Send a message to our leaders that Cherry Avenue Extension is unsafe for motorists and pedestrians and we demand change!!! Reduce the speed limit to below 45MPH, build a protected pedestrian path that connects Route 85 to the Albany County Rail Trail, and redesign its intersections to current highway safety standards!
Last summer Brittany Knight was tragically killed while attempting to cross Route 787 in Cohoes. Like Route 787, Cherry Avenue Extension is a 4 lane divided highway with a posted speed limit of 55MPH, no side walks, no cross walks and no traffic signals at its intersections. It is a one mile highway to nowhere that divides our neighborhoods and presents a fatal hazard to pedestrians and motorists alike. Join me in urging our leaders to take action to prevent the tragedy in Cohoes from happening in Bethlehem by signing this petition to:
1- As an immediate action, lower the speed limit on Cherry Avenue Extension to at least 45mph. This will improve safety for both motorist as well as pedestrians in particularly at the intersection of McCormack Road North. As the maximum speed limit on either end of Cherry Avenue Extension is already 45mph, it will have negligible impact (at most 15 second longer commute) on traffic. This will cost the State the price of a few speed limit signs, takes little preparation or effort to implement and will have an immediate impact as it is well proven that the probability and seriousness of injury and death increases with vehicle speed.
2- Install a pedestrian path protected by a barrier on the north side of Cherry Avenue Extension connecting Route 85 to the Albany County Rail Trail and beyond within a year. This will eliminate the risk to pedestrians transiting along Cherry Avenue Extension as well as attempting to cross at intersections. Once on the rail trail, pedestrians can transit under Cherry Avenue Extension via an existing underpass.
3- Redesign the McCormack Road North/Cherry Avenue Extension intersection to current safety standards within two years by either;
- Adding appropriate acceleration/merge lanes and extending the existing deceleration lane, or
- Installing a roundabout similar to those on Route 85, or
- Installing traffic lights with appropriate pedestrian cross walks/signage.
Updates
March 9, 2018
We have hit a massive milestone that shows the Bethlehem leadership they can no longer ignore this death trap. It is time for the Department of Transportation to stop dragging their feet and fix this road before another person is killed.
Reached 100 supporters
March 9, 2018
66 Comments
Private cars, student drivers, young newly-licensed drivers, school buses use Cherry ave, which are all exposed to high speed cars. Merging into Cherry Ave is a big hazard to commuters given the current speed limit. This is the most important reason why the speed limit has to be reduced.
85 to new Scotland has speed limit 45 How is cherry avenue different Intersection of McCormick and cherry is unsafe it’s impossible to turn left from McCormick to cherry my husband had a car accident speed has to be reduced to at most 45 side walks install and intersection suitable for pedestrians to cross Thanks for understanding
Traffic moves too fast along that stretch of road. There's really no reason to need to travel at 50 mph between a 30 and 40 mph road. With such a short road, the time gained in going that fast is minimal. Also, making turns onto side streets is dangerous with traffic moving that fast around you.
This intersection is very dangerous. I can’t even turn left in the evening. My 16 year old daughter gets very nervous because it is hard to cross with cars going 60mph
I live on Cherry Ave and I feel the proposed changes are necessary for the safety of many of the children that live in the area. It should not take a tragedy to promote change. As a community we are trying to be proactive instead of reactive.
David & Frances Dembling have lived at 33 McCormack Rd (Converted Barn), on 12 acres, since 1979. Our land borders Cherry Av Ext for about 1400 feet between near the Multi-use Trail underpass to the McCormack Rd (South) intersection. During the last Master Plan process (+/- 12 years ago) we volunteered a part of our land along the entire length of our boarder with the bypass to implement a Multi-use Trail connection from the County's Trail to the round-about at New Scotland Rd. The owner of the near-by Arboreatum volunteered some of his land along the by-pass between McCormack Rd and the round-about at New Scotland Rd to complete the connection. This connection would be a Town project. Although this connection was written into the published Master Plan the Town of Bethlehem has not yet made any effort to realize this plan. Creating this Trail connection could be a part of a By-pass safety improvement project.
Thank you, Dan Conway. It should be said that with the outdated design of the road (prior to traffic calming measures including curves and circles), nearly everybody exceeds the already high 55 MPH speed limit. 65+ MPH is not at all unusual, even though nearly everyone is hurrying up to wait at a light at the Kenwood intersection or the New Scotland circle. Basically, the straight and fast design of the road ENCOURAGES irrational driving and aggressive driving behavior.
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Send a message to our leaders that Cherry Avenue Extension is unsafe for motorists and pedestrians and we demand change!!! Reduce the speed limit to below 45MPH, build a protected pedestrian path that connects Route 85 to the Albany County Rail Trail, and redesign its intersections to current highway safety standards!
