany Shaker Rd. and Maxwell Rd. (Colonie). Too many people come speeding into the circle, not obeying the rules of roundabouts. I’ve seen numerous close calls with people already in the circle almost being struck by someone entering the circle without yielding, blatantly disregarding who’s already in the circle.”

– Eva

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Photo: Cindy Schultz, Albany Times Union

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Photo: Michael P. Farrell

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Alternate Route 7

: I refer to it as THE GAUNTLET . . .it’s like taking your life into your hands during rush hour.” – Greeneyedlady

Alternate Route 7

: I refer to it as THE GAUNTLET . . .it’s like taking your life into your hands during rush hour.” – Greeneyedlady

Photo: Skip Dickstein, Albany Times Union

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“Holy god, Alt. 7 to merge onto Northway …. One lane nightmare!!!! People not aware it’s one lane & stopping in the madness as they try to merge & get into the proper lane. The backup is ridiculous. Worse than the Twin Bridges!”

– Shpella

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Photo: PHILIP KAMRASS, DG

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“The Circle of Death, connecting Erie Blvd and Washington St., in Schenectady to I-890 in front of the GE plant. The loop is being rebuilt to improve safety, but in my opinion it’s made things worse by eliminating the yield coming off Washington in front of SCCC. Speed has increased and the lanes are tightened with the new westbound off ramp. Yes, you have more distance now to make the merge across three lanes to get to I-890 East, but you’re traveling at a higher speed and have traffic now coming in from the left as you approach the turn under the overpass. The whole thing needs to be blown up and redrawn from scratch.”

– Dave 0

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Photo: Older, Scott C.

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“Hoosick & North/South Lake is a terrible intersection.”

– Steve Bonelli

“Hoosick & North/South Lake is a terrible intersection.”

– Steve Bonelli

Photo: Google Maps

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“Hoosick and 8th St. in Troy. Drivers coming from Latham don’t even slow down much let alone stop before making a right on red there. There is always debris in the road from the last accident. Driving westbound isn’t much better with drivers trying to get the correct lane while others refuse to allow them over.”

– Sheila Joyce

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Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN

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“In Troy, the intersection Hoosick St. and 15th St. The problem is the light as it affects west bound traffic. The green arrow allowing a left turn comes in the middle of the green cycle. As a result, the first cars on line, if they want to turn left, try inching out into on coming traffic,hoping for a break. Add to that, cars heading west get impatient with the car trying to turn, they start pulling out to the right lane to pass, right into the path of cars coming down in the lane. Either cycle the green arrow first or post a sign up on the light that says,”Wait for green arrow”. I have seen the sign used elsewhere. The eastbound lane has the left turn arrow at the start of the cycle.”

– Barbara Urban

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Photo: Paul Buckowski

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“Troy, Third Street and Liberty. This intersection is a consistent point of numerous crashes, Everyone coming down the road is always trying to beat the light, because this intersection has a dip, the people traveling east to cross 3rd can’t see the traffic light especially in the summer because of sun glare, the people traveling south don’t want to stop and run the light all the time.”

– DavevB

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Photo: Google Maps

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“4th and Washington (Troy), mostly because of the idiots with the SUV’s and big pick-up trucks who like to park right up to the southwest corner so their vehicle makes a better door than window. I lived at the corner from 2001 until April 2015 when the building burned, and I personally witnessed at least 6 crashes because people were trying to cross 4th and couldn’t see past the vehicle on the corner.”

– Karin

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Photo: Google Maps

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“The entrance/exit ramps to/from the Harriman campus. They put you right into the lane of traffic. The one I am especially annoyed with is the exit onto eastbound Washington Ave. near Sefcu. There is no stop sign for entering Washington, and the angle of oncoming traffic is such that you have to do a Linda Blair to see if it’s clear. Mirrors don’t help. All they need is a short acceleration lane on the side of the destination road, where one can stop if necessary.”

– Jorabi

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Photo: Google Maps

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“As a walker, anywhere on Central Ave. is dangerous. Where I take the bus, the designated crosswalks are at Frederick Ave & Fuller Rd about a mile walk….with a cane….in the winter.”

– lee518. View a

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Photo: Eliza Mineaux

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“The sidewalk where Northway exits onto Western – traffic doesn’t consider pedestrians or cyclists. Even with a supposed no right on red sign. Nearly impossible to get from Mall service road to Stuyvesant safely.”

