By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
In January, New York State Department of Transportation engineers invited Liverpool Mayor Gary White, Liverpool Police Chiefs Don Morris, Town of Salina Supervisor Mark Nicotra and Town Engineer Douglas Wickman to be updated on their safety-improvement plans for the Onondaga Lake Parkway, Route 370.
White and Morris were shocked when they heard that the DOT was considering closing off First and South Willow streets at Heid’s Corner where the Parkway enters the village.
After expressing his concerns about the proposal’s potential negative impact on the village business district at a special meeting of the Village of Liverpool Board of Trustees on Feb. 1, White was contacted by DOT Regional Director David P. Smith and a meeting between Smith and the trustees was set for March 1.
On the morning of March 1, the DOT official cancelled the meeting, but told White over the telephone that his office had abandoned that part of the Parkway plan which called for closing off the two village streets.
“He told me they’d scrapped that idea,” White reported.
DOT spokeswoman Jennifer Post said the department will continue to stay in touch with village officials about Parkway plans.
“We are exploring ways to make Onondaga Parkway as safe as possible without inconveniencing travelers,” Post said. “We met with officials from the village of Liverpool last month to discuss some preliminary ideas. We heard their concerns and are exploring a different approach to a potential project. These conversations will continue.”
White noted that whenever accidents occur on the Parkway, Liverpool police officers are often the first on the scene. “So we’re all in favor of making the Parkway safer,” White said.
According to the mayor, Smith told him that the construction of a cement median barrier to prevent cross-over collisions had moved to the top of the DOT’s list of safety improvements for the Parkway. The DOT is also considering reducing the number of lanes on the Parkway from two lanes in each direction to a single lane in each direction.
