New York

[cl94]

Probably something to do with terrain. Looking at the topo for that area, there's a bit of a hill right where the wye would be.

It's worth noting that Quaker Hill Rd was part of the original alignment of NY 22. Zig-zagged quite a bit to connect to that section of Old 22 a little to the south.

[empirestate]

The 1947 thru 1960 topos give you your answer.

[route17fan]

D263529 - a BIG project involving Rockland-Westchester Counties, features an errant US 303 shield volume 3, page 79, overall page 287.

Link: https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D263529

[route17fan]

D263529 - also of note, new Average Travel Time sign plans (in color) on plans 16 of 19, page 49, overall page 1008.

[cl94]

D263529 - a BIG project involving Rockland-Westchester Counties, features an errant US 303 shield volume 3, page 79, overall page 287.

Link: https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D263529

Summed up for everyone: this and another contract being let the same day are part of a huge corridor management plan for I-287 in New York.
- Ramp meters along the Thruway and Cross Westchester from Suffern to White Plains
- Bus priority on NY 59 and NY 119
- Improved speed/traffic tracking with Bluetooth, radar and other sensing technologies

[Rothman]

D263529 - a BIG project involving Rockland-Westchester Counties, features an errant US 303 shield volume 3, page 79, overall page 287.

Link: https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D263529

Summed up for everyone: this and another contract being let the same day are part of a huge corridor management plan for I-287 in New York.
- Ramp meters along the Thruway and Cross Westchester from Suffern to White Plains
- Bus priority on NY 59 and NY 119
- Improved speed/traffic tracking with Bluetooth, radar and other sensing technologies

Glad they got it out.

I foresee a discussion with Region 8 when I return from vacation...

*personal opinion expressed*

[D-Dey65]

D263529 - a BIG project involving Rockland-Westchester Counties, features an errant US 303 shield volume 3, page 79, overall page 287.

Link: https://www.dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/const-contract-docs?p_d_id=D263529

Someone get a picture of it, just in case they go through with that error!

Too bad they're still not putting pedestrian bridges for the Appalachian Trail over the Palisades Interstate Parkway, or closing and/or replacing dangerous intersections on the parkways of Westchester with interchanges of linking the Bear Mountain Parkway gap.

The 1947 thru 1960 topos give you your answer.

They also show a small freight spur running behind "Native Landscaping Incorporated" as recently as 2000, though most of the aerial photographs available don't show the spur even existing in the Penn Central era.  Not that it has anything to do with that, it's just interesting.

[SGwithADD]

Looks like NYSDOT managed some quick work on the repairs from last week's flooding on Route 17.  They just opened two three lanes today (two EB, one WB), when they had originally predicted a closure until Labor Day.

Article from the Binghamton Press & Sun on the reopening

[civilmaher]

Does NYSDOT (or its regions) have conventions when it comes to minimum green time, yellow time, and all red time? Or should I just calculate according to ITE formulas.

I'm used to the guidance in the NJDOT Roadway Design Manual when it comes to creating signal timing directives (see below), but was wondering if NYSDOT had anything like this...

[Alps]

Does NYSDOT (or its regions) have conventions when it comes to minimum green time, yellow time, and all red time? Or should I just calculate according to ITE formulas.

I'm used to the guidance in the NJDOT Roadway Design Manual when it comes to creating signal timing directives (see below), but was wondering if NYSDOT had anything like this...

note to self, competition does not have access to NYSDOT signal timing guidance

[kalvado]

Does NYSDOT (or its regions) have conventions when it comes to minimum green time, yellow time, and all red time? Or should I just calculate according to ITE formulas.

I'm used to the guidance in the NJDOT Roadway Design Manual when it comes to creating signal timing directives (see below), but was wondering if NYSDOT had anything like this...

note to self, competition does not have access to NYSDOT signal timing guidance

Yes, it is not wise to release guidelines on adjusting traffic cycle for  efficient operation of red light cameras.

[Buffaboy]

Can I-290 get any wider than it is now? This is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest 3-di's upstate. In my opinion it could use a 4th lane in each direction, but between the power line ROW and the narrow parts in Tonawanda, I can't envision a scenario where this would be continuous.

[amroad17]

I was just on it last Monday (8/7) heading to and from Niagara Falls.  From what I saw, it is a busy freeway--but no busier than I-75 through Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati (when the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River isn't being worked on).  I cannot see it being widened in the vicinity of Exit 3 (because of development) nor between Exits 6 & 7 (because of the power lines).  The only possible way that traffic could be alleviated would be to build express lanes over I-290--just like I-35 in Austin, TX.  We all also know that this will never happen in New York.

