New York State Thruway

[cl94]

Just curious - does the University staff/faculty live on campus or no?

Heck no. A little under 1/4 lives within a couple miles, but many live within the areas most affected. I have professors who live an hour away and commute in. It got to the point where bus service was stopped, half of the food places are closed because they don't have the workers while those that remain open are short-staffed, travel bans are causing eateries in academic buildings to run out of food, and everything involving people from outside the University except the football game was cancelled.

Come to think of it, are there any plans in place to make sure people don't starve?  I'm sure many homes are running out of food if UB is!

None that I know of. UB actually closed today. Rumor is that Cuomo put pressure on them to do so. My apartment has enough to last me another week, but there's no way to get shipments in. SUNY requires local suppliers and all of them are in areas affected. I've heard that stores in the area are running low even though there's little snow up here (Tops distribution facility is buried under 6+ feet and in a travel ban, while Wegmans can't get stuff here because major roads are closed). Milk, eggs, bread, chips, dip, and beer are in short supply. Main milk facility in the region is in West Seneca under 7 feet. Even though many of us aren't dealing with the snow, we're all dealing with the effects, as most of Buffalo's industry is buried.

I would think the Thruway should at least partially re-open during the weekend depending on the weather today and tomorrow.

Might open east of Buffalo, but southwest of here will be shit on until the warmup on Saturday. They still haven't gotten half of the vehicles free, it's still falling hard, and NY 5 and US 20 are blocked by stuck trucks trying to avoid the Thruway. To give you an idea, they haven't even set an end date for the driving bans because most highways aren't clear. My parents are on US 20 east of Buffalo. That barely has 2 lanes cleared. Thruway in Cheektowaga and West Seneca had ~1.5 in each direction this morning, but the snow moved back north.

[The Nature Boy]

Isn't there going to be a flooding threat when all of this clears out?

Lake effect snow melts are a mystery to me but that HAS to be a threat.

[cl94]

Isn't there going to be a flooding threat when all of this clears out?

Lake effect snow melts are a mystery to me but that HAS to be a threat.

Yeah. 10 inches of snow is an inch of water. 7 feet of snow is 8.4 inches of water. Multiply that by the several hundred acres covered. That all has to drain. I expect water levels to rise by several feet. Much of West Seneca, Clarence, and south Buffalo will be underwater next week.

[The Nature Boy]

http://nesn.com/2014/11/report-jets-bills-likely-to-be-played-in-either-detroit-or-pittsburgh/

Looks like either Detroit or Pittsburgh are getting the game.

[cl94]

http://nesn.com/2014/11/report-jets-bills-likely-to-be-played-in-either-detroit-or-pittsburgh/

Looks like either Detroit or Pittsburgh are getting the game.

As I already have tickets, I'm going either way. I'd prefer Detroit as it's easier to get there if the Thruway isn't yet open, but I'd get to either city.

[Zeffy]

As I already have tickets, I'm going either way. I'd prefer Detroit as it's easier to get there if the Thruway isn't yet open, but I'd get to either city.

You might be in luck, because according to various tweets, Pittsburgh is out as well.

Yeah. 10 inches of snow is an inch of water. 7 feet of snow is 8.4 inches of water. Multiply that by the several hundred acres covered. That all has to drain. I expect water levels to rise by several feet. Much of West Seneca, Clarence, and south Buffalo will be underwater next week.

Um, wow. Buffalo is getting it rough this week. I bet several highways will close again (assuming they reopen) once the snow melts and floods the roadways.

[cl94]

As I already have tickets, I'm going either way. I'd prefer Detroit as it's easier to get there if the Thruway isn't yet open, but I'd get to either city.

You might be in luck, because according to various tweets, Pittsburgh is out as well.

Yeah. 10 inches of snow is an inch of water. 7 feet of snow is 8.4 inches of water. Multiply that by the several hundred acres covered. That all has to drain. I expect water levels to rise by several feet. Much of West Seneca, Clarence, and south Buffalo will be underwater next week.

Um, wow. Buffalo is getting it rough this week. I bet several highways will close again (assuming they reopen) once the snow melts and floods the roadways.

