By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

After the death of 13-year-old Lucas DeLong and other motor vehicle accidents, residents have asked the town of Lysander to request speed limit reductions on River Road and West Genesee Road.

The New York State Department of Transportation determines speed limits.

At the work session preceding the Sept. 7 town board meeting, residents Debra Grimshaw and Bill Chambers told the board about speeding in their respective neighborhoods. Grimshaw lives on West Genesee Road and Chambers lives on Camerondale Road, which branches off Hicks Road.

Grimshaw said West Genesee Road/Route 370 is narrow with deep ditches, which make it treacherous to navigate when other drivers are speeding.

“I had a semi push me off into a snowbank in my driveway a year and a half ago,” she said.

Grimshaw’s story is far from the only incident on West Genesee Road. A motorcycle accident occurred Aug. 23 on West Genesee Road between Dexter Parkway and Route 690. A pickup truck pulled out in front of a motorcycle and the two motorcyclists, a couple from Oswego County, were seriously injured.

“I really want the speed lowered,” Grimshaw said. “I don’t feel safe on my own street.”

Town Engineer Al Yager said the most recent speed study on Route 370 showed a median speed of 63 mph on the east side of the town.

“I know you said 370’s a narrow road, but it does have 4-foot shoulders. People get that sense of security because they have the shoulders and the 14-foot travel lane on the state roads, and they tend to go faster than the posted speed limit,” Yager said.

Chambers, a resident of Camerondale Road, spoke of the Aug. 1 death of Lucas DeLong, a Ray Middle School student. While looking for his family’s cat on River Road near the Northwest Family YMCA, DeLong apparently ran into the path of a minivan driven by Wendy Murray of Cicero. Murray told police she tried to swerve to avoid the boy but could not do so because of oncoming traffic. DeLong died at Upstate University Hospital.

“I saw it happen,” Chambers said. “This is personal to me, and it should be personal to you.”

Chambers said the stretch of River Road between the “Five Corners” intersection and Route 31 is dangerous between speeding drivers and poorly thought-out road layout.

“That road was not made to be a thoroughfare; 370 was,” he said.

Yager said the state is often reluctant to grant speed limit reduction requests, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Since all the town can do is ask, Deputy Supervisor Bob Geraci suggested that Grimshaw contact Assemblyman Will Barclay and State Sen. John DeFrancisco to support her request.

“There’s nothing that would preclude you and other residents from talking directly with your state representatives as well as state DOT,” Geraci said. “Let them know how you feel. All we can do as a protocol thing is put the request in to the state. We have as much power as you.”

Town Supervisor Joe Saraceni said another resident requested a speed limit reduction on River Road heading toward Phoenix.

“The whole road needs to be looked at,” he said.

“Our driving habits have changed,” Yager noted. “Across the country, median speeds are creeping up.”

The town board voted Sept. 7 to send a request to NYSDOT for speed limit reductions on West Genesee Road between Dunham Road and the edge of the village of Baldwinsville and on River Road between Patchett Road and West Bridge Street in Phoenix.