New York

[SignBridge]

Wow! Old button-copy signs? That's on the eastern end of the Cross-Westchester Expwy. The signs on the western part of that road were replaced with the widening/modernization project some years back.

[crispy93]

Still can't believe after the recent sign replacements in the area, the I-287 mainline and I-684 signs weren't replaced.

I drove through there two weekends ago and they were replacing one of the last Tappan Zee Br signs on the service road. Some of the Westchester signs on the Hutch have been replaced, though the new exit number is patched over with the old sequential number for how. The new signs remain inconsistent (some of them use the line to separate the road name from the town, the s/b exit for the Cross-County doesn't have a LEFT above the exit panel... let's hope the spell Merritt Pkwy correctly and actually post 684's exit number because in NYSDOT's sign plans, there were a number of mistakes and inconsistencies. R8 told me the Bronx section is getting mile markers but I didn't see them on Sunday when I drove down.

[vdeane]

Not sure how we haven't noticed this for so long, but last week concepts for the removal of some or all (depending of the concept) of the remainder of the Inner Loop were revealed.  A lot of these go so far as to remove I-490 exit 13, and all of them eliminate the connection from University Avenue to the (likely soon to be former) Inner Loop.  Some even have the replacement road as only two lanes wide (total), which is going to be interesting as the Inner Loop has an AADT of 47,364 over the river and 30,745 in the sunken portion.  Now our senators are looking to get money to do this as part of the infrastructure package.

https://www.wxxinews.org/post/initial-designs-inner-loop-north-released

[cl94]

Not sure how we haven't noticed this for so long, but last week concepts for the removal of some or all (depending of the concept) of the remainder of the Inner Loop were revealed.  A lot of these go so far as to remove I-490 exit 13, and all of them eliminate the connection from University Avenue to the (likely soon to be former) Inner Loop.  Some even have the replacement road as only two lanes wide (total), which is going to be interesting as the Inner Loop has an AADT of 47,364 over the river and 30,745 in the sunken portion.  Now our senators are looking to get money to do this as part of the infrastructure package.

Like 81, this reeks of "we don't want to replace the bridges which are needing replacement, so let's remove the freeway instead".

As far as AADT over the river, my GUESS is that, without a direct freeway connection, models have traffic dispersing to other crossings or using the Douglass-Anthony bridge.

[astralentity]

So what was the overarching excuse to delete the Inner Loop?  If its the "r" word, I don't find that to be a valid excuse for removing a vital corridor.

[cl94]

So what was the overarching excuse to delete the Inner Loop?  If its the "r" word, I don't find that to be a valid excuse for removing a vital corridor.

"Improve the neighborhood" or something along those terms, which is code for "encourage gentrification and increase property values". Basically, the area around the removed section of the Inner Loop is gentrifying to hell, so they hope that removing more will spur more gentrification.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Does it serve any purpose in its current form? Might as well fill it in. City needs more than development in that area as is. Just built a beautiful new Amtrak station nearby.

[vdeane]

Does it serve any purpose in its current form? Might as well fill it in. City needs more than development in that area as is. Just built a beautiful new Amtrak station nearby.

I'm pretty sure it serves a purpose for the 30-47k people that use it everyday.  I didn't even add in the AADT of the side roads.  That's going to be quite a bit of traffic to fit on the two-lane road in some concepts.  Even the four-lane might have issues in sections during heavier traffic times.

[D-Dey65]

Who here is familiar with Valley Stream State Park along Southern State Parkway? Because if you are, you know about the park road running parallel to the eastbound lanes between parking lots 1 and 2, as well as the on-ramp from Henry Street. So my question is how do you access parking lot number 2? Because all the signs I see leading to that parking lot read "Do Not Enter." You'd think that the one from the park road would have an entrance, but it doesn't.

[cl94]

Who here is familiar with Valley Stream State Park along Southern State Parkway? Because if you are, you know about the park road running parallel to the eastbound lanes between parking lots 1 and 2, as well as the on-ramp from Henry Street. So my question is how do you access parking lot number 2? Because all the signs I see leading to that parking lot read "Do Not Enter." You'd think that the one from the park road would have an entrance, but it doesn't.

You get in from the park road, but you have to get there through field 1. That "do not enter" sign from the park road on GSV flips when field 2 is open.

[mariethefoxy]

Who here is familiar with Valley Stream State Park along Southern State Parkway? Because if you are, you know about the park road running parallel to the eastbound lanes between parking lots 1 and 2, as well as the on-ramp from Henry Street. So my question is how do you access parking lot number 2? Because all the signs I see leading to that parking lot read "Do Not Enter." You'd think that the one from the park road would have an entrance, but it doesn't.

it looks like you get there from following the exit road out of Field 1

[empirestate]

Does it serve any purpose in its current form? Might as well fill it in. City needs more than development in that area as is. Just built a beautiful new Amtrak station nearby.

Certainly it does, as did the eastern leg that's already been removed. The point is that you have to remove the purpose; there's no point leaving the road if you're just going to raise it to the surface. Send that traffic back down University/Andrews or Main Street, and just forget the Inner Loop ever existed. We don't need another North Chestnut or Ford Street; if the Inner Loop tears up neighborhood, then erase it and let them knit back together. Otherwise, refocus efforts.