Most of the major roads are on high ground. What'll be submerged are some of the residential areas. NY 240 and 277 might will see some problems in West Seneca, US 62 might be closed near the Buffalo River, and NY 78 will almost certainly be closed in Depew (those underpasses flood several times a year from rain).

[vdeane]

Would you recommend just taking the Southern Tier Expressway then?

If you're coming from the west.  Your location says North Carolina, which suggests the Catskills rather than Buffalo.  I-87 is totally fine.

[empirestate]

Wow, I'd say we're long overdue for a topic split, but then we always seem to circle around back to the Thruway at the last second. 

And yes, flooding is now a serious concern, as temps are predicted to rise through the weekend and into next week, with some rain thrown in to boot.

[cl94]

Wow, I'd say we're long overdue for a topic split, but then we always seem to circle around back to the Thruway at the last second. 

I tried to throw everything non-Thruway in the New York thread, but others didn't feel the same

[The Nature Boy]

Would you recommend just taking the Southern Tier Expressway then?

If you're coming from the west.  Your location says North Carolina, which suggests the Catskills rather than Buffalo.  I-87 is totally fine.

I'll be coming from the west so I'll need to figure out a way around the road closures/hazardous conditions. I'm in school, I just haven't updated my location.

[empirestate]

Would you recommend just taking the Southern Tier Expressway then?

If you're coming from the west.  Your location says North Carolina, which suggests the Catskills rather than Buffalo.  I-87 is totally fine.

I'll be coming from the west so I'll need to figure out a way around the road closures/hazardous conditions. I'm in school, I just haven't updated my location.

You should be fine on the Southern Tier; it is a nicer drive overall than I-80/I-84. You'll pass through snow, but it branches off well southwest of the crippled area.

[The Nature Boy]

Would you recommend just taking the Southern Tier Expressway then?

If you're coming from the west.  Your location says North Carolina, which suggests the Catskills rather than Buffalo.  I-87 is totally fine.

I'll be coming from the west so I'll need to figure out a way around the road closures/hazardous conditions. I'm in school, I just haven't updated my location.

You should be fine on the Southern Tier; it is a nicer drive overall than I-80/I-84. You'll pass through snow, but it branches off well southwest of the crippled area.

Thanks. I've taken that drive before. It's absolutely beautiful (and much more scenic) than the Thruway.

[02 Park Ave]

Are there any plans forthcoming for a more direct connexion between the Thruway and the Mid-Hudson Bridge?

There are already almost direct connexions between the Thruway and both the Kingston-Rhinecliff and Rip Van Winkle Bridges.  I would think that there would be more traffic going over to Poughkeepsie.

[cl94]

Are there any plans forthcoming for a more direct connexion between the Thruway and the Mid-Hudson Bridge?

There are already almost direct connexions between the Thruway and both the Kingston-Rhinecliff and Rip Van Winkle Bridges.  I would think that there would be more traffic going over to Poughkeepsie.

No, but the connection is pretty direct as it is. Most vehicles to Poughkeepsie use the Taconic or US 9. Mid-Hudson Bridge has an AADT just under 40,000 as it is and, due to it being 3 narrow lanes, it can't handle much more traffic. Unless another bridge is built (not anytime soon), there's no reason to entice more people to use the bridge.

[WNYroadgeek]

Isn't there going to be a flooding threat when all of this clears out?

Lake effect snow melts are a mystery to me but that HAS to be a threat.

Yeah. 10 inches of snow is an inch of water. 7 feet of snow is 8.4 inches of water. Multiply that by the several hundred acres covered. That all has to drain. I expect water levels to rise by several feet. Much of West Seneca, Clarence, and south Buffalo will be underwater next week.

Eh, Clarence shouldn't have any problems. Didn't get nearly as much snow as West Seneca and the rest of the southern suburbs did.

[cl94]

Isn't there going to be a flooding threat when all of this clears out?

Lake effect snow melts are a mystery to me but that HAS to be a threat.

Yeah. 10 inches of snow is an inch of water. 7 feet of snow is 8.4 inches of water. Multiply that by the several hundred acres covered. That all has to drain. I expect water levels to rise by several feet. Much of West Seneca, Clarence, and south Buffalo will be underwater next week.

Eh, Clarence shouldn't have any problems. Didn't get nearly as much snow as West Seneca and the rest of the southern suburbs did.

