I See Liverpool, NY has a truck scalper?

[roadman65]

I saw in an article of interest on Instagram where people were commenting on the rail overpass on NY 370 in Liverpool, NY.  The attraction was a truck got wedged again under that crossing.

After once staying in Liverpool for a relative's funeral once, I remember warning signs were posted of the low clearance and for trucks to use Old Liverpool Road instead of what is now NY 370 ( it was NY 57 back then).

However people were cracking jokes on this like is a regular thing.  Many were saying you can idiot proof that crossing for all overweight trucks and it still won't grab the attention of an idiot.

I take this is a member of the Durham, NC Club?

[Max Rockatansky]

Y'all keep sleeping on Needles Underpass:

https://www.facebook.com/needlesunderpass?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr

[roadman65]

What gets me is how idiot proof you can make it still won't grab the attention of most idiots.  Look at Durham with its warning signs on the traffic signal flashing to the driver to stop proceeding.  Yet they ignore it and probably blame the damn GPS.

[SectorZ]

I have one right down the street from me and it's weird how numb I am to it. It doesn't bring the constant hilarity that the NC bridge is famous for, but it brings enough problems to keep the police busy extracting trucks out from under it.

[kalvado]

I have one right down the street from me and it's weird how numb I am to it. It doesn't bring the constant hilarity that the NC bridge is famous for, but it brings enough problems to keep the police busy extracting trucks out from under it.

I'm afraid there are more of them than anyone would imagine. One local place rarely gets much attention outside very local area affected by the sole road closures.
An interesting opinion I saw is that too many of today's truck drivers are raised in metric system and don't have a feeling of what 10 or 12 feet is.

[ClassicHasClass]

Y'all keep sleeping on Needles Underpass:

https://www.facebook.com/needlesunderpass?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr

That one's a classic. ISTR a moving van that got stuck there when I was in the area. There's a similar one in Oro Grande, also along old US 66, but the traffic is less and I think it's a bit taller.

[Flyer78]

However people were cracking jokes on this like is a regular thing.  Many were saying you can idiot proof that crossing for all overweight trucks and it still won't grab the attention of an idiot.

I take this is a member of the Durham, NC Club?

It sure is. There have been a number of crashes over the years, including a very sad one that involved a double-deck Megas bus killing 4. Its wiki page has the (full?) history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onondaga_Lake_Parkway_Bridge

The roadway is a former canal, and there is apparently no way to lower the road, and/or raise the railway due to surrounding geography. Plenty of signs, strobes/flashers, etc. have been installed. The state doesn't install anything that would hang over the roadway due to liability fears (at least that is the local take).

[vdeane]

Low bridges with frequent truck stops are common enough in this part of the country that I'm not even sure why the one in North Carolina is so famous.  I swear it's once every month or two that I hear about a strike either on Onondaga Lake Parkway or on one of the bridges in Glenville (usually Glenridge Road, but Maple Avenue has been happening more frequently in recent years).  The downstate parkways are also notorious for hits.

I've never heard about the metric thing, but if true, IMO that would be a good reason for us to switch our road signs to metric (although it would probably not be realistic to switch until we have a government that cares more about facts than culture wars).  One thing I have heard a few times is that many truck drivers have limited English proficiency and that might be hindering their comprehension of the signs, so Trump's desire to force them to be able to speak English might have merit.  And, of course, the problem of truck drivers using GPS devices meant for cars.

[Rothman]

For the Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge, it has been proven time and again after bridge hit investigations that the intelligence of the driver is at fault, whether blindly following a GPS or being otherwise distracted.

Onondaga County Sheriff used to issue a separate fine for each warning sign missed by the driver.

(personal opinion enphasized)

[Max Rockatansky]

Y'all keep sleeping on Needles Underpass:

https://www.facebook.com/needlesunderpass?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr

That one's a classic. ISTR a moving van that got stuck there when I was in the area. There's a similar one in Oro Grande, also along old US 66, but the traffic is less and I think it's a bit taller.

It gets the most action of any underpass structure I'm aware of on the west coast.  It kind of has it all, even frequent winter flooding.

[kalvado]

For the Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge, it has been proven time and again after bridge hit investigations that the intelligence of the driver is at fault, whether blindly following a GPS or being otherwise distracted.

Onondaga County Sheriff used to issue a separate fine for each warning sign missed by the driver.

(personal opinion enphasized)

As a DOT insider - do you have any comments about smash bars hanging before the bridge?

