Before cruising down Erie Boulevard in Schenectady, you might want to surf the web.
Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority on Thursday, July 12, launched a new website, dubbed “Fix Erie Now,” to provide updates on the Erie Boulevard Reconstruction Project. Extensive work is ongoing to transform the entranceway into the city using $14 million in federal and state funding, with Schenectady providing 5 percent of redevelopment funds.
The website, fixerienow.com, features project updates and traffic advisories, along with artist renderings depicting what the new Erie Boulevard will look like once completed. Metroplex worked closely with city officials to develop the website.
“This website is designed to help city residents, commuters and visitors track our progress in fixing Erie Boulevard,” Mayor Gary McCarthy said in a statement.
The website also features a form for anyone to submit questions on the project and receive a response by email.
“The redevelopment of Erie Boulevard is critical to the redevelopment of downtown,” said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen in a statement. “By partnering with the city, our goal is to provide frequent project updates and as well as answer any questions that might arise during construction.”
The website also includes information on when work will be performed during the day. What might be an easy drive during the morning commute could get congested on the drive home.
Crews are nearly done installing an 8-inch water line on the east side of Erie Boulevard. Installation of a new 24-inch water line near I-890 is progressing, with an expected completion on Wednesday, Aug. 1.
A new $14 million Amtrak station is planned to be built on Erie Boulevard, too, along with bike lanes, sidewalks, a median with trees, new crosswalks and other features. The existing four-lane highway will have safer pedestrian crosswalks installed and more parking for businesses is included in the plans.
Gillen said Erie Boulevard is a “major gateway” to Glenville, along with connecting the General Electric campus to downtown Schenectady. Since 2004, GE has added more than 1,000 jobs in Schenectady County, according to Gillen, and its new battery plant was recently unveiled.
“For visitors to downtown and for commuters, we hope the new website is helpful,” Gillen said. “We want everyone to be able to track the progress in creating a new Erie Boulevard.”
Cleaning up and improving the gateway into the county is an important goal of the project, Gillen said, and may open up economic development opportunities.
The project is on schedule and is expected to be completed by late 2013.