Last summer Brittany Knight was tragically killed while attempting to cross Route 787 in Cohoes. Like Route 787, Cherry Avenue Extension is a 4 lane divided highway with a posted speed limit of 55MPH, no side walks, no cross walks and no traffic signals at its intersections. It is a one mile highway to nowhere that divides our neighborhoods and presents a fatal hazard to pedestrians and motorists alike. Join me in urging our leaders to take action to prevent the tragedy in Cohoes from happening in Bethlehem by signing this petition to:
1- As an immediate action, lower the speed limit on Cherry Avenue Extension to at least 45mph. This will improve safety for both motorist as well as pedestrians in particularly at the intersection of McCormack Road North. As the maximum speed limit on either end of Cherry Avenue Extension is already 45mph, it will have negligible impact (at most 15 second longer commute) on traffic. This will cost the State the price of a few speed limit signs, takes little preparation or effort to implement and will have an immediate impact as it is well proven that the probability and seriousness of injury and death increases with vehicle speed.
2- Install a pedestrian path protected by a barrier on the north side of Cherry Avenue Extension connecting Route 85 to the Albany County Rail Trail and beyond within a year. This will eliminate the risk to pedestrians transiting along Cherry Avenue Extension as well as attempting to cross at intersections. Once on the rail trail, pedestrians can transit under Cherry Avenue Extension via an existing underpass.
3- Redesign the McCormack Road North/Cherry Avenue Extension intersection to current safety standards within two years by either;
- Adding appropriate acceleration/merge lanes and extending the existing deceleration lane, or
- Installing a roundabout similar to those on Route 85, or
- Installing traffic lights with appropriate pedestrian cross walks/signage.
Updates
March 9, 2018
We have hit a massive milestone that shows the Bethlehem leadership they can no longer ignore this death trap. It is time for the Department of Transportation to stop dragging their feet and fix this road before another person is killed.
Reached 100 supporters
March 9, 2018
66 Comments
It is most important to reduce the speed limit, add access to the Rail Trail and bring the extension to current safety standards. We utilize the Rail Trail frequently and the access via the extension is very dangerous. Let's not wait for a tragedy to enact change. Thank you neighbor Dan for moving this important initiative forward.
Private cars, student drivers, young newly-licensed drivers, school buses use Cherry ave, which are all exposed to high speed cars. Merging into Cherry Ave is a big hazard to commuters given the current speed limit. This is the most important reason why the speed limit has to be reduced.
85 to new Scotland has speed limit 45 How is cherry avenue different Intersection of McCormick and cherry is unsafe it’s impossible to turn left from McCormick to cherry my husband had a car accident speed has to be reduced to at most 45 side walks install and intersection suitable for pedestrians to cross Thanks for understanding
Traffic moves too fast along that stretch of road. There's really no reason to need to travel at 50 mph between a 30 and 40 mph road. With such a short road, the time gained in going that fast is minimal. Also, making turns onto side streets is dangerous with traffic moving that fast around you.
This intersection is very dangerous. I can’t even turn left in the evening. My 16 year old daughter gets very nervous because it is hard to cross with cars going 60mph
I live on Cherry Ave and I feel the proposed changes are necessary for the safety of many of the children that live in the area. It should not take a tragedy to promote change. As a community we are trying to be proactive instead of reactive.
David & Frances Dembling have lived at 33 McCormack Rd (Converted Barn), on 12 acres, since 1979. Our land borders Cherry Av Ext for about 1400 feet between near the Multi-use Trail underpass to the McCormack Rd (South) intersection. During the last Master Plan process (+/- 12 years ago) we volunteered a part of our land along the entire length of our boarder with the bypass to implement a Multi-use Trail connection from the County's Trail to the round-about at New Scotland Rd. The owner of the near-by Arboreatum volunteered some of his land along the by-pass between McCormack Rd and the round-about at New Scotland Rd to complete the connection. This connection would be a Town project. Although this connection was written into the published Master Plan the Town of Bethlehem has not yet made any effort to realize this plan. Creating this Trail connection could be a part of a By-pass safety improvement project.
Thank you, Dan Conway. It should be said that with the outdated design of the road (prior to traffic calming measures including curves and circles), nearly everybody exceeds the already high 55 MPH speed limit. 65+ MPH is not at all unusual, even though nearly everyone is hurrying up to wait at a light at the Kenwood intersection or the New Scotland circle. Basically, the straight and fast design of the road ENCOURAGES irrational driving and aggressive driving behavior.
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It is most important to reduce the speed limit, add access to the Rail Trail and bring the extension to current safety standards. We utilize the Rail Trail frequently and the access via the extension is very dangerous. Let's not wait for a tragedy to enact change. Thank you neighbor Dan for moving this important initiative forward.