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Utica NY Road Enthusiast Meet III - New Date: July 18, 2020

Started by baugh17, November 13, 2019, 09:50:19 AM

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Please select what day(s) would be best to reschedule the Utica meet.

July 11
6 (54.5%)
July 18
10 (90.9%)
July 25
7 (63.6%)

Total Members Voted: 11

Voting closed: May 31, 2020, 05:50:57 PM

baugh17

Since there seemed to be favorable interest in A.J.'s 2020 Meets thread, and because there were no upstate New York meets this year, I am going to go forward with planning a meet in Utica sometime next spring (This will be the third meet here, the last one being in May 2015).

Following the usual lunch, we will start with a walking tour of the Oriskany St. (NY 5S) reconstruction project in downtown Utica.  The rest of the tour would be dedicated to checking out some of the old Erie Canal and Oneida Creek bridges between Rome and Sylvan Beach in western Oneida County.  Other things that will be checked out will be (but not be limited to) the new NY 825 roundabouts and the completed NY 5/8/12 arterial, both of which have been built/completed since the last meet.  Obviously, I'll have some scouting out to do in the next few months, weather permitting, to confirm accessibility to some of the stops.

Most likely, the meet will be sometime in April or early May like the 2015 meet.  I am not going to post a poll at this time, but these are the dates I am considering (Feel free to provide feedback)...

March 28 (I don't want to have it earlier than this date as central New York winters can linger well into March)
April 4
April 11 (Easter weekend, I'm not opposed to having it on this weekend, but will put it out there and consider it if there's enough interest)
April 18
May 2
May 9

I am open to later dates, but I do have a lunch venue in mind and want to be mindful of other events or other road meets that may be planned or scheduled.

Questions/Comments/Additional Ideas - Please let me know.


cl94

I'm almost a given for this with how close I am. I could do anything other than Easter weekend (which I'll need to be in Buffalo for).
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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signalman

I can make any Saturday work with enough advance notice to my employer.  Easter weekend is very doable for me since I am definitely off on Easter Sunday (wouldn't require me to ask for a Sunday off as well as Saturday) and it's never been a big deal with my family.

froggie

18th would be out for me.  I'll be running a Star Wars 10K that morning down at Disneyworld.

A quick check shows May 9th as the San Antonio meet.  Though I can't imagine that would impact very many folks and it wouldn't be the first time there were two meets on the same day.

My preference would be for May over April.

A.J. Bertin

With the list of 2020 road meets that's continuing to grow, there are more and more meets being announced that I'm very interested in, including this one. I would really like to try and attend this, but realistically, the only dates I think that will work for me are the two earliest dates... March 28 and April 4. I don't want to be out of town on Easter weekend, and the rest of the weekends listed are either too close to my Outer Banks "city meet" (April 25) or Gene's San Antonio meet (May 9) that I'm also going to try to attend.

In Michigan, I always expect that the winter weather will remain a possibility until mid April... but that's a chance I'm willing to take in my suggestions of March 28 and April 4.
-A.J. from Michigan

74/171FAN

I will be in Alabama for a wedding on May 2nd so I am definitely not available that weekend.
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

cl94

It should be noted that, as of right now, this is the only meet planned for the Northeast in 2020. While I'd avoid throwing it on the same weekend as another meet just because people travel, MOST of the expected attendees are within daytrip distance.

Just keep Memorial Day weekend free (which currently isn't a suggested date). There have been rumblings of something else that weekend (but I'll let the host spill those beans if/when they have details firmed up).
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

A.J. Bertin

Quote from: cl94 on November 14, 2019, 03:48:12 PM
It should be noted that, as of right now, this is the only meet planned for the Northeast in 2020.

Actually, that's not quite true. David Golub is planning on hosting something next summer that focuses on the Long Island Rail Road Third Track project. (He shared his idea in the 2020 Meets thread and I added his meet to the list for 2020.)
-A.J. from Michigan

baugh17

#8
Quote from: cl94 on November 14, 2019, 03:48:12 PM
It should be noted that, as of right now, this is the only meet planned for the Northeast in 2020. While I'd avoid throwing it on the same weekend as another meet just because people travel, MOST of the expected attendees are within daytrip distance.

Just keep Memorial Day weekend free (which currently isn't a suggested date). There have been rumblings of something else that weekend (but I'll let the host spill those beans if/when they have details firmed up).

I'm not dismissing Memorial Day weekend (May 23) as a possibility at this time.  I would like to have this meet before the downtown Utica project gets to an advanced stage (Maybe it won't...just erring on the side of caution, I suppose) and Cincinnati is the following weekend.  I may add it as a suggested date depending on how said other plans play out.

I did not suggest May 16 as a potential date as that weekend is Utica College's commencement and, while most attendees would be within daytrip distance as you suggested, finding lodging could be a premium for those who choose to do so (Also could interfere with the walking tour portion of the meet).

