New York

[MultiMillionMiler]

Looks like this is the week for members of the state legislature to propose bills that are of interest to roadgeeks.

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/70-mph-ny-senator-eyes-higher-speed-limit-on-thruway-state-highways/article_90ee55b1-41a6-5a26-a6ab-85f22c9eb0ee.html

Never going to happen. Someone in another thread posted something about a 75 mph bill that was proposed back in like 2016, and 6 years later it's still "in committee" (the 2nd out of like 5-6 steps in signing a bill into law). Probably wouldn't change the number of tickets either really as most cops likely already give you up to 80 mph in 65 zones, they'd probably keep the enforcement threshold at 80 even if it went up to 70.

[vdeane]

^ I didn't want to get political, but given the party of the legislative members who proposed this bill (and the one for mile-based numbers on the Thruway) and the party that actually has power at the state level in NY, especially given that Hochul has called to pass Sammy's Law (20 mph speed limits in NYC) in this year's State of the State, I agree it's a long shot.

[D-Dey65]

The fact that you now have traffic jams as far east as Exit 68, doesn't give me much confidence in seeing the speed limit raised anywhere on the Long Island Expressway.

Portions of the Thruway getting a raise, I can understand.

[webny99]

The thruway is curvier than the Long Island Expressway, so I-495 should be the first to get a speed limit raise. And as of now, I am not saying 75 mph (which it really should be), I am saying 65 mph just to match NYS's own speed limit law.

Wait, what? The Thruway has very few curves and great sightlines throughout. I agree I-495 should be 65 mph at least, but not because it's straighter than the Thruway.

[vdeane]

The Thruway is as straight as Illinois is flat.

[Jim]

Straight or curvy or whatever, it seems unlikely to me that there are any engineering reasons that 80% or more of the Thruway's mileage needs a speed limit below 70 or even 75.

[kalvado]

Straight or curvy or whatever, it seems unlikely to me that there are any engineering reasons that 80% or more of the Thruway's mileage needs a speed limit below 70 or even 75.

Someone mentioned that Northway, build roughly in the same timeframe, is designed for 75 MPH, and safety margin needs to be kept in mind
I believe stability of cars did improve over time, so 80-85 is not uncommon on Northway, and it  doesn't feel too bad.

[kirbykart]

The Northway's a lot curvier than the Thruway. MMM, have you even driven the Thruway?

[baugh17]

Yes, to and from Albany. But I haven't driven I-90 yet. The Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway are much straighter. Have you even driven those. Speaking of the thruway, what's the status on electronic toll collection? Has it been fully converted to by mail (its been a year ot two since I drive on it).

The Thruway went all electronic in November 2020.

[webny99]

But I haven't driven I-90 yet.

Well, that explains quite a bit. I-495 is fairly straight east of Melville, but no straighter than this, for example, or this.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Those two are almost the same as sunrise highway in suffolk county. The roads are obviously much longer so they could use a higher speed limit for that reason, but in terms of design, it's not that different than long island.

[dgolub]

The fact that you now have traffic jams as far east as Exit 68, doesn't give me much confidence in seeing the speed limit raised anywhere on the Long Island Expressway.

Portions of the Thruway getting a raise, I can understand.

I have seen traffic jams up to exit 64, but never 68. And speed limit shouldn't be set based on traffic levels because then you are punishing people for driving faster at times when there is less traffic. The thruway is curvier than the Long Island Expressway, so I-495 should be the first to get a speed limit raise. And as of now, I am not saying 75 mph (which it really should be), I am saying 65 mph just to match NYS's own speed limit law.

Maybe at rush hour.  If you head out east on a weekend, you're generally not going to see traffic jams that far out, especially if it's not at a time of the year when there's Hamptons traffic.  There's no good reason why going 65 MPH on there is any less safe than in any of the places where it's allowed.

[D-Dey65]

New topic since it happened all of the sudden; Were there any road or railway structures damaged by the recent West Seneca Earthquake?

[Roadgeek Adam]

We've lost a chimney in North Buffalo that collapsed on a car. Wasn't powerful enough to cause any serious damage.

[The Ghostbuster]

How often do earthquakes occur in New York state? This is the first time I've heard of one happening in New York.

[kalvado]

How often do earthquakes occur in New York state? This is the first time I've heard of one happening in New York.

