Residents of the hamlet of Nelson have been invited to a public meeting next week during which a state Department of Transportation engineer will preview the state’s $1 million project to improve vehicle and pedestrian traffic and safety along Route 20 in the hamlet.
At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, in the town office, DOT Design Engineer Jonathan Tibbitts will offer a preview of the work that will go into the improvement plan, which includes items such Route 20 paving and lane changes, daytime parking, lighting, sidewalks, bike lanes, trees, signage, crosswalks and more.
The meeting is for all Nelson residents, and is open to the public.
“This will be a vast improvement to Nelson; it’s really exciting,” said Councilor Tammy Hayes, a member of the town board’s Streetscape Committee. “The safety of the residents, businesses and visitors traveling through the hamlet is our primary objective of slowing traffic and emphasizing our community, but this will also beautify our hamlet and make it more inviting.”
In September 2016, it was announced that the state of New York agreed to spend $1 million to improve the streetscape — and thereby pedestrian and vehicular safety — in the heart of the hamlet of Nelson as part of the state Department of Transportation’s five-year capital construction program for Region 2.
The list of improvements includes the resurfacing and restriping of one mile of Route 20, including the addition of a center two-way left turn lane; new and replacement sidewalks on each side of the highway within the hamlet; the addition of crosswalks; reduced speed limits; and signing improvements as needed. Other elements such as bicycle lanes, on-street parking, new welcome signs at the hamlet gateways, landscaping and lighting improvements at the Nelson/Erieville Road intersection have been under evaluation during the project development and design process.
A complete description of what aspects of the project will and will not happen will be offered at the June 28 meeting. The public will also be allowed to ask questions, Hayes said.
The project is slated for spring 2018.