Problem isn't the stuff in Clarence, but Tonawanda Creek. Upstream got hit and it all has to go somewhere. We all know how often that thing floods.

[cpzilliacus]

N.Y. Times: Agency Cites Improper Loan Approval for New Tappan Zee Bridge

New York State officials proceeded in almost furtive fashion – without sufficiently informing the public or holding enough open meetings – in approving a $511 million loan from federal clean-water funds for the construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, an investigation by an independent state budget office reported on Thursday.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency ultimately rejected most of the loan request because it was going to be used for basic construction rather than cleaning water or helping the environment. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration regarded the loan as a crucial source of money for a project shepherded by the New York State Thruway Authority that is expected to cost $3.9 billion.

But the report by the State Authorities Budget Office, a watchdog over public authorities and public benefit corporations created in 2009, found that the board of the Environmental Facilities Corporation did not exercise sufficient scrutiny of the loan.

[Buffaboy]

I've been in Utica and have missed this amazing weather even. Not an inch of snow here. I hope when I go back soon I can witness what I missed. The highest I've seen is 4 ft really, and I've lived in the southtowns forever.

[cl94]

Thruway reopening at 3 PM, along with I-190, I-290, and US 219. NY 400 remains closed.

Exits 51-60 will be closed until further notice. I assume Exits 53 (I-190) and 55 (SB only, US 219) will be open, but cannot confirm.

[vdeane]

I looked at the traffic cameras on the Thruway earlier today.  Most of it looks pretty clear, so I wonder when they'll open it.  If they were willing to open in sections instead of all at once, it looks like I-390 to NY 33 could be opened now.  It would certainly help people to not starve.

Exits 51-60 will be closed until further notice. I assume Exits 53 (I-190) and 55 (SB only, US 219) will be open, but cannot confirm.

Seems pretty clear on that stretch.  When I was looking at the cameras, it appeared that more work was needed to clear snow around exit 52, Ripley, and a few random spots on the Erie ticket section.

[cl94]

I looked at the traffic cameras on the Thruway earlier today.  Most of it looks pretty clear, so I wonder when they'll open it.  If they were willing to open in sections instead of all at once, it looks like I-390 to NY 33 could be opened now.  It would certainly help people to not starve.

Exits 51-60 will be closed until further notice. I assume Exits 53 (I-190) and 55 (SB only, US 219) will be open, but cannot confirm.

Seems pretty clear on that stretch.  When I was looking at the cameras, it appeared that more work was needed to clear snow around exit 52, Ripley, and a few random spots on the Erie ticket section.

It's still snowing near the state line, so that's expected. Driving bans being lifted might actually allow Tops and Wegmans to restock their stores. It's pretty tense over here. I know on campus, one of the dining halls has little more than cereal because they couldn't restock and all 810 people in that complex had to stay in the building for 3 meals/day.

[Jim]

The way I heard the governor's statement, the Thruway from 51 to 61 will be open for through traffic and the onramps will be open, but no one will be allowed to exit in that stretch.

[roadman]

The way I heard the governor's statement, the Thruway from 51 to 61 will be open for through traffic and the onramps will be open, but no one will be allowed to exit in that stretch.

Correct.  From the Thruway web page:

NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY (I-90) TO REOPEN AT 3 PM FRIDAY - The New York State Thruway Authority has announced that the New York Thruway (I-90) in western New York from exits 46 - 61 including all service areas will reopen at 3 p.m. today.


The following restrictions will apply:
-Thruway (I-90) between exit 50A (Cleveland Drive) and exit 61 (Ripley — Pennsylvania state line) will be limited to essential travel only, including travel needed to exit the region, deliver necessary supplies, and remove snow. In this section, motorists will be allowed to enter the Thruway but will not be able to exit, with the exception of exit 53 (I-190), exit 54 (State Route 400) and exit 55 (US Route 219).

[cl94]

Thruway is open. East of I-290 is as usual. West of there, only exits 51, 53, 54, and 55 are open. One can get on at every entrance, but all other exits are restricted to commercial and emergency vehicles. I-190 is open, but exits 1-5 remain closed, as they are in the snowed-on area. US 219 is open. Traffic is high, recommended that non-essential traffic remain away.