New York

[cl94]

I could swear I saw one on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn yesterday, but I could be mistaken

[Flyer78]

New signs unrelated to the tourism campaign have been installed on I-81 south of Binghamton. They are APL for the I-81/86 split.

I-81N in the area has some new reassurance assemblies, I-81N / TO I-86; with NY 17 on the second line.

[Jim]

They do seem to be consistently using a light blue background on part of the signs.

[vdeane]

That one surprised me.  Normally there's warning as the press will report on when the municipality goes to NYSDOT for a speed study.  There was no news on anything until the change happened, making me wonder if such a study was ever done (plus is an obvious arterial, not much city-style development, and they seem to think that going 30 through the expanse of nothing near the state office campus won't be painful... how was this approved?).

Sounds like NY 198.

NY 198 is a state highway that was ordered to 30 by Cuomo in the immediate aftermath of an event that proved to be an excellent means for those who never wanted the freeway in the first place to steamroll over all opposition.  Washington Ave is not on the state highway system (just a city arterial), and I'm not aware of any specific issue with it; it would appear to simply be a victim of the dislike many Capital District municipalities (as well as the local MPO) have for automobiles.

[kalvado]

That one surprised me.  Normally there's warning as the press will report on when the municipality goes to NYSDOT for a speed study.  There was no news on anything until the change happened, making me wonder if such a study was ever done (plus is an obvious arterial, not much city-style development, and they seem to think that going 30 through the expanse of nothing near the state office campus won't be painful... how was this approved?).

Sounds like NY 198.

NY 198 is a state highway that was ordered to 30 by Cuomo in the immediate aftermath of an event that proved to be an excellent means for those who never wanted the freeway in the first place to steamroll over all opposition.  Washington Ave is not on the state highway system (just a city arterial), and I'm not aware of any specific issue with it; it would appear to simply be a victim of the dislike many Capital District municipalities (as well as the local MPO) have for automobiles.

Honestly speaking there is some sense in reducing the speed limit.
Foot traffic is increasing over there - there are plenty of hotels on the north side of Washington, and I am sort of uncomfortable telling people "yes, it is only half a mile - but you better get a car". Dorm students walking to Sunoco to buy beer are an issue as well. Now with a new dorm on the northern side, students crossing 7 lanes of traffic will become the new norm. 30 MPH gives them a small chance to graduate some day.

with 4 traffic light on the stretch, rush hour traffic is quite slow anyway. So I don't see All this as a big issue - beyond speed limit being slapped the way it is.  probably once rt. 85 work is completed, more traffic will shift over there. 

[mariethefoxy]

if theyre in college, they should be smart enough to know how to cross a street without getting killed.

[cl94]

if theyre in college, they should be smart enough to know how to cross a street without getting killed.

With how people drive on that stretch, I agree with the lowering. It was lowered east of Exit 2. Quite a few people running red lights and making rolling rights on red. I would have lowered it to 35, but 45 is too high for the stretch. Most of the 55 stretch is still intact (it drops to 45 a little earlier EB now)

Washington Ave is not on the state highway system (just a city arterial), and I'm not aware of any specific issue with it; it would appear to simply be a victim of the dislike many Capital District municipalities (as well as the local MPO) have for automobiles.

After living in Erie County, I call BS. Roads through farmland out there are 35-40. Good luck finding 55 for much on the surface. How much of US 9 is 55, even in pretty developed areas? Other than Grooms Rd-NY 146, Malta and Saratoga Springs, virtually everything from Latham to South Glens Falls is 55.

[kalvado]

if theyre in college, they should be smart enough to know how to cross a street without getting killed.

Come on, even if Monday to 5 PM Friday they are students, Friday night to Sunday they are primarily party-goers...

Most of the 55 stretch is still intact (it drops to 45 a little earlier EB now)

It was 45 for almost full year as DOT struggles to complete resurface project over there. Its a long story, and I almost feel that Washington ave. ext. saga is worth a separate post just to humiliate NYSDOT and their contractors (they well deserve that, for sure!)

[mariethefoxy]

how strict is the speed limit enforced tho? traffic is probably going the exact speed of the previous limit.

[Buffaboy]

if theyre in college, they should be smart enough to know how to cross a street without getting killed.

With how people drive on that stretch, I agree with the lowering. It was lowered east of Exit 2. Quite a few people running red lights and making rolling rights on red. I would have lowered it to 35, but 45 is too high for the stretch. Most of the 55 stretch is still intact (it drops to 45 a little earlier EB now)

Washington Ave is not on the state highway system (just a city arterial), and I'm not aware of any specific issue with it; it would appear to simply be a victim of the dislike many Capital District municipalities (as well as the local MPO) have for automobiles.