Rothman

Heh.  My daughter went to UC for a year.  Most students commute or are from the immediate area.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

dgolub

Interested.  Passover is 4/8-16, so it would probably be best to avoid those dates if possible.

Brandon

Quote from: dgolub on November 30, 2019, 08:29:39 AM
Interested.  Passover is 4/8-16, so it would probably be best to avoid those dates if possible.

It's also Easter weekend (4/12).
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Laura

Quote from: A.J. Bertin on November 14, 2019, 09:05:15 PM
Quote from: cl94 on November 14, 2019, 03:48:12 PM
It should be noted that, as of right now, this is the only meet planned for the Northeast in 2020.

Actually, that's not quite true. David Golub is planning on hosting something next summer that focuses on the Long Island Rail Road Third Track project. (He shared his idea in the 2020 Meets thread and I added his meet to the list for 2020.)
Awesome!

Just wanted to clarify that Josh is referencing something in the Mid-Atlantic that another Mid-Atlantic person is putting together for Memorial Day Weekend. Again, waiting on the host to give details, but the MDRoads family is participating.

As for Utica, don't plan around me. All of the dates are maybes except for a hard no on April 12.

vdeane

As of this time, I'm unaware of any issues with my schedule for any of the dates listed except Easter weekend (though I could possibly try to make that work if I absolutely had to).  I have officially booked my vacation to MontrĂ©al for April 22-27, specifically because April 25 is not one of the days listed for this meet.  My preference would be for March 28 or May 9, to keep a free weekend in between my travel weekends.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

dgolub

Quote from: vdeane on January 02, 2020, 12:50:39 PM
As of this time, I'm unaware of any issues with my schedule for any of the dates listed except Easter weekend (though I could possibly try to make that work if I absolutely had to).  I have officially booked my vacation to MontrĂ©al for April 22-27, specifically because April 25 is not one of the days listed for this meet.  My preference would be for March 28 or May 9, to keep a free weekend in between my travel weekends.

I believe that either of these could work for me.  5/2 is probably a no-go on my end, though.

74/171FAN

Quote from: 74/171FAN on November 14, 2019, 07:12:49 AM
I will be in Alabama for a wedding on May 2nd so I am definitely not available that weekend.

May 9th looks to be out for me as well.
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

Dougtone

My selfish vote would be for May 2nd, because of a nearby waterfall to Utica that is open to the public two weekends per year. Check out the waterfall early, then go to the meet.
https://towntrenton.digitaltowpath.org:10031/content/Parks/View/4

baugh17

#17
Making it official...Saturday, May 9 at 11:30 am (Lunch tentatively at the 72 Tavern and Grill next to The Aud/Adirondack Bank Center in downtown).

For the third time, Utica will be the site of a road enthusiast meet.  This time, the meet will focus on the reconstruction of NY 5S through downtown.  We will also check out some old Erie Canal bridges in western Oneida County.  The meet is still in the planning stages so additional things may be added and tweaked between now and May 9.

RSVPs by May 1 would be greatly appreciated.

dgolub

Quote from: baugh17 on February 14, 2020, 09:44:11 PM
Making it official...Saturday, May 9 at 11:30 am

Barring some unforeseen circumstance, I'll be there.

okroads

Chances are high that I will be there. It's looking much more likely that I can make this versus the San Antonio meet the same day.

Alps

Mother's Day on the following day is going to make this more difficult (for me and in general).

baugh17

Quote from: Alps on February 15, 2020, 10:49:22 AM
Mother's Day on the following day is going to make this more difficult (for me and in general).

I am aware of it being on Mothers Day weekend.  I wanted to pick a spring date, but didn't want to have it too early (though I did consider it initially).  I also didn't want to have it the week before or after the OBX or Cincinnati meets, and May 16 is commencement weekend for Utica College.  This left May 9 as the best option.

A.J. Bertin

I'm strongly considering forgoing the San Antonio meet that I was planning to attend... in favor of this meet instead... for various reasons.
-A.J. from Michigan

Duke87

I'm in sort of the opposite boat as AJ... I've been to two Utica meets already and was in Utica just a couple weeks ago. It's old hat to me and offers very little clinching opportunity.

But I've never been off the interstate in San Antonio proper so that interests me far more as a destination.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

A.J. Bertin

Quote from: Duke87 on February 17, 2020, 01:08:36 AM
I'm in sort of the opposite boat as AJ... I've been to two Utica meets already and was in Utica just a couple weeks ago. It's old hat to me and offers very little clinching opportunity.

But I've never been off the interstate in San Antonio proper so that interests me far more as a destination.

Do you think there's a chance you might actually attend the San Antonio meet?
-A.J. from Michigan



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