[cl94]

I-290 isn't even too bad by Upstate standards. Almost everything in the Albany area has more traffic. Get stuck in the daily traffic on 87, 90 or 787 at some point and the traffic counts definitely agree.

[Buffaboy]

Yeah that I-35 thing would be DoA and ugly as well.

I-290 isn't even too bad by Upstate standards. Almost everything in the Albany area has more traffic. Get stuck in the daily traffic on 87, 90 or 787 at some point and the traffic counts definitely agree.

I checked the AADT map and I was surprised to see that I-390 was heavier in some places than I-290 and NY-33.

And yes I looked at Albany and many of those freeways have high average counts. I wonder what the rush hour stats are like.

[vdeane]

Feel free to click on the highway segment to open a window with links to open a detailed report (assuming you're using Traffic Data Viewer).

[Roadgeek Adam]

Living about a 1/2 mile from I-290, it only really clogs on the eastern end (990 to 90). Western end is rarely traffic heavy.

[Michael]

Here's a couple of recent articles from Syracuse.com about I-690 near the state fairgrounds:

Federal Highway Administration approves I-690 on-ramp for NYS Fair traffic

A first: Drones will fly at 2017 NY State Fair to help control traffic

As for the proposed ramp, I would design it as a RIRO ramp, like the nearby NY 5/NY 173 interchange.  There's enough room under the west to south bridge to add a deceleration lane, and the north to west bridge could be extended slightly.



Ever since going to a concert last weekend at the Lakeview Amphitheater and being forced to go to the Hiawatha Blvd exit and make a u-turn, I've been thinking about a better way to access the Orange Lot.  Here's a map of the area.  I came in using NY 297 to try to go under the bridge just east of the eastbound Exit 7 ramps on I-690.  I came this way because the Lakeview Amphitheater website mentioned the exit from eastbound I-690 to NY 297 would be closed (it wasn't).  When I got to the intersection to go under the I-690 bridge, there was a police officer directing traffic and temporary no left/right turn signs, one for each direction of State Fair Blvd.  I didn't have any problems at Hiawatha Blvd, but as I was getting back on I-690, I noticed a line of cars starting to back up onto the I-690 eastbound mainline.

I've tried to think of where to add ramps, but anything I come up with either hits an existing ramp, or has a short weaving distance.  Because I-690 and the surrounding area is on a waste bed with toxic chemicals, it's basically impossible to build any tunnels.  There's already weaving between traffic on eastbound I-690 wanting to get off at NY 297, and traffic entering from NY 695.  If someone on I-690 eastbound wants to exit at NY 297, they have to change one lane to the right to get into the first lane added from NY 695, then move to the right again to get to the exit lane.  The best idea I could come up with is that this weaving is why you could only access the Orange Lot from the east.  The NY 297 ramp has a branch that leads directly into the Pink Lot, and as far as I could tell, there were no closures, so the weaving theory doesn't make complete sense to me.

If the weaving isn't the issue, then it could be the fact that traffic has to cross State Fair Blvd twice, which could cause a backup onto the weaving area.  My solution to this would be to move local traffic onto the eastbound half of State Fair Blvd, and have two lanes of traffic from the end of the Exit 7 ramps to the connector under the bridge on I-690.  As traffic turns left onto the westbound side of State Fair Blvd, it would split into two lanes.  These two lanes could continue under the bridge and into the Orange Lot.  If for some reason there needs to be an exit from the Orange Lot at all times, there could be just a single lane, but because it wouldn't be crossing State Fair Blvd, there would be no need for it to stop until getting into the parking lot, plus there would be an additional area for stopped cars off of I-690.  Local traffic from NY 297 and/or State Fair Blvd could follow the regular lanes at the bridge, then merge into the line.  I only saw one other car going to the concert from State Fair Blvd, and I didn't see any others other than myself turning onto NY 297 leaving the concert.

If this would be too hard to do and/or a better ramp design can't be created, I would at a bare minimum put a Texas Turnaround under the bridge at Hiawatha Blvd.  A Texas Turnaround would also help with parking during the State Fair since making a u-turn at Hiawatha Blvd is the only way to access the Orange Lot during the fair, and it would be too busy to move traffic to one side of State Fair Blvd.  Although I beat the crowds, and had to wait for just a few seconds at a red light at the Hiawatha Blvd exit, the traffic that was starting to back up onto I-690 that I mentioned above would be eliminated if there were no lights to stop at.  According to the NYSDOT TDV, the affected section of State Fair Blvd has an AADT of 11,407 and Hiawatha Blvd has an AADT of 21,670.  The next segment to the west on State Fair Blvd has an AADT of 6,272, and the next segment to the east has an AADT of 3,104.  To me, it makes sense to have concert traffic use a road that normally isn't as busy as long as the State Fair isn't going on.  As for concerts during the fair, there's only 3 this year.