Depends on strength. Some low profile events are there all the time. Albany area saw 3 local noticable events in past 100 years, and a few more remote were felt.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Au_Sable_Forks_earthquake
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_Cornwall%E2%80%93Massena_earthquake
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-abstract/48/1-2/37/141677/Intensity-Rating-of-the-Attica-Earthquake-of-Aug?redirectedFrom=fulltext

[Rothman]

How often do earthquakes occur in New York state? This is the first time I've heard of one happening in New York.

NYSDOT MO was shaken by one about ten years ago.  A few employees ran outside.

[kalvado]

How often do earthquakes occur in New York state? This is the first time I've heard of one happening in New York.

NYSDOT MO was shaken by one about ten years ago.  A few employees ran outside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake
I had that one in mind when I said "non-local"

[roadman65]

Why does the Meadowbrook Parkway have inconsistent use of overheads?
https://goo.gl/maps/EESSdGaqwn18cnhp6

In this photo at Exit M9 W NB it has one installed.
Yet at NB Exit M9E there is none.

https://goo.gl/maps/TARxW5byeQVb9tBv8

The latter is part of a cloverleaf, and should get overheads, but don't.


Also if trucks are not allowed on the Meadowbrook why are there signs stating that they, buses, and trailers need to depart the roadway?

[SignBridge]

The reason there is an overhead in the first photo is because they needed a sign gantry anyway re: the advance sign for the next exit. There is no overhead in the second photo because it seems to be NYS DOT Region 10's policy not to use overheads at the first exit of a two exit cloverleaf interchange on the Long Island Parkways.

It appears to be their philosophy that a slightly lower level of signing is acceptable on the Parkways because there is no heavy truck and bus traffic.

Although commercial trucks are prohibited on the L.I. Parkways, there is an exception for the Meadowbrook and Wantagh Pkwy's south of Merrick Rd. to allow deliveries of food, merchandise etc. to Jones Beach. Ditto for passenger busses transporting beachgoers to/from Long Island Railroad Stations on the mainland to/from Jones Beach.

There is some seriously deficient signing further north on the Meadowbrook Pkwy northbound at Exits M6W and M6E, the Southern State Pkwy.  At that interchange there is a right exit and a left/lane-drop exit.

[cu2010]

How often do earthquakes occur in New York state? This is the first time I've heard of one happening in New York.

More often than you'd think. A fault line runs right down the middle of the St Lawrence River. They're usually pretty minor when they do happen though.

SM-S908U

[D-Dey65]

I'm starting to wonder if there should be some ramps eliminated from the Meadowbrook Parkway interchange with Merrick Road. The biggest problem with doing that is messing up the median at the Merrick Road Parklands.

More often than you'd think. A fault line runs right down the middle of the St Lawrence River. They're usually pretty minor when they do happen though.

There's also a notable one near the Ramapo River.

[roadman65]

To me the Meadowbrook is a lot like I-95 in Connecticut with exits very close.  Just in Merrick alone you have 3 cloverleaf interchanges within a mile providing 6 continuous exits with 6 merges.

Also above in SignBridge reply, he brings up Region 10 not using overheads due to the lack of big vehicles using the parkways may be said about the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland and Orange Counties not in the jurisdiction of Region 10.  I always noticed that on the PIP all cloverleafs have no overheads even after the 1987 resigning of the highway within the NY parts of the parkway.  Plus NJ lacks them as well, at the southern end where the US 9W connector splits from the median of the parkway before the GWB approach, could use overheads directing motorists to the various points the southern end connects with.

[SignBridge]

The north end of the Meadowbrook Pkwy also has exits in close succession around the Roosevelt Field Mall. (Exits M1-2-3) As a result, in some cases the first advance signs for some of those exits is only 1/4 mile instead of NYS DOT's usual 1/2 mile or more.

Again they seem to feel this is acceptable on a road with no heavy trucks or busses. That section of the Meadowbrook was built in 1956 and I guess at that time such close spacing of interchanges was considered reasonable on the parkways by Robt. Moses' engineers using 1950's design standards. 

It's worth noting that area around the Mall has an unusually high number of fender-bender collisions due to the very high traffic volume of the New York City/Long Island area even without  trucks and busses. Lots of weaving patterns and traffic backing up on exit ramps sometimes down onto the parkway itself. Especially bad southbound at Exit M1W, Old Country Rd.

[astralentity]

Anyone know if R9 is going to finish paving between Oneonta and Richmondville?