– Gail Golderman

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Photo: Paul Buckowski, Hearst

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“Where the Thruway merges with I-90 westbound at Exit 24. Cars merging from I-90 often merge left with out checking blind spot. I’ve almost been in a collision several times being in center lane from Thruway from drivers not looking before merging. Entrance lane does not end so there’s no need for cars to immediately move lanes either.”

– Kate

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Photo: Michael P. Farrell, Albany Times Union

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“I-90 eastbound, where the ramp from Arbor Hill comes down, and the exits for I-787 south and north – the cars that squeeze right, while the cars coming down are sliding left – oh joy – all at 65 mph.”

– Betty

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Photo: MICHAEL P. FARRELL, TIMES UNION

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“Eastbound I-90 before Patroon Island Bridge. There needs to be an earlier split between I-787 and continuing on I-90… I-787 drivers go too far and expect to merge right at the last minute.”

– Anne Frances

Photo: John Carl D’Annibale

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“Lark and Washington is terrible. People walk when they shouldn’t. Drivers don’t yield to walkers. The bus stop. It’s bad.”

– Virginia Muehling

“Lark and Washington is terrible. People walk when they shouldn’t. Drivers don’t yield to walkers. The bus stop. It’s bad.”

– Virginia Muehling

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“People making lefts from Central to Everett (Albany) who careen into Everett’s right lane while cars making rights from Central to Everett have the green arrow for that same exact lane.”

– Jason Mutford

“People making lefts from Central to Everett (Albany) who careen into Everett’s right lane while cars making rights from Central to Everett have the green arrow for that same exact lane.”

– Jason Mutford

Photo: Google Maps

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“Intersection of Colvin Ave. and Washington Ave. (Albany) Excessive speed of vehicles driving east on Washington Ave and disregard for “no turn on red” result in almost weekly accidents at that intersection.”

– Richard H

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Photo: Google Maps

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“The Clinton Ave. exit off I-787 S (Albany). The problem is that when you get off the exit ramp, it puts you in the more leftward lanes; if you need to be in the more rightward lanes, it is very difficult to see clearly to make the lane change. HUGE blind spot.”

– Amanda Wingle

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Photo: Google Maps

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“Brevator and Washington Avenue (Albany)–frequent accidents”

– Donna Dolan

“Brevator and Washington Avenue (Albany)–frequent accidents”

– Donna Dolan

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“Henry Johnson and Livingston. You’re taking your life in your hands going to work every day.”

– Jessica Fowler

“Henry Johnson and Livingston. You’re taking your life in your hands going to work every day.”

– Jessica Fowler

Photo: John Carl D’Annibale

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“Osborne and Old Niskayuna intersection is by far the worst due to the roads intersecting at an unusual angle, which causes confusion for a surprisingly large number of drivers that can’t seem to figure out how to make a left hand turn. Some white dashed lines indicating where to turn left to would greatly improve safety.”

– Steve

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Photo: Google Maps

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“Maxwell Rd. @ Rt. 9. I am usually southbound on Maxwell going to cross Rt 9 and continue on Maxwell. That means I am going STRAIGHT THROUGH the intersection. I CANNOT tell you how many times someone turns right on to Rt 9 northbound when I am going straight. Correct me but doesn’t the vehicle going straight have the right-of-way??? I broke my horn the last time some idiot turned in front of me. They missed my car by about 8 inches!”

– Dred Scott

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Photo: Google Maps

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“Everett Road from Albany Shaker to Exchange: It’s lined with doctor offices and businesses with limited to no signage (zoning, I assume), plus one heavy equipment rental/dealer. Hence, 98% of people driving it during the day have no clue where they are going. They are looking everywhere except the road in front of them, don’t seem to grasp the concept of a center turn lane, slam brakes on and turn across multiple lanes, or drive 20 miles below the speed limit. Another 1% percent lose their patience and tailgate, blow horns, pass in the turn lane and shoulder and swerve like drunks. The final 1 percent sweat it out from one end to the other cringing. And, just for fun, every so often someone driving a tractor trailer with a bulldozer on it adds a little more to the gauntlet.”

– Holly

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Photo: WW

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“The right turn from Wolf onto Albany Shaker heading towards Albany. If ever a no turn on red sign was needed, it’s there. I suspect the need to keep traffic moving there outweighs accidents.”

