By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
If you’re wondering what Route 11 will look like over the next 30 years, ask the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council.
The SMTC presented its study of the Route 11 corridor at the Feb. 12 Cicero Town Board meeting. Meghan Vitale, a planner with the SMTC, gave an overview of the study, which covers Route 11 between Bear Road and Route 31, and possible plans for the corridor through the year 2050.
Vitale said SMTC met three times with the town of Cicero, the New York State Department of Transportation, the Onondaga County Department of Transportation and the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency (SOCPA) to review traffic data and inventory existing conditions, including demographics of the area, land use, infrastructure, traffic volumes, bicycle and pedestrian activity, intersections and a safety analysis.
SMTC conducted morning, afternoon and Saturday midday traffic counts in 2018.
Route 11 ranges between four and seven lanes wide, the latter width being found south of Caughdenoy Road. There is one Centro bus shelter at the Wegmans Park and Ride.
Vitale said the only intersection with full pedestrian accommodations — such as a crosswalk and signals — is at the intersection of Routes 11 and 31. However, no intersection had more than five pedestrian movements per peak hour, and the study found 20 total bicycle movements in the corridor in the afternoon peak hour.
According to Vitale, SMTC found that traffic peaks on Route 11 in the afternoon and on Saturdays. She said there is a high volume in traffic going in both directions and turning off Route 11. Morning traffic is primarily southbound commuter flow.
Northbound traffic times are generally higher, Vitale said. The highest average travel times — and greatest variability — can be found at midday on both weekdays and weekends.
“That’s what bothers drivers. That’s where the frustration comes from,” Vitale said of the variability.
As for Route 11’s safety record, data collected between January 2013 and December 2017 show 997 total crashes, the majority of which occurred in the southern portion of the corridor and at intersections. While most of the crashes caused only property damage or were otherwise “non-reportable,” nine crashes involved a pedestrian and seven involved bicyclists. Four of the crashes were fatal.
SMTC projected the following development assumptions for the next 30 years:
• 3,441 new residential units (apartments and townhomes)
• 320,000 square feet of commercial development
• 100 hotel rooms
• 250 industrial jobs
• 1,000 jobs at White Pine Business Park in Clay
Based on the projected development and associated traffic demand, SMTC predicts that three of the 10 intersections studied would operate at a Level of Service E — the second-lowest classification — and unsignalized side streets, the Route 11/Route 31 intersection and the Bear Road/Route 11 intersection would operate at a Level of Service F.
The northern end of the corridor — between Target/Walmart and Route 31 — would see the largest change in traffic volumes due to an expected capacity increase at the Route 31/Interstate 81 interchange and an increase in residential and job development north of Route 31.
SMTC recommends the following concepts for development to ease traffic along the Route 11 corridor:
• The creation of a new town center between Route 11 and I-81
• Access and development opportunities near Cicero Town Hall
• A new mixed-use neighborhood on Lawton Road/Route 31
• Access management between Bear Road and Target/Walmart
SMTC also recommends additional sidewalks and bicycle access along Route 11 and will encourage drivers to turn at signaled intersections to reduce safety concerns. SMTC expects to have a final report on Route 11 by early summer.
SMTC and the town of Cicero will make the concept plans available online. Visit smtcmpo.org and ciceronewyork.net for more information.