[vdeane]

The thing is, the section of Inner Loop they now want to remove carries several times more traffic than the section they already removed did.  I'm not sure where all that is supposed to go, especially since I-490 was pretty much built on the model that access to downtown would be from the Inner Loop.

[cl94]

It should be noted that most surface streets inside the Inner Loop are well under capacity. Remove the exit for the Inner Loop and people will use University/Andrews, Broad, and the Clinton/St Paul-South one way pair, all of which can handle increased traffic.

[vdeane]

It should be noted that most surface streets inside the Inner Loop are well under capacity. Remove the exit for the Inner Loop and people will use University/Andrews, Broad, and the Clinton/St Paul-South one way pair, all of which can handle increased traffic.

You still have to somehow get to those streets from I-490, though.  To/from the east there's exit 14, but how will I-490 flow with so much more traffic using that exit (particularly getting on; the exit 13 on ramp currently adds a lane).  To/from the west, there wouldn't be good access at all, as the only downtown exits on I-490 in that direction are the current/former Inner Loop ones.

[kernals12]

It should be noted that most surface streets inside the Inner Loop are well under capacity. Remove the exit for the Inner Loop and people will use University/Andrews, Broad, and the Clinton/St Paul-South one way pair, all of which can handle increased traffic.

I think most people would consider having quiet surface streets to be a good thing.

[D-Dey65]

You get in from the park road, but you have to get there through field 1. That "do not enter" sign from the park road on GSV flips when field 2 is open.

Ahh, I was hoping that was the case. Thanks for the info. Now I have to update a certain image of the sign.

[crispy93]

I tried searching here but does anyone know why the NY 27 freeway (Lindenhurst to Shinnecock Hills) starts at Exit 37? Were there theoretical exit numbers assigned to an unbuilt freeway? Exit 37 is at mile 35 (according to Wiki) so that couldn't be it either.

I did once write to NYSDOT R11 asking if 27 will ever get mile-based exits. I was told there is no such project in the works, but when the time comes, they probably will be mile-based (R8 told me the same thing about the Palisades Parkway).

[SignBridge]

I tried searching here but does anyone know why the NY 27 freeway (Lindenhurst to Shinnecock Hills) starts at Exit 37? Were there theoretical exit numbers assigned to an unbuilt freeway? Exit 37 is at mile 35 (according to Wiki) so that couldn't be it either.

I did once write to NYSDOT R11 asking if 27 will ever get mile-based exits. I was told there is no such project in the works, but when the time comes, they probably will be mile-based (R8 told me the same thing about the Palisades Parkway).

You're probably right about the unbuilt freeway. I don't remember any specific plan to make Sunrise Hwy. an expressway in Nassau but DOT may have had such a plan, that was never carried out. Too bad; it would have been a good idea given the traffic conditions on Long Island today.

[Great Lakes Roads]

As of July 7 at midnight, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge has been switched to AET! 

[seicer]

Governor Cuomo Announces Dedication of New Park Space along Niagara Gorge Rim in Niagara Falls, Created Through Removal of Segment of Former Expressway

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the dedication of a major project that removed an underutilized, two-mile stretch of the former Robert Moses Parkway - now called the Niagara Scenic Parkway - in the City of Niagara Falls and created a stunning new area in Niagara Falls State Park called "Gorgeview," which provides unimpeded access to the Niagara Gorge and improved recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The project removed the segment of the parkway from Main Street to Findlay Drive and replaced it with new green space that features picnic areas, scenic overlooks with majestic views and a network of recreational trails. Additionally, the New York State Department of Transportation completed a full-depth reconstruction of Whirlpool Street and a segment of Third Street to accommodate local vehicular access, from the parkway and adjoining city streets. New street lighting, landscaping, traffic control devices, pedestrian crosswalks, on-street parking areas, drainage improvements and upgrades to entrance drives and park trolley paths around the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center also were among the improvements.

[...]

NYPA built the parkway in stages between 1958 and 1967 as part of the construction of the nearby Niagara Power Project.  It was then viewed as necessary to both enhance tourism to compete with the Canadian side of the Falls, and to also dramatically reduce commuting times in the area. A section of the parkway that ran through the State Park and the Falls was removed in the 1980s. By 2013, after a pilot project and a number of planning studies called for reconfiguration or removal of segments of the expressway to allow full enjoyment of the Niagara Gorge's great resources, Governor Cuomo announced two removal projects, first the "Riverway" completed in 2017, which removed a mile of the parkway on the Upper Niagara River, followed by the current Niagara Gorge Project, which removed an additional two miles along the gorge rim. These efforts join a number of similar completed and planned expressway removal projects across the United States targeted to remove physical barriers to full access in urban neighborhoods.

--

I knew that part of the original Moses Parkway went through the state park, whose remnants are slowly being erased with each improvement project to the state park - I just didn't realize that it had been removed back in the 1980s. I also remembered visiting the park as a kid - when it was quite run-down and worn out. The park has received significant investments over the past decade and it looks remarkably cleaner and more maintained.