– Adam Furgang

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– Adam

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“Jupiter Lane and Locust Lane at the Central Avenue intersection in Colonie. The problem is with road design. Jupiter is two lanes with a right turn only lane; the left can turn left or go straight. Locust is a single lane for all directions. Cars are turning left onto Central from both directions against oncoming traffic. People turn left into the right lanes – wrong/dangerous; some don’t use their blinkers – wrong/dangerous. But traffic going straight through are also at risk because oncoming traffic making lefts don’t yield. I think if they give the left turners from Jupiter a green for a period of time BEFORE Locust gets the signal it could be a lot safer.”

– ZenaGOF

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Photo: Google Maps

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“The intersection of Washington Avenue/Madison Extension and Route 155 (Albany). Drivers routinely ignore the red lights and yield right of way signs, making it especially difficult for those of us making left hand turns into or out of Madison Avenue Extension. Those of us who live or work on Madison Ave Ext are aware of the problem, but even with utmost caution we come close to getting hit at least several times each week.”

– Jeanne Dross

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Photo: Google Maps

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“This is the ONLY place that I have had NUMEROUS close calls and it is because of road design. Fiddlers Lane @ Comely Lane and Homestead Drive (Latham). IF you are coming from Rt155, it is a blind curve and people don’t stop when making the left turn from Fiddlers to Comely/Homestead coming from the south. I go thru there at 25 mph and STILL almost get hit.”

– Dred Scott

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Photo: Google Maps

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“I have people ask how we get out of our driveway. It’s very difficult. There is a soft ice cream place right up the road. We can’t even walk up there.”

– Leslie Cress-Beauregard and Robert Beauregard referring to Route 2 between the former Kmart and Pierson Avenue in Colonie, where there have been 25 crashes since January 2014. In many cases, inattentive drivers rear-ended cars stopped in front of them at the intersection with Swatling Road. Read more on tu+.

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“I have people ask how we get out of our driveway. It’s very difficult. There is a soft ice cream place right up the road. We can’t even walk up there.”

– Leslie Cress-Beauregard and Robert Beauregard

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Photo: John Carl D’Annibale

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“Menands bridge to Morrison Ave in Troy. Easily 1-2 accidents a week.”

– Caryn Riscavage

“Menands bridge to Morrison Ave in Troy. Easily 1-2 accidents a week.”

– Caryn Riscavage

Photo: MICHAEL P. FARRELL, ALBANY TIMES UNION

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“Broadway in Menands is unsafe for pedestrians. It’s great that nicer sidewalks have been added, but crossing the street on any stretch of it is still dangerous. There’s barely any crosswalks and very few lights so traffic isn’t stopping frequently.” – Rachel less

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“It’s not just an intersection, but the entire strip of rout 67 heading into Ballston Spa after the roundabouts. Very dangerous road because of all the turn offs and trucks. Tailgating not suggested. I see so many rear end accidents weekly on my way to work. I wish they could widen the road and put in turning lanes!”

– Laurie Grignon-Alonzo

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Photo: Cindy Schultz

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“Rt. 67 between I-87 and Rt. 50 (Ballston)…. Narrow, 55mph, and main truck route to the Northway… Seems like a fatal accident or two every couple years… I avoid that stretch as much as possible…”

– Scott Ballou

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Photo: Google Maps

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“Rt. 443 (Delaware Avenue) between Orchard Street/Meads Lane to Waldenmaier Road (Delmar) (where they just paved under the CSX bridge). The condition of the road at 55 mph, down a gully and back up around a bend is probably one of the worst road conditions in the area, not to mention very dangerous. I will not ride my motorcycle on it, even in the day time. I’m afraid of getting tossed off my bike.”

– Jeffery Robert

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Photo: Google Maps

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“Intersection of Hudson and North St. Delmar. Four way stop that many drivers roll through and at night some don’t even slow down. Rail trail is only a few feet away, and many pedestrians and dog walkers, joggers early morning and later at night.”

– Tony

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Photo: Google Maps

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“Northway Exit 9 northbound at Rt. 146 (Clifton Park). Light turns green for people coming off the ramp and you will have 3, 4, sometimes 5 cars coming from the west run the light. Anticipating the green will get you killed.”

– Hard Reality

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Photo: Google Maps

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“The light at the Clifton Park Center Mall on Route 146 is an accident waiting to happen. Cars run red lights almost everytime I’m at that intersection.”