Lastly, they should cover the lane signs exiting the Orange Lot during concerts.  The signs read "Bridge St Left Lane/I-690 Right Lane".  I was in the right lane, which was divided with cones for quite a while before the signs.  Just after seeing the first sign, I saw a gap in the cones and a police officer waving his wand in a "keep moving" motion.  I stopped before the gap and turned on my blinker to "ask" if I could switch, but he angrily motioned with his whole body to stay in my lane.  Once I got onto State Fair Blvd, I was able to switch lanes, and there were 4 or so other cars switching too.

[Alps]

Here's a couple of recent articles from Syracuse.com about I-690 near the state fairgrounds:

A first: Drones will fly at 2017 NY State Fair to help control traffic

And I forgot my shotgun.
I went on Thursday, pre-drone, and got there early enough to park on the side street for free (not that $5 is exorbitant), so I didn't test the parking arrangement. It did smack of not enough signage in general for the various lots and entrances.

[Buffaboy]

So this Skyway deck project...will they actually repair/mill with longitudinal tinings like they did with several bridges on US-219 in Orchard Park? Or is this something different?

[Michael]

Here's a couple of recent articles from Syracuse.com about I-690 near the state fairgrounds:

A first: Drones will fly at 2017 NY State Fair to help control traffic

And I forgot my shotgun.
I went on Thursday, pre-drone, and got there early enough to park on the side street for free (not that $5 is exorbitant), so I didn't test the parking arrangement. It did smack of not enough signage in general for the various lots and entrances.

It looks like the drones weren't that much of a help:
Drones no match for traffic jam on New York State Fair's record day
'Excessive traffic backups' reported on I-690 by NYS Fair, 911 says

Here's a picture of Hiawatha Blvd looking westbound from the second article:




A few days ago, I came across some old EIS reports.  Unfortunately, it looks like the diagrams were only half scanned.  The first report was for the upgrade of I-690 between the Thruway and State Fair Blvd at Exit 5.  Here's the draft, and here's the final report.  I was surprised to see that they were considering a set of C/D roads from State Fair Blvd to Jones Rd, with a trumpet that would have been where this warehouse is.  After reading some of the report and looking at historic imagery, I was also surprised to find that the current I-690 eastbound bridge was originally NY 48 over the Thruway.

The other EIS report I found was for the northern extension of I-481 from the Thruway to I-81 in North Syracuse.  I got a kick out of comment 8 on page A3.  The comment is about opposition to I-481 since there are alternate 4-lane roads, including I-81.  I wonder what would have been proposed for the I-81 viaduct if there weren't an I-481 to potentially reroute I-81 onto.

With both reports, I was surprised to see that the style of the cover page is still the same today.

[froggie]

Unfortunately, it looks like the diagrams were only half scanned.

I emailed Google about this sort of thing a couple months ago.  Below is the relevant part of the response:

The image(s) or page(s) you are requesting was/were purposefully folded into the book at the time of the publication. Unfortunately, this book was scanned prior to our ability to scan these types of pages. The good news is that Google Books continues to improve our processes, and we are now able to scan many such images.

[Snappyjack]

Fair traffic and parking were horrible this year due in most part to them closing off access points to the Orange and Brown Lots due to saving spaces for concerts at the new amphitheater. On Saturday 8/26 when I was there, they had the Exit 7 entrance for the Orange Lot as the sole access point. The Exit 6 entrance which I normally use, was closed. Also, when turning around, the entirety of the Brown Lot was closed. When looping back to the Orange Lot, in the interim, the Exit 7 ramp was closed with no one telling you where to go. After an hour of looping around and waiting in traffic, I finally found a spot way over by the 695 bridge over the railroad tracks. I showed up at a decent time, around 1:30pm.. the same time I've shown up the previous 9 years I have gone to the fair, and this was by far the worst situation I have ever encountered. God help anyone who decides to come Labor Day weekend.

[cl94]

A couple of Saratoga County notes:

• The Saratoga County residency is replacing signs on the Northway again, this time the Exit 8A SB advance. Looks like something Region 9 would install, as "3/4 Mile" is mixed-case, the exit tab is not properly aligned and corners are not properly rounded. Someone needs to go through here not at night so we can get a good sign fail picture.
• Major work going on at the Twin Bridges. The asphalt overlay was stripped off of the decks, anyone know what they're doing here? Didn't see anything in the contracts for bridge work and they just redecked these things a few years ago.

[seicer]

Something I didn't notice until I was looking at an aerial / topo today: https://historicaerials.com/location/42.413746086522806/-73.54805946350098/1971/16

The Taconic State Parkway had obvious stubs for an extension north for years.