Town also moves forward on additional bicycle/pedestrian path along Cherry Avenue extension
DELMAR – The Town of Bethlehem is notifying about 60 property owners along the 1.3 mile Delaware Avenue traffic corridor between Elsmere Avenue and the City of Albany they may schedule an appointment to meet with town officials to discuss modifications to their driveways as part of the Complete Streets traffic calming plan. According to Bethlehem Director of Planning Rob Leslie, many of those driveways are slated to be made narrower to help reduce the potential for accidents between automobiles and cