CICERO — The New York State Department of Transportation is asking the public to weigh in on $6.2 million in planned improvements to Route 31 in the town of Cicero. NYSDOT officials held a virtual public information session in conjunction with the July 14 meeting of the Cicero Town Board to give an overview of the project and answer questions.
Currently, the stretch of Route 31 between Cicero-North Syracuse High School and South Bay Road is a two-way, two-lane road with 11- to 12-foot lanes and 6- to 8-foot shoulders. The DOT wants to reconfigure the intersection at Thompson Road/Torchwood Lane and the intersection at South Bay Road as well as improve pavement conditions, pedestrian access and drainage infrastructure.
Residents and town officials alike shared their opposition to the DOT’s preferred alternative of reconfiguring the Thompson Road intersection into a roundabout.
The DOT expects the final project design to be approved this fall with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2023. The target completion date is fall 2023.
Read on to learn more about the project details and how to submit comments to the NYSDOT.
Pavement and sidewalk rehab
Among the issues with Route 31 are “pavement fatigue,” potholes and alligator cracking. Sidewalks along the highway are inconsistent. As for drainage, pipes are deteriorating and ditches have become filled with sediment. According to the DOT’s presentation, there is a “high number of crashes, delays and congestions” at the Thompson and South Bay intersections.
The DOT’s preferred alternative for the pavement rehabilitation is to mill and overlay the road and connect sidewalks along the south side, using existing sidewalks instead of starting from scratch. This will improve pedestrian safety, especially for C-NS students walking to and from school.
The DOT also wants to replace a culvert pipe and clean and re-grade drainage ditches.
The estimated cost of the pavement project is $2 million.
South Bay Road intersection
The NYSDOT’s preferred alternative for the intersection of Route 31 and South Bay Road is replacing the traffic signal and adding a dedicated left turn lane. The new signal would have a flashing yellow arrow requiring drivers turning left to yield to oncoming traffic. This alternative also includes crosswalks and pedestrian signals.
The DOT estimates this portion of the project will cost $1.9 million.
Thompson Road intersection
While the NYSDOT considered adding a left turn lane at the Thompson-31 intersection, the state has determined a roundabout will upgrade the level of service (LOS) to an A. State officials said the addition of a left turn lane would only result in a LOS D.
The roundabout would include a center island, possibly with landscaped features, as well as a number of “splitter islands” that would allow pedestrians to stop between lanes of traffic instead of trying to rush across multiple lanes.
According to the DOT’s Howard McCulloch, the roundabout would have pedestrian push-button access that would halt traffic when people need to cross.
The roundabout is estimated to cost $2.2 million.
DOT officials said the roundabout would reduce congestion because drivers approaching the intersection would only have to yield, not stop. The curves of the roundabout would lower vehicle speeds, potentially reducing the severity of crashes. Eliminating a traffic signal would reduce electricity and maintenance costs.
Town board, residents weigh in
Despite the DOT’s list of potential upsides, the public and the Cicero Town Board found plenty of fault with the idea of a roundabout.
“I can’t see how this project is going to work,” said resident Lori Sager. “I do feel a left-hand turn would be much more beneficial.”
Sager and other Cicero residents pointed to the “mini-roundabout” installed at the intersection of routes 31 and 298 in the hamlet of Bridgeport in 2018. Resident Carol Notar said the Bridgeport roundabout is dangerous and too small, unlike the larger Carrier Circle in DeWitt.
Notar also asked if residents would have the chance to vote on the issue. Town Supervisor Bill Meyer said it is up to the NYSDOT, not the voters, but he encouraged residents to contact their state legislature representatives.
Resident Dennis Smith asked if the DOT plans to educate the public about how to navigate a roundabout safely.
“A lot of people don’t even know what a stop sign is,” he said.
Town Councilor Judy Boyke questioned why the presentation did not contain the perspectives of the North Syracuse Central School District or local fire departments. She also doubted whether a roundabout would improve traffic flow.
“I can’t imagine someone pushing a button to stop traffic when we are trying to improve traffic flow,” she said.
Councilor Jon Karp said a roundabout like the one at routes 31 and 13 in Sylvan Beach “works pretty well,” but that intersection has far less traffic than in Cicero.
“It’s beyond apples to oranges — it’s apples to pineapples, really — to compare that type of intersection with here,” he said.
Councilor Nancy White said she was “not convinced at all” about the success of a roundabout.
Submit your comments
The NYSDOT is accepting comment on the Route 31 projects until July 30. Direct your comments to Loren K. Gosselin, P.E., at [email protected] or NYSDOT Region 3, Senator Hughes State Office Building, 333 E. Washington St., Syracuse, NY 13202. All correspondence should refer to: PIN 3037.71 and 3037.74, Route 31 Highway Projects.
View the project brochure and download a mail-in comment form at ciceronewyork.net/meetings/.
