By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
In two lengthy letters addressed to Liverpool Mayor Gary White, the regional director of the New York State Department of Transportation responded to a May 5 letter from the village regarding proposed changes to Onondaga Lake Parkway. The planned safety improvements would include reducing the number of lanes on the parkway from four to two for significant portions of the road.
The village had suggested a compromise, reducing the number of lanes on the parkway from four to three. The May 5 letter was accompanied by two schematic drawings by Village Engineer Greg Sgromo depicting the village’s preferred changes to the parkway and to the village’s primary intersection at Oswego and Tulip streets.
On June 16 DOT Regional Director David P. Smith sent White one letter regarding the parkway and another addressing the intersection of Oswego and Tulip streets.
Citing numerous traffic studies and accident data, Smith insisted that the DOT plan would not cause traffic backups in the village.
“The Parkway safety project does not create negative impacts in the village,” Smith wrote. “As previously noted, the Parkway safety project will not lead to AM eastbound traffic backing up from the merge point on the Parkway to the intersection at Heid’s. The westbound traffic into the village in the PM will not back up any further than existing conditions.”
As to the village’s three-lane idea, Smith pointed to the CSX Railroad bridge which spans the parkway just south of Sainte Marie Mission site.
“The village’s three-lane alternative requires 65 feet of width under the CSX bridge where only 53.4 feet is available, leaving a shortage of 11.6 feet,” Smith wrote. “Nonetheless, even if the three-lane alternative section could fit under the CSX bridge, it would fail to meet the safety needs of the Parkway where the highest concentration of crashes is located. The three-lane alternative does not propose positive separation of traffic, such as with barriers, and inadequate median width between opposing lanes of traffic.”
As to the Oswego-Tulip streets intersection, Smith concurred with the village request to widen Oswego Street just north of the corner, but he held firm with the DOT plan to add a second left-turn lane from Tulip onto Oswego Street to accommodate increased truck traffic generated by the huge Amazon.com warehouse being built on Morgan Road.
Sgromo warned against widening Oswego Street there along Johnson Park because prime parking spaces would have to be eliminated, but Smith stated that the widening was necessary.
“Both SRF [Associates] and NYSDOT concluded that two exclusive left turn lanes from Tulip St. to Oswego St. would be needed to accommodate the increase in traffic volume,” Smith wrote. “Dual 350′ left turn lanes require widening of Tulip St. to approximately 550′ north of the intersection. This additional turn lane subsequently triggers the need to widen Oswego Street to be able to safely accommodate two vehicles turning simultaneously. This widening would be achieved by the elimination of the southeast curb bump out.
Sgromo warned against widening Oswego Street there along Johnson Park because prime parking spaces would have to be eliminated.
White has his doubts about Smith’s reasoning.
“Common sense would make you have to question their findings,” he said.
He also doubts the DOT’s sincerity in seeking public feedback.
“The whole tone of that letter indicated that the DOT is not really interested in any input,” White said. “It’s disingenuous.”
The state officials, who hosted eight different public presentations, have steadfastly refused to publicly answer questions about the parkway project, preferring to stand behind their preliminary designs and to address questions one-on-one.
In his May 5 letter to the DOT, White complained about the department’s lack of responsiveness.
