[RP TownTalk] traffic alterations

[Alice Ewen Walker]

All that's correct. At the August legislative meeting, the fire
department requested action on this because they have had a number of
incidents where emergency vehicles were blocked in.  Last spring,
there was action by the council to approve potential installation of a
traffic signal at the station.  It requires study by a traffic expert
and in the meantime, the most expedient way to address the concern is
to restrict access from the east. The hope here is that this is an
intermediate solution.

Alice

On 8/30/07, Dwight Holmes <dwightrholmes at gmail.com> wrote:
> Marc, I'm sure someone with official knowledge can answer more
> authoritatively (let's hear it for Alice Ewen Walker's
> make-the-documents-public-and-on-line proposal!!) but my understanding
> is that the change was primarily at the request of the Fire Dept.
> Their problem is that when westward traffic backs up on Queensbury
> when the RxR gates are down, the emergency vehicles can get blocked in
> at the fire station.
>
> I attended a traffic safety meeting where this was discussed and our
> Fire and Police representives argued forcefully for the change.  My
> concern was that a decision about how to facilitate the emergency
> response needs should be taken as part of a larger traffic study.  The
> not-so-distant future looks to be bringing many changes to the amount
> and flow of traffic in our area. Fortunately I think we've got money
> in this year's budget for a traffic study.  With EYA and East Campus
> both certain, Cafritz very likely, and Dumm's Corner presumably just a
> matter of time, it would appear to be time for some creative and
> foresightful thinking to be applied to our traffic and safety
> situation.
>
> On 8/30/07, Marc Molino <mmolino54 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I'm not sure what the ultimate impact of this will be, but the DO NOT ENTER
> > signs in front of the fire station on Queensbury road have been changed to
> > now be effective 24 hours per day (instead of just a few hours in the
> > morning). I'm not sure I would have even noticed this if my neighbor hadn't
> > pointed it out. I'm sure a friendly police officer would have been kind
> > enough to alert me to it at some point.
> >
> > I'm quite curious to see what kind of impact this will have. In the short
> > term, I would think it might make things worse as it will 'cause more people
> > who want to cross the railroad tracks heading west to have to make a left
> > turn at Lafayette and Queensbury, and those looking to head north on
> > Lafayette under the E/W Highway overpass will now also have to cross through
> > that intersection. Not knowing much about traffic patterns and the
> > behavioral tendencies of drivers, I haven't a clue what it will mean
> > longterm wise.
> >
> > Does anyone know how this change came about? Was it designed mainly to allow
> > more freedom for RP's emergency vehicles or was it also designed to
> > decrease/slow down traffice cutting through our town?
> >
> > -Marc Molino
> >
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-- 
Alice Ewen Walker
Councilwoman, Ward 1
Town of Riverdale Park