Several traffic changes in the village of Manlius have recently been made by the New York State Department of Transportation, and Mayor Paul Worrall wants to remind drivers to be aware of these changes as they are driving around the village.
✓Relocation of E. Seneca Street crosswalk near Wesley Street east closer to the intersection at Fayette Street.
✓The elimination of an eastbound lane on E. Seneca Street in between North Street and Franklin Street.
✓The addition of a right turn arrow for traffic coming out of Arkie Albanese Avenue onto Fayette Street.
✓Modifications to the traffic light outside of Tops Markets parking lot.
✓Modifications to traffic light timing programs to make lights more responsive at night.
The three major changes of which drivers should be aware include: the relocation of the crosswalk across E. Seneca Street near Wesley Street west closer to storefront of Brugger’s Bagels; the elimination of and eastbound lane on E. Seneca Street between North Street and Franklin Street; and the addition of a right turn arrow going out of Arkie Albanese Avenue onto Fayette Street to go in conjunction with the left turn arrow on Fayette Street turning onto Arkie Albanese Avenue.
In April, the Manlius Village Board brought some traffic concerns to the DOT. After review, DOT Regional Traffic Engineer Diana Graser sent a letter to Whorrall stating which concerns would be addressed, which, in addition to the changes mentioned above, include modification of the traffic light outside of Tops Markets and modifications to traffic light timing programs to make lights more responsive at night.
The reasoning for eliminating a westbound lane on E. Seneca Street between North and Franklin Streets was to help with traffic flow, said Whorrall. Currently, there are cones to prevent people from driving in that former lane, which is now an additional parking area for businesses on that street.
The location of the crosswalk before was unsafe because it lined up with the intersection of Wesley Street, said Whorrall, and crossing over four lanes of traffic was often difficult for pedestrians because of visibility issues. Whorrall said the crosswalk along E. Seneca Street was relocated to line up with the path to the lower public parking area behind the building which houses Brugger’s Bagels and in the future, the village hopes to add a roof and lighting to the parking lot to encourage more visitors to local businesses on the street to park there.
“Most of these changes were made with the safety of pedestrians in the village,” said Whorrall. “We also wanted to make it easier for businesses in the area who do not have their own parking areas.”
