Residents living along Fuller Road, which stretches through the hamlet of McKownville, persuaded town officials to reduce the thoroughfare’s speed by 10 mph in hopes of making the road safer.
The Guilderland Town Board on Tuesday, Aug. 20, unanimously approved reducing the speed limit on Fuller Road to 30 mph from where the southern end begins off of Route 20 to the town line, which is approximately half-a-mile beyond Warren Street. The change effectively makes all of Fuller Road 30 mph, according to Town Supervisor Ken Runion.
“The residents would like to see it happen, but there is a also a lot of activity in that area. We have a lot of walkers, a lot of bike riders and a lot of people that are doing destination shopping, so it is important to control the traffic,” Runion said. “You don’t want to have high speeds on a road that has a lot of pedestrian traffic on it. I think it is going to make Fuller Road more pedestrian friendly.”
Judy Kavaney, of Warren Street, said the community is a “Rockwellian neighborhood” and still holds block parties. Fuller Road, though, is still a problem for the neighborhood, she said.
“I have seen multiple pets sacrificed on the road,” Kavaney said. “I know personally, because I am a bike rider and a walker, that it is very difficult to get across that road.”
Kavaney said motorists use the turning lane down the middle of the street as a passing lane. Other residents claimed to have seen “near misses” as a result of this behavior.
“I think it is perfectly reasonable to reduce that speed to 30 mph,” she said. “It is only a matter of time until some person … goes down on that road.”
Don Reeb, president of the McKownville Improvement Association, had asked the Town Board at its previous meeting to consider reducing the speed limit. Reeb said about a dozen emails were sent to the town in support.
“If you have ever been in that situation where a car is coming towards you and you are sitting there waiting to turn, it’s scary as hell,” Reeb said.
Martin Gnacik, an Elmwood Street resident, said he wasn’t aware of any near misses but knows Fuller Road “is a speedway.” He uses the Fuller daily to turn onto his street.
“Reducing the speed limit to 30 mph would be a blessing,” Gnacik said. “It always has been a sore spot on Fuller Road. It is a good idea now; it was a good idea a long time ago.”
Runion said the town has been “very proactive” in reducing the speed on several major roads.
The board recently approved reducing the speed limit within Guilderland Center to 35 mph, and directed special enforcement details in that area and other locations aimed at slowing people down, Runion said.
“We will have increased enforcement (around Fuller Road) and I think once you do that it alerts people to the change,” Runion said. “Once they are aware of the changes I think they will slow down and follow the speed limit.”
Charles Klaer, who lives near Guilderland Center, said the reduced speed limit seems to be working in that area. Klaer recommended the town temporarily place a radar displaying motorist’s speed on Fuller Road.