After living in Erie County, I call BS. Roads through farmland out there are 35-40. Good luck finding 55 for much on the surface. How much of US 9 is 55, even in pretty developed areas? Other than Grooms Rd-NY 146, Malta and Saratoga Springs, virtually everything from Latham to South Glens Falls is 55.

Many of the narrow farm roads in Clarence/Akron are probably 35/40, even though I stupidly thought that if a speed limit wasn't marked on such a road it just defaults to the state speed limit of 55. Or maybe it still does?

[machias]

This one was up on Tuesday afternoon, on I-84 West, town of Southeast, Putnam County:

One gets greeted with an identical sign and the subsequent series of tourism signs when leaving the parking lot of Syracuse Airport. I landed up at Watertown Airport last week and while I didn't drive out of the airport, I could see from the runway a similarly shaped series of signs in each direction on NY 12F.

[kalvado]

how strict is the speed limit enforced tho? traffic is probably going the exact speed of the previous limit.

Constant police presence is advertised.
Given that city of Albany is deep in red, I expect quite a few speeding tickets (later reduced to non-moving violations payable to the city) will be issued. Then there will be plenty of complains that city spending on officer overtime is out of control. Business as usual.

[cl94]

if theyre in college, they should be smart enough to know how to cross a street without getting killed.

With how people drive on that stretch, I agree with the lowering. It was lowered east of Exit 2. Quite a few people running red lights and making rolling rights on red. I would have lowered it to 35, but 45 is too high for the stretch. Most of the 55 stretch is still intact (it drops to 45 a little earlier EB now)

Washington Ave is not on the state highway system (just a city arterial), and I'm not aware of any specific issue with it; it would appear to simply be a victim of the dislike many Capital District municipalities (as well as the local MPO) have for automobiles.

After living in Erie County, I call BS. Roads through farmland out there are 35-40. Good luck finding 55 for much on the surface. How much of US 9 is 55, even in pretty developed areas? Other than Grooms Rd-NY 146, Malta and Saratoga Springs, virtually everything from Latham to South Glens Falls is 55.

Many of the narrow farm roads in Clarence/Akron are probably 35/40, even though I stupidly thought that if a speed limit wasn't marked on such a road it just defaults to the state speed limit of 55. Or maybe it still does?

It is 55 unless signed otherwise, but most are signed at 40. And as far as enforcement, they often are. An example I'll give is Cemetery Rd in Lancaster. In 2011-12, they rebuilt a bridge, widened and improved geometry. The speed limit was lowered from 45 to 35 and there is always a town cop running radar. Half the time, the cop is hiding behind a hedge in the cemetery.

how strict is the speed limit enforced tho? traffic is probably going the exact speed of the previous limit.

Constant police presence is advertised.
Given that city of Albany is deep in red, I expect quite a few speeding tickets (later reduced to non-moving violations payable to the city) will be issued. Then there will be plenty of complains that city spending on officer overtime is out of control. Business as usual.

And knowing Albany, it probably is strictly enforced. I don't speed on city streets for a reason.

[vdeane]

Come to think of it, this might be in response to the number of red light camera tickets issues being FAR lower than expected (to the point that it looks like the red light running issue the city and media were harping about looks like it was made up to justify the cameras).  Sure, the city CLAIMS the cameras weren't about revenue, but the fact that they were banking on getting $2 million a year from them (based on projections from the company that runs the cameras) to plug a hole in the budget shows otherwise.

In any case, driving along this stretch will feel painful.

I've never been a fan of the "let's make it 30 because it's in a city and we don't want to teach pedestrians how to use a crosswalk" argument.  IMO it's absurd that the stretch of road I linked to and Lark Street will have the same speed limit despite being very different in terms of roadway character.  It just teaches people that speed limits are about politicians scoring political points and not about safety.

Washington Ave is not on the state highway system (just a city arterial), and I'm not aware of any specific issue with it; it would appear to simply be a victim of the dislike many Capital District municipalities (as well as the local MPO) have for automobiles.

After living in Erie County, I call BS. Roads through farmland out there are 35-40. Good luck finding 55 for much on the surface. How much of US 9 is 55, even in pretty developed areas? Other than Grooms Rd-NY 146, Malta and Saratoga Springs, virtually everything from Latham to South Glens Falls is 55.

Let's put it this way: if the director of CDTC had his way, Wolf Road would have the speed limit reduced to 25, and a road diet would be done through the entire corridor, including around Colonie Center.  Many of the municipalities were horrified that people got tickets for jaywalking on Central Avenue recently.  The differences between Region 1 and CDTC are like night and day (personal opinion emphasized).

