New York

[vdeane]

The City of Troy and the City of Watervliet just did a study to re-imagine the area around the Congress Street Bridge.  The study imagines a road diet with a bike/ped path on the bridge, returning Ferry Street to two-way traffic, and other changes around the area.  It will be interesting to watch this area in the coming years.

https://www.troyny.gov/departments/planning-department/city-projects/congress-street-bridge-study/

[PHLBOS]

Why is the speed limit still 55 on part of I-84 in New York? Most rural freeways in New York are 65.

Guess on my part; such is still 55 due to its relatively close proximity to Danbury, CT as well as the traffic loads east of I-684.  IMHO, the stretch from the CT border to I-684 should be widened to 6-lanes.  If such were to happen maybe that stretch would receive a 65 mph limit.

[storm2k]

Why is the speed limit still 55 on part of I-84 in New York? Most rural freeways in New York are 65.

Guess on my part; such is still 55 due to its relatively close proximity to Danbury, CT as well as the traffic loads east of I-684.  IMHO, the stretch from the CT border to I-684 should be widened to 6-lanes.  If such were to happen maybe that stretch would receive a 65 mph limit.

Does it have to do with the fact that 84 used to be maintained by the Thruway Authority even though it wasn't one of their toll roads? I know they're more conservative about using 65MPH speed limits than NYSDOT is.

[PHLBOS]

Why is the speed limit still 55 on part of I-84 in New York? Most rural freeways in New York are 65.

Guess on my part; such is still 55 due to its relatively close proximity to Danbury, CT as well as the traffic loads east of I-684.  IMHO, the stretch from the CT border to I-684 should be widened to 6-lanes.  If such were to happen maybe that stretch would receive a 65 mph limit.

Does it have to do with the fact that 84 used to be maintained by the Thruway Authority even though it wasn't one of their toll roads? I know they're more conservative about using 65MPH speed limits than NYSDOT is.

That would likely the reasoning for not doing such then; but not necessarily now.

[kalvado]

The City of Troy and the City of Watervliet just did a study to re-imagine the area around the Congress Street Bridge.  The study imagines a road diet with a bike/ped path on the bridge, returning Ferry Street to two-way traffic, and other changes around the area.  It will be interesting to watch this area in the coming years.

https://www.troyny.gov/departments/planning-department/city-projects/congress-street-bridge-study/

I have some - or maybe a lot - of doubt there will be a lot of foot-bike traffic in tthose cool lanes. Trees on the bridge seem to be another case of DUI - design under influence.
Traffic over there is not too high - there is no direct connection to 787, making bridge inefficient for longer drives. So reducing to 2 lanes may be not that bad.
My bigger concern though is that Troy is acting like a firewall, throttling through traffic towards VT, without a good way to bypass city grid.

[Jim]

The City of Troy and the City of Watervliet just did a study to re-imagine the area around the Congress Street Bridge.  The study imagines a road diet with a bike/ped path on the bridge, returning Ferry Street to two-way traffic, and other changes around the area.  It will be interesting to watch this area in the coming years.

https://www.troyny.gov/departments/planning-department/city-projects/congress-street-bridge-study/

I admit I only looked at this briefly, but one immediate concern I'd have with the lane reductions is the amount of truck traffic that struggles to accelerate up the fairly steep grades of that bridge would now become much more of a bottleneck if no one can pass them.

[cl94]

I'd be more okay with the proposed Congress Street Bridge diet if they didn't want to diet the Green Island Bridge at the same time. Both being done would cut cross-river capacity by a LOT.

My bigger concern though is that Troy is acting like a firewall, throttling through traffic towards VT, without a good way to bypass city grid.

Oh, there are people in Troy who want to diet 7, too.

[kalvado]

I'd be more okay with the proposed Congress Street Bridge diet if they didn't want to diet the Green Island Bridge at the same time. Both being done would cut cross-river capacity by a LOT.

My bigger concern though is that Troy is acting like a firewall, throttling through traffic towards VT, without a good way to bypass city grid.

Oh, there are people in Troy who want to diet 7, too.

I sort of understand that 7 is an out of place thing. I just don't see good options being available or discussed. With Cohoes throttling 787, and Waterford apparently not interested in any future d.3velopment as well, this is a tough situation overall.

[jp the roadgeek]

Why is the speed limit still 55 on part of I-84 in New York? Most rural freeways in New York are 65.

Guess on my part; such is still 55 due to its relatively close proximity to Danbury, CT as well as the traffic loads east of I-684.  IMHO, the stretch from the CT border to I-684 should be widened to 6-lanes.  If such were to happen maybe that stretch would receive a 65 mph limit.

