Make Cherry Avenue Extension Safe

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 It should be said that with the outdated design of the road (prior to traffic calming measures including curves and circles), nearly everybody exceeds the already high 55 MPH speed limit. 65+ MPH is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.

We need this!! Thank you to Dan Conway.

We use this roadway often....it is not safe for pedestrians . Please listen to these requests!

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.

Not only is it impossible to get on the road from McCormack at times, it is noisy for those of us who live near it. Reducing the speed would help a lot.

Really important

I use McCormack Road at least twice a day to visit my grandchildren. I have always been amazed at the 55 mph speed limit on the Cherry Avenue, which has created a very dangerous intersection.

It’s very hard to pull out of McCormack Rd. South. The cars are flying and sometimes you have to wait forever. People fly on that road. They often go well over 55mph and it’s such a short road. Unsafe!

Please help us make the road safer for motorists and pedestrians alike.

Current design and speed limit is unsafe

I strongly agree with the petition. It is only a matter of time before another accident happens here.

Yesterday we saw an accident at the traffic light at Kenwood Avenue because someone was going too fast to stop, and hit the car ahead of them. Tonight at 5:50 pm it took us 4 minutes to get from McCormack Road So. to Kenwood Ave. I would like to see the speed limit lowered to 45 mph and a traffic light at McCormack Avenue No.

I am a kid and I worry whenever my parents drive me onto that road.

I support: A) reducing speed limit to 45. This is still 15 MPh faster than side roads, and will make it easier to turn from McCormack South or North onto Cherry Ave Extension in either direction. B) Connecting Cherryvale Andy Terramere neighborhoods with the rail trail. This could be done with a sidewal that extends all the way to the sidewalk on New Scotland Ave, or could be done with a path through the private property at the far end of Queen Anne Blvd. Perhaps we could raise $$ together (rather than waiting for government) to lease enough land to create this path. The owners of this land don’t live in our community, but may be amendable. We won’t know if we don’t ask them! C) What are the “current safety standards” that (c) refers to? We’ll need to reference precise state and/or federal regulations, and how/where the current design doesn’t align with such regulations in order to seek change. I don’t know this domain very well. Who does? I’ll bet we’ve got someone here who can point us in the right direction ...

You’re describing McCormack South. The (much) worse problem is for cars turning left from McCormack North.

reducing the speed would add a negligible amount of travel time b/w Price Chopper and the Kenwood light and make it easier for McCormack Rd. South folks to enter the bypass

There has already been at least one major car crash at the intersection of McCormick Road North and Cherry Ave Extension. It's only a matter of time before one is fatal.

I agree, its unsafe and must be changed. It is next to impossible to turn left in the morning and evening hours.

I support this petition. Pedestrian safety should be top priority of NYDOT, county and town officials.