[Rothman]

For the Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge, it has been proven time and again after bridge hit investigations that the intelligence of the driver is at fault, whether blindly following a GPS or being otherwise distracted.

Onondaga County Sheriff used to issue a separate fine for each warning sign missed by the driver.

(personal opinion enphasized)

As a DOT insider - do you have any comments about smash bars hanging before the bridge?

Not as a DOT insider, no.

(personal opinion emphasized)

[LilianaUwU]

Not gonna lie, when I saw the title I thought it was about trucks being bought out and resold above market value.

[SectorZ]

I've never heard about the metric thing, but if true, IMO that would be a good reason for us to switch our road signs to metric (although it would probably not be realistic to switch until we have a government that cares more about facts than culture wars).  One thing I have heard a few times is that many truck drivers have limited English proficiency and that might be hindering their comprehension of the signs, so Trump's desire to force them to be able to speak English might have merit.  And, of course, the problem of truck drivers using GPS devices meant for cars.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/QGwpFsF1znUsCpws8

Lancaster MA, for some reason the signs about a half mile away list in in meters as well. Right at the bridge there is just the standard height sign in feet only.

[jeffandnicole]

For the Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge, it has been proven time and again after bridge hit investigations that the intelligence of the driver is at fault, whether blindly following a GPS or being otherwise distracted.

Onondaga County Sheriff used to issue a separate fine for each warning sign missed by the driver.

(personal opinion enphasized)

As a DOT insider - do you have any comments about smash bars hanging before the bridge?

I would imagine that transportation departments are large departments, and anyone working in one would be most knowledgeable about their individual projects, and have little knowledge about other projects.  Heck - even at public meetings, listen carefully to the answers certain officials give.  They often will provide vague details, but when you try asking specific questions, they often don't know, or the better ones at least will refer people to the project engineer.

Nothing against Rothman, or any other DOT person here.  Just saying DOT people aren't always going to be knowledgeable about an entire state's projects.

[kalvado]

For the Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge, it has been proven time and again after bridge hit investigations that the intelligence of the driver is at fault, whether blindly following a GPS or being otherwise distracted.

Onondaga County Sheriff used to issue a separate fine for each warning sign missed by the driver.

(personal opinion enphasized)

As a DOT insider - do you have any comments about smash bars hanging before the bridge?

I would imagine that transportation departments are large departments, and anyone working in one would be most knowledgeable about their individual projects, and have little knowledge about other projects.  Heck - even at public meetings, listen carefully to the answers certain officials give.  They often will provide vague details, but when you try asking specific questions, they often don't know, or the better ones at least will refer people to the project engineer.

Nothing against Rothman, or any other DOT person here.  Just saying DOT people aren't always going to be knowledgeable about an entire state's projects.

It's a broad enough issue. For whatever reason McDonald's isn't afraid of hanging those bars at drive throughs, but DOTs are. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of our DOT friends were involved in such discussions as they have to be pretty frequent.
"Liability" is a universal answer, but it doesn't stop McD... There has to be something else to the story.

[Bobby5280]

That low clearance bridge in Liverpool has been there at least 50-60 years or more. Commercial trucks are not supposed to use Onondaga Lake Parkway due to that low bridge. The exit ramp from I-81 has always been signed pretty clearly at the Y split between the parkway and ramp going into the Liverpool business district. The sign for NY-370 (and NY-57 previously) listed the 10' 9" clearance. Edit: going the other direction there is also plainly visible warning signage within Liverpool at the Y split between Oswego Street and Onondaga Lake Parkway.

The railroad bridge over NY-370 next to Onondaga Lake looks pretty low even when driving under it in a normal civilian passenger vehicle. The bridge is a huge, angular truss structure. The passage underneath looks pretty small. Anyone driving a semi or box truck would have to be blatantly ignorant or blind to try driving under it. The bridge is also signed pretty clearly with overhead and ground mounted 10' 9" Clearance signs. The bottom beam is marked with loud, fluorescent red-orange paint. It takes a real idiot to miss the warning.

[Rothman]

One thing to remember:  The bridge predates the Parkway...

[Max Rockatansky]

Not gonna lie, when I saw the title I thought it was about trucks being bought out and resold above market value.

You mean to say that you've never purchased a freight vehicle from a scalper?

[froggie]

One thing to remember:  The bridge predates the Parkway invention of motor vehicles...

FTFY