Does it have to do with the fact that 84 used to be maintained by the Thruway Authority even though it wasn't one of their toll roads? I know they're more conservative about using 65MPH speed limits than NYSDOT is.

That would likely the reasoning for not doing such then; but not necessarily now.

The speed limit on the CT side of the border is 55, so it really doesn't make sense to raise the limit between 684 and the border to 65 when it will drop back to 55 within 2 miles (and 50 a couple miles later near the US 7 junction).  And it drops to 55 near MP 65 because 684 is a major junction (as it does through the Newburgh area and over the bridge). 

[Rothman]

Why is the speed limit still 55 on part of I-84 in New York? Most rural freeways in New York are 65.

Guess on my part; such is still 55 due to its relatively close proximity to Danbury, CT as well as the traffic loads east of I-684.  IMHO, the stretch from the CT border to I-684 should be widened to 6-lanes.  If such were to happen maybe that stretch would receive a 65 mph limit.

Does it have to do with the fact that 84 used to be maintained by the Thruway Authority even though it wasn't one of their toll roads? I know they're more conservative about using 65MPH speed limits than NYSDOT is.

That would likely the reasoning for not doing such then; but not necessarily now.

The speed limit on the CT side of the border is 55, so it really doesn't make sense to raise the limit between 684 and the border to 65 when it will drop back to 55 within 2 miles (and 50 a couple miles later near the US 7 junction).  And it drops to 55 near MP 65 because 684 is a major junction (as it does through the Newburgh area and over the bridge).

84 should be 65 all the way across NY.

[vdeane]

I'd be more okay with the proposed Congress Street Bridge diet if they didn't want to diet the Green Island Bridge at the same time. Both being done would cut cross-river capacity by a LOT.

My bigger concern though is that Troy is acting like a firewall, throttling through traffic towards VT, without a good way to bypass city grid.

Oh, there are people in Troy who want to diet 7, too.

The AADT on Green Island is 13k.  Congress Street, 15k.  Hoosick Street... yeah, that's a bit much for a road diet.  It's worth nothing, however, that in my experience NY 7 feels like it moves much better in Troy than in Brunswick.

[webny99]

My bigger concern though is that Troy is acting like a firewall, throttling through traffic towards VT, without a good way to bypass city grid.

Oh, there are people in Troy who want to diet 7, too.

The AADT on Green Island is 13k.  Congress Street, 15k.  Hoosick Street... yeah, that's a bit much for a road diet.  It's worth nothing, however, that in my experience NY 7 feels like it moves much better in Troy than in Brunswick.

Are there any long term plans to address NY 7 in Brunswick? The section just beyond the Troy city limits reminds me a lot of NY 404 in Webster - a major commercial corridor with too much traffic for two lanes, even with the TWLTL. At a certain point, intersection improvements just won't cut it and a full-on widening is the only answer (see NY 404 and Five Mile Line Rd, which got new right turn lanes on all approaches and still backs up).

[froggie]

Oh, there are people in Troy who want to diet 7, too.

Count me amongst them, but probably not in the way that you (or they) would expect.  Having done that road more times than I can count, I'm of the viewpoint that the left westbound (downhill) lane should be converted into TWLTL.  The two biggest issues by far with 7 along Hoosick St are the lack of left turn lanes above 10th St (NY 40) and the abhorrent signal timing.

Are there any long term plans to address NY 7 in Brunswick? The section just beyond the Troy city limits reminds me a lot of NY 404 in Webster - a major commercial corridor with too much traffic for two lanes, even with the TWLTL. At a certain point, intersection improvements just won't cut it and a full-on widening is the only answer (see NY 404 and Five Mile Line Rd, which got new right turn lanes on all approaches and still backs up).

Not worth it because you'd create additional bottleneck stress with the Troy segment.  Some of those buildings and parking lots are quite close to the roadway as well.

[webny99]

The two biggest issues by far with 7 along Hoosick St are the lack of left turn lanes above 10th St (NY 40) and the abhorrent signal timing.

To a certain extent, those are inseparable issues, in that the lack of turn lanes reduces flow through the intersections and causes traffic delays that would upset a normal speed-based approach to timing.

Are there any long term plans to address NY 7 in Brunswick? ...

Not worth it because you'd create additional bottleneck stress with the Troy segment. ...

Only in the westbound direction, correct? The traffic issues seem to be more prevalent in the afternoon (during the eastbound peak) with the mix of commuting traffic, shoppers, truck drivers, etc.

[crispy93]

Why is the speed limit still 55 on part of I-84 in New York? Most rural freeways in New York are 65.

Guess on my part; such is still 55 due to its relatively close proximity to Danbury, CT as well as the traffic loads east of I-684.  IMHO, the stretch from the CT border to I-684 should be widened to 6-lanes.  If such were to happen maybe that stretch would receive a 65 mph limit.