[kalvado]

Governor Cuomo Announces Dedication of New Park Space along Niagara Gorge Rim in Niagara Falls, Created Through Removal of Segment of Former Expressway

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the dedication of a major project that removed an underutilized, two-mile stretch of the former Robert Moses Parkway - now called the Niagara Scenic Parkway - in the City of Niagara Falls and created a stunning new area in Niagara Falls State Park called "Gorgeview," which provides unimpeded access to the Niagara Gorge and improved recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The project removed the segment of the parkway from Main Street to Findlay Drive and replaced it with new green space that features picnic areas, scenic overlooks with majestic views and a network of recreational trails. Additionally, the New York State Department of Transportation completed a full-depth reconstruction of Whirlpool Street and a segment of Third Street to accommodate local vehicular access, from the parkway and adjoining city streets. New street lighting, landscaping, traffic control devices, pedestrian crosswalks, on-street parking areas, drainage improvements and upgrades to entrance drives and park trolley paths around the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center also were among the improvements.

[...]

NYPA built the parkway in stages between 1958 and 1967 as part of the construction of the nearby Niagara Power Project.  It was then viewed as necessary to both enhance tourism to compete with the Canadian side of the Falls, and to also dramatically reduce commuting times in the area. A section of the parkway that ran through the State Park and the Falls was removed in the 1980s. By 2013, after a pilot project and a number of planning studies called for reconfiguration or removal of segments of the expressway to allow full enjoyment of the Niagara Gorge's great resources, Governor Cuomo announced two removal projects, first the "Riverway" completed in 2017, which removed a mile of the parkway on the Upper Niagara River, followed by the current Niagara Gorge Project, which removed an additional two miles along the gorge rim. These efforts join a number of similar completed and planned expressway removal projects across the United States targeted to remove physical barriers to full access in urban neighborhoods.

--

I knew that part of the original Moses Parkway went through the state park, whose remnants are slowly being erased with each improvement project to the state park - I just didn't realize that it had been removed back in the 1980s. I also remembered visiting the park as a kid - when it was quite run-down and worn out. The park has received significant investments over the past decade and it looks remarkably cleaner and more maintained.

Did they spent anything on better restrooms over that decade?

[D-Dey65]

Governor Cuomo Announces Dedication of New Park Space along Niagara Gorge Rim in Niagara Falls, Created Through Removal of Segment of Former Expressway

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the dedication of a major project that removed an underutilized, two-mile stretch of the former Robert Moses Parkway - now called the Niagara Scenic Parkway - in the City of Niagara Falls and created a stunning new area in Niagara Falls State Park called "Gorgeview," which provides unimpeded access to the Niagara Gorge and improved recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The project removed the segment of the parkway from Main Street to Findlay Drive and replaced it with new green space that features picnic areas, scenic overlooks with majestic views and a network of recreational trails. Additionally, the New York State Department of Transportation completed a full-depth reconstruction of Whirlpool Street and a segment of Third Street to accommodate local vehicular access, from the parkway and adjoining city streets. New street lighting, landscaping, traffic control devices, pedestrian crosswalks, on-street parking areas, drainage improvements and upgrades to entrance drives and park trolley paths around the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center also were among the improvements.

[...]

NYPA built the parkway in stages between 1958 and 1967 as part of the construction of the nearby Niagara Power Project.  It was then viewed as necessary to both enhance tourism to compete with the Canadian side of the Falls, and to also dramatically reduce commuting times in the area. A section of the parkway that ran through the State Park and the Falls was removed in the 1980s. By 2013, after a pilot project and a number of planning studies called for reconfiguration or removal of segments of the expressway to allow full enjoyment of the Niagara Gorge's great resources, Governor Cuomo announced two removal projects, first the "Riverway" completed in 2017, which removed a mile of the parkway on the Upper Niagara River, followed by the current Niagara Gorge Project, which removed an additional two miles along the gorge rim. These efforts join a number of similar completed and planned expressway removal projects across the United States targeted to remove physical barriers to full access in urban neighborhoods.

--

I knew that part of the original Moses Parkway went through the state park, whose remnants are slowly being erased with each improvement project to the state park - I just didn't realize that it had been removed back in the 1980s. I also remembered visiting the park as a kid - when it was quite run-down and worn out. The park has received significant investments over the past decade and it looks remarkably cleaner and more maintained.

I'm going to puke.

[seicer]

Because you can't drive 55 MPH through the park? Or because they took out a vastly underutilized expressway along the river? Even before it was downsized or removed, it had so little traffic to justify remaining in place. It also had little accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians. The interim measures of closing down half of the parkway (the southbound lanes) proved that it could be done with zero impact to traffic.

[Roadgeek Adam]

It hasn't served any reasonable purpose in years. As is I have no idea what they'll do with the section north of Devils Hole. My guess is it's just going to sit around for a while still.

The other issue with the section is the bridge at 182/Whirlpool Rapids. They weren't going to replace it anyway. Might as well take it down now. Saves money later.