DELMAR – At a June 15 public meeting at Elsmere Elementary School, the Town of Bethlehem revealed a slimmed-down version of its originally proposed “road diet” for the 1.3-mile Delaware Avenue traffic corridor project that now contains no lane reductions.
Instead of reducing the stretch between Elsmere Avenue and the City of Albany from four to two lanes, the revised alternatives focus on safety, “traffic calming,” and speed reduction through adding high visibility, signalized midblock pedestrian crossings and refuge islands. Adding ADA accessible curb ramps and beautification features, such as east and west end gateways, is also part of the proposal.
At a minimum, the road will be repaved “flat and black,” said Joe Cimino, one of the town’s two consultants from CHA Consulting who presented the plans. The New York State Department of Transportation will pay for repaving, but the town wants to use allocated grant money to improve the area before it is reallocated to another project.
About 80 residents and business owners attended the meeting where Mike Hurt, the other CHA consultant present, explained that the first alternative or “base project” involves pavement resurfacing and restriping and that the two additional alternatives each build on that and each other.
The most significant change contained in those two alternatives involves installing a raised median at the Elsmere Avenue intersection, which would require reducing the now two lane road to one lane for a short strip from just east of Rural Place until Elsmere Avenue. Hurt acknowledged that this would cause increased “queuing” of vehicles at the Elsmere Avenue intersection, but said “it’s a trade-off” to create a safer pedestrian crossing and to persuade the DOT to lower the road’s speed limit.
Cimino reported that the project is partially funded through a $2.4 million federal grant under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). The town will invest an additional $500,000 for a total cost of $2.9 million. Two town residents objected to the town’s expenditure, stating that although the cost is mostly funded by a government grant, the town must still contribute. One asked if the town had considered not spending the money and cutting taxes instead.
Project construction will not begin until 2025. In the meantime, Cimino said the town will conduct additional field assessments, continue to meet with property and business owners and the DOT and create a Design Report. Another public meeting is expected to be held in the fall.
Meeting attendees were encouraged to speak with the consultants and town officials who, after the presentation, were stationed at multiple blow-ups of the preliminary concept plans. In addition, the town will accept public comments on the plans presented until July 7. Comments can be submitted on the project’s website DelAveCompleteStreets.com, by e-mailing Director of Planning Robert Leslie, or using a written comment form.
As originally approved by the town in April 2021, the project reduced Delaware Avenue from four to two lanes, with a middle two-way left turn lane and two opposing bike lanes. The lane changes were aimed at reducing crashes and improving cyclist and pedestrian safety. Local businesses, concerned that the lane reductions would negatively impact their revenues, and many area residents were dismayed that the town had not sought their input.
In November 2021, a coalition of about 40 local business owners organized an unusual citizen referendum to approve the project’s bond funding. Town voters rejected the referendum by a margin of 53 to 47 percent, sending the project back to the drawing board.
This time, according to Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce President Theresa Egan and some local business owners, the town has been transparent and sought input from local businesses.
“There has been a very positive change,” said Egan.
Both Egan and Town Supervisor David VanLuven agreed that “the full road diet is off the table.”
Egan called the presentation a “great step” with “great concepts to build on.”
“This is what it’s all about – education and the commitment about options and getting comments from the businesses and residents,” she said.
Jim Giacone, My Place & Company owner, confirmed that view.
“The town absolutely has been more transparent,” he said. “It has engaged a few businesses and involved them in what they were doing. … I think the town is handling it differently this time because of the referendum. No one wants to go through what we went through last time.”
Hurt cautioned that notwithstanding what the town agrees to, ultimately the DOT has the final say.
“It’s the town’s vision, but it’s their road,” he said.