Does it have to do with the fact that 84 used to be maintained by the Thruway Authority even though it wasn't one of their toll roads? I know they're more conservative about using 65MPH speed limits than NYSDOT is.

I thought NYSTA was more liberal with their 65s than NYSDOT. Like a busy section of 87/287 between 287/Mahwah and the GSP connector is impressively 65. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought after NSML, NYSTA raised the Orange County section to 65 and left the rest at 55. In the 90s, 65 zones still had to be approved by the legislature and are still currently written into law. Then around 2008/2009, NYSDOT took back over and raised most of the eastern section to 65.

I think the current 55 zones are appropriate. 84 definitely needs 6 lanes between 684 and Danbury. 684 north-84 east ramp is always backed up.

Anyone know what the limit was on 84 when it first opened?

[cl94]

NYSTA is more liberal with 65 than NYSDOT in my experience. The entire Thruway system Upstate aside from the free section of 90, 190 through Buffalo, and the Grand Island Bridges is 65. Thruway mainline north of the Garden State Parkway is entirely 65 aside from that aforementioned free section through Buffalo. NYSDOT wouldn't post the Castleton Bridge or a few other things at 65. The Thruway through Albany probably wouldn't be 65 if it were a NYSDOT road given how speed limits are set in Region 1.

[Alps]

You're all talking about 65 vs. 55 as if anyone enforces below 75 in either case.

[Rothman]

You're all talking about 65 vs. 55 as if anyone enforces below 75 in either case.

On NY 85 they enforced over 70 in the 55.

[Alps]

You're all talking about 65 vs. 55 as if anyone enforces below 75 in either case.

On NY 85 they enforced over 70 in the 55.

I am talking about I-84, not the Albany area. The general DC-Boston corridor seems to allow traffic to flow at 75-80.

[SignBridge]

Back in the 1980's and into the 90's there was  a lot of police radar speed enforcement in the Northeast in general. Most of that was paid for by the Feds who bought hundreds of radar units for the states to enforce the double-nickel. But those radar units eventually wore out and speed limits gradually came back up to 65 and so enforcement became much less vigorous.

[jp the roadgeek]

NYSTA is more liberal with 65 than NYSDOT in my experience. The entire Thruway system Upstate aside from the free section of 90, 190 through Buffalo, and the Grand Island Bridges is 65. Thruway mainline north of the Garden State Parkway is entirely 65 aside from that aforementioned free section through Buffalo. NYSDOT wouldn't post the Castleton Bridge or a few other things at 65. The Thruway through Albany probably wouldn't be 65 if it were a NYSDOT road given how speed limits are set in Region 1.

Tell me about it.  Why NYSDOT keeps the eastern portion of the LIE at 55, especially beyond Farmingville, is beyond me. 

[fmendes]

NYSTA is more liberal with 65 than NYSDOT in my experience. The entire Thruway system Upstate aside from the free section of 90, 190 through Buffalo, and the Grand Island Bridges is 65. Thruway mainline north of the Garden State Parkway is entirely 65 aside from that aforementioned free section through Buffalo. NYSDOT wouldn't post the Castleton Bridge or a few other things at 65. The Thruway through Albany probably wouldn't be 65 if it were a NYSDOT road given how speed limits are set in Region 1.

Tell me about it.  Why NYSDOT keeps the eastern portion of the LIE at 55, especially beyond Farmingville, is beyond me.

the design speed is accually 65 on the LIE but it was lowered during the oil crisis and now its kept at 55 for a margin of error

[Roadgeekteen]

NYSTA is more liberal with 65 than NYSDOT in my experience. The entire Thruway system Upstate aside from the free section of 90, 190 through Buffalo, and the Grand Island Bridges is 65. Thruway mainline north of the Garden State Parkway is entirely 65 aside from that aforementioned free section through Buffalo. NYSDOT wouldn't post the Castleton Bridge or a few other things at 65. The Thruway through Albany probably wouldn't be 65 if it were a NYSDOT road given how speed limits are set in Region 1.

Tell me about it.  Why NYSDOT keeps the eastern portion of the LIE at 55, especially beyond Farmingville, is beyond me.

the design speed is accually 65 on the LIE but it was lowered during the oil crisis and now its kept at 55 for a margin of error

Margin of error? What? Is there a 10 mph margin of error?

[webny99]

Regardless, I think it could be 65 mph no problem. But NY just doesn't seem to see Long Island as "rural". I struggle to see it that way myself at times.

[seicer]

I mean, wide swaths of NY 17 through the Catskills is underposted at 55 MPH despite the 85th percentile around 70 MPH (from what I recall when I searched for the data before). The curves can be posted with advisory panels just like any other highway in any other state.