CICERO — While town councilors previously expressed their doubts about a proposed roundabout at the Thompson Road-Route 31 intersection, the Cicero Town Board made their opposition official at the July 28 meeting. Councilor Judy Boyke made a resolution memorializing the board’s concerns. The town will forward the resolution to the New York State Department of Transportation as well as the NYS Senate and Assembly representatives for the area.
According to the resolution, replacing the Thompson-31 intersection with a roundabout “will not resolve the traffic issues on Route 31 from the Cicero/Clay town line to Route 31,” “does not address the concerns of snow removal in the area” and will lead to sudden lane changes on 31.
The resolution also criticizes NYSDOT for not giving town residents “the opportunity to see the proposals in person or to speak with the highway designers in person.”
“It was difficult for the town board even to see it and understand it,” Boyke said of the DOT’s July 14 presentation, which took place virtually.
The town of Cicero is requesting NYSDOT hold an “in-person briefing … in the town of Cicero so local residents can view the proposed plans and speak with the State DOT officials,” conduct a traffic corridor study of Route 31, and provide the town supervisor with copies of all State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) documents and traffic studies related to the Route 31 project.
Councilor Mike Becallo also asked if Boyke could amend her resolution to add a request for the DOT to accept public comments past the July 30 deadline.
Supervisor Bill Meyer called NYSDOT’s willingness to discuss the issue with Cicero’s leaders and residents a “major step.” The DOT plans to hold an open house on the project in mid-September.
View the project brochure at ciceronewyork.net/meetings/.
Also on the agenda
In addition to passing the Route 31 resolution, the town board held two public hearings on traffic issues at the July 28 meeting.
Residents of Monitor Way and Rollercoaster Drive weighed in on the proposed installation of a two-way stop sign along the intersection of Monitor-Rollercoaster westbound.
Stefanie Moore, of Rollercoaster Drive, said there are about 25 school-aged children living in that neighborhood. She said drivers often use the residential streets there as a cut-through between Lakeshore Road and Route 31.
“There is a lack of care for life in that area as people come whipping around that corner, ripping tires, coming to a quick halt or stop when they don’t realize how sharp the bend is,” Moore said, adding that she and her neighbors have seen tire tracks in their yards in the winter from skidding cars.
Councilor Mike Becallo said cars have almost hit him while he was walking in that area.
The town board voted to approve the stop sign. Moore asked the town to increase police patrols and to look into lowering the speed limit in her neighborhood as well.
Another public hearing addressed the speed limit on East Taft Road between Fly Road and Northern Boulevard.
East Taft Road resident Rose Sinopoli said she has been “spearheading” the effort to reduce the speed limit on that stretch for years — since Mark Venesky was town supervisor and Joe Snell was police chief.
Sinopoli said she has witnessed several car accidents near her home, including one in which a truck crashed into her house in the middle of the night.
Kim Viau, of mulch and gravel supplier Mill Creek Products, wrote a letter to the town board in support of lowering the speed limit on East Taft Road.
The town board voted to lower the speed limit to 40 mph on East Taft Road between Northern Boulevard and Fly Road (the DeWitt town line).
