Roundabout lighting and land conservancy groups to work in town
The Town of Bethlehem is to be the site of two studies that may have wider implications for the surrounding area and entire state.
The Department of Transportation, along with NYSERDA and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Lighting Research Center, plan to make the roundabout at the intersection of Route 140 and New Scotland Avenue the site for tests on lighting and landscaping.
Testing would occur in the springtime, and would involve two one-night tests of new lighting systems to replace or complement the yellowy sodium lamps and various landscaping for the middle of the roundabout. That would be followed by a one-week test later on incorporating what the tests show works best.
The need for a new approach to roundabout lighting came out of a recent study by the Lighting Research Center, said RPI’s John Bullough at a recent Town Board meeting.
Roundabouts emerged as one specific type of road that might benefit from different kinds of lighting and vegetation, he said.
The DOT has been inserting roundabouts into more and more locations statewide, and says they are more efficient and safer than signaled intersections. Bethlehem has been on the forefront of the adoption, and the DOT’s Mark Kennedy said the New Scotland Avenue four-way intersection is optimal for providing data that could be used elsewhere.
`The Department of Transportation feels any information it might get from a study at this location would have a greater benefit,` he said.
Among the lighting methods that will likely be researched is installing lighting at the street level to illuminate pedestrian walkways. Landscaping in the center of the roundabout could also be lighted, which would help reduce glare from car lights across the way and help motorists navigate the circle. Any changes would be temporary.
Lighting would likely be by LED, a more brilliant and energy efficient method, which is where the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority would be involved in the analysis.
The study will involve the DOT, RPI LRC ad other groups, but Bullough said the team would be interested in hearing from the community as well, which is one reason why they approached the town. The intersection is owned by the state, so they technically don’t need Bethlehem’s permission to do the work.
`We think it’s important to have the support of the town and community it’s happening in,` said Bullough.
The Town Board took a 4-0 vote at the Tuesday, Nov. 23, meeting in support of the project, with Councilman Mark Jordan absent.
`Any time Bethlehem can have an opportunity to engage in outreach with this work, even experimental work, it’s a good idea,` said Supervisor Sam Messina.
Groups will seek grant for Bethlehem study
The Town Board also gave its blessing to Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) and the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy to conduct a study in town to examine transfer of development rights in Saratoga and Albany counties.
`We think this would be an ideal community to do an analysis of this,` said Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s Jill Knapp. `We’re hoping to make a strong case of how this could work in other communities in Albany County.`
TDRs, wherein a landowner agrees not to develop land for certain period of time in return for incentives like tax breaks, play a big role in most efforts to preserve open space, and were part of a report compiled by the town’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Conservation on ways to preserve open space.
The study wouldn’t require any monetary contribution on the part of the town. The roughly $40,000 study cost would be covered by a state Environmental Protection Fund grant and matching funds provided by the two land conservancy groups.
The board voted 4-0 to support the groups’ efforts to secure those grant monies.
`It’s a good thing, I think, what we’re doing this on a more regional basis,` said Councilman Mark Hennessey.“