[Snappyjack]

I've never been a fan of the "let's make it 30 because it's in a city and we don't want to teach pedestrians how to use a crosswalk" argument.  IMO it's absurd that the stretch of road I linked to and Lark Street will have the same speed limit despite being very different in terms of roadway character.  It just teaches people that speed limits are about politicians scoring political points and not about safety.

A long standing offender in this category is also Southern Blvd (9W) from the Thruway/787 down to the Normans Kill bridge. A road designed for at least 40 signed as 30(it's 45 once you cross into Bethlehem). Adding insult to injury, when heading NB you are greeting with a city speed limit sign of 30 when you haven't even crossed the bridge into Albany yet. That one has always boggled my mind, and city cops sit there quite often.

[kalvado]

In any case, driving along this stretch will feel painful.

I've never been a fan of the "let's make it 30 because it's in a city and we don't want to teach pedestrians how to use a crosswalk" argument.  IMO it's absurd that the stretch of road I linked to and Lark Street will have the same speed limit despite being very different in terms of roadway character.  It just teaches people that speed limits are about politicians scoring political points and not about safety.

Well, that stretch is less than 1 mile long from traffic light at Brevator to traffic light at medical center. There 45, and even 55  may be reasonable as you accelerate downhill. Then there are 4 (of course non-synchronized) lights over the next less than a mile stretch with significant number of pedestrians - and there 30 is realistic for traffic light progression.  While posted at 45, detour through SUNY campus at 25 MPH often makes sense.
I am not sure posting 1 mile at higher speed limit actually makes sense (or legal after all)
If they mess with state office campus and access to 85, then things would start hurting. Until then, I wouldn't really worry. Although state campus roads are designed under influence to begin with...

[cl94]

NYSDOT just released a new batch of plans and this one is HUUUUUUUUUUGE. Region 5 will be installing their first FYA at the intersection of NY 78 and Tonawanda Creek Rd in Amherst. It will be a 3-section permissive-only. Plans are here.

[74/171FAN]

NYSDOT just released a new batch of plans and this one is HUUUUUUUUUUGE. Region 5 will be installing their first FYA at the intersection of NY 78 and Tonawanda Creek Rd in Amherst. It will be a 3-section permissive-only. Plans are here.

I remember seeing 3 headed FYAs in NC.  (example here is on Timber Dr at Grovemont Rd in Garner)  I think the ones in NC though still have a lead protected-green though but I am not certain on that.

[froggie]

The 3-headed FYAs in North Carolina do not have a protected-green.  There are examples along US 17 in northeastern NC (at NC 45 specifically comes to mind).

[Buffaboy]

NYSDOT just released a new batch of plans and this one is HUUUUUUUUUUGE. Region 5 will be installing their first FYA at the intersection of NY 78 and Tonawanda Creek Rd in Amherst. It will be a 3-section permissive-only. Plans are here.

Appropriately linked video. I'll have to check that junction out soon, pretty sure I haven't seen an FYA in person yet.

Edit: IIRC that's an unsignalized intersection that definitely needs a signal.

[cl94]

It is an unsignalized intersection. Surprised that R5 of all places is doing one the first permissive-only left turn installation that isn't along NY 33 in Rochester. They're typically the last to adopt new practices.

[storm2k]

NYSDOT just released a new batch of plans and this one is HUUUUUUUUUUGE. Region 5 will be installing their first FYA at the intersection of NY 78 and Tonawanda Creek Rd in Amherst. It will be a 3-section permissive-only. Plans are here.

Appropriately linked video. I'll have to check that junction out soon, pretty sure I haven't seen an FYA in person yet.

Edit: IIRC that's an unsignalized intersection that definitely needs a signal.

I've seen a couple of them that are in the City. I'd be curious to know if they are helping with making sure drivers know to yield to pedestrians before making their turn (although in the City, pedestrians will usually just go so you don't have a choice as a driver).

[D-Dey65]

That one is at the state line. The one on the LIE west of Riverhead that I saw an hour ago isn't. Region 10 is also signing the Peconic River, LI Sound, and "South Shore" watersheds along the LIE.

I saw those types of signs when I was up north in June. The closest the LIE comes to the South Shore is in places like Medford. Granted, there are protected areas near the headwaters of the Connetquot River near Exit 58, and the Carmans River crosses under the LIE between Exits 67 and 68. In any case, it's obvious the whole idea is to push tourism in the state. Now if they could only build and rebuild the roads so that they could handle all those tourists, that'd be a really decent favor.

[vdeane]

Interesting thing I notice today: all the rest areas and parking areas on the Northway now say they're sponsored by Geico.

[cl94]

Interesting thing I notice today: all the rest areas and parking areas on the Northway now say they're sponsored by Geico.

The signs went up a month or two ago. Money grab.