– Pat

“The light at the Clifton Park Center Mall on Route 146 is an accident waiting to happen. Cars run red lights almost everytime I’m at that intersection.”

– Pat

Photo: Paul Buckowski

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“Every single roundabout in the area, Fuller Rd., Route 85, Malta, Latham, Erie Blvd (in photo), Old Niskayuna Rd. & Route 155. These areas were better off with traffic lights and the circles make the roads more confusing to navigate and unsafe because people do not know how to handle them.”

– Kraig

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“Roundabouts are really treacherous for pedestrians. No drivers yield for peds in the crosswalk. If one did, they’d be rear-ended by the car behind them. Any road design that speeds cars along endangers other users of the road because drivers assume they are the center of the universe.”

– that guy. In photo: Route 140 and Route 85 meet in Bethlehem, NY.

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Photo: PAUL BUCKOWSKI, ALBANY TIMES UNION

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A reader of the Getting There blog is concerned that Albany Shaker Rd. near Albany International Airport is dangerous because cars pass one another going in opposite directions on a curve at high speed, with no more than a foot or two between them. less

Photo: Michael P. Farrell

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A reader expressed concern about the section of New Scotland Avenue from Manning Boulevard to O’Neil Drive in Albany. Four lanes of traffic makes this stretch of road dangerous to cross. Read a response from Albany police.

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A reader expressed concern about the section ofNew Scotland Avenue from Manning Boulevard to O’Neil Drive in Albany. Four lanes of traffic makes this stretch of road dangerous to cross.Read a response from

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Photo: John Carl D’Annibale

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State DOT plans to remake Van Rensselaer Boulevard in Menands after neighbors raised concerns about its 55 mph speed limit and lack of sidewalks. A pedestrian was struck and killed there in December 2015.

Photo: Will Waldron

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A reader of the Getting There column reported the intersection of Old Loudon Road and Pine Street in Latham was hazardous due to lack of visibility. Read more about it on tu+.

A reader of the Getting There column reported theintersection of Old Loudon Road and Pine Streetin Latham was hazardous due to lack of visibility.Read more about it on tu+.

Photo: Google Maps

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BETHLEHEM – A full “road diet” on Delaware Avenue in Bethlehem between Elsmere Avenue and the city of Albany would greatly improve safety along the busy road, a recently completed town study found.

The Bethlehem town board will be presented with the study’s findings Wednesday night.

The study, the Delaware Avenue Complete Streets Feasibility Study, looked at various potential scenarios to improve the 1.3 mile stretch, which carries as many as 17,000 cars a day between Delmar and Albany.

Under a so-called road diet, Delaware avenue would be knocked down from four lanes to three, with the center lane being used for turn lanes and medians. Bike lanes would also be added off the curbs.

The study, done by Creighton Manning Engineering, found that the changes would add 50 seconds to the average commute in both directions.

However, safety, for both cars and pedestrians alike, would significantly improve under a road diet, the study found, along with the aesthetics of Delaware Avenue.

Renderings done as part of the study show crosswalks along Delaware Avenue along with landscaped center medians and turn lanes along with bike lanes and added sidewalks.

Speed limits also appear to be lower along the road diet areas, the renderings show.

“Traffic analysis has indicated that a dieted, or repurposed, Delaware Avenue traffic will flow more smoothly and crashes significantly reduced. In addition, it will benefit the community by making Delaware Avenue more attractive for walking, cycling, and doing business in general,” a summary of the study’s findings says.

The study looked at a wide variety of scenarios, from doing nothing to putting in place modified road diet plans that would limit the changes to the area between Delaware Plaza to the city line or reduce the number of lanes down to one in just one direction.

However at a public meeting held last month, a full road diet plan was considered the most popular, with nearly 80 percent who attended being satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the idea.

All the other scenarios received less than 30 percent of the support of those who attended the Sept. 26 meeting.

The “road diet” would not impact the rest of Delaware Avenue from Elsmere Avenue to Delmar’s Four Corners, which is currently undergoing a streetscape transformation itself as part of a $3 million project that has caused lane closures and detours since June.

No decision has been made on how to proceed. The town board would have to vote on any plan.

Wednesday’s town board meeting, held at town hall at 445 Delaware Ave., begins at 6 p.m.

Creighton Manning officials will be at the meeting to present the results of the study and also answer questions that came up at last month’s meeting on the study.

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Delaware Ave. road diet would improve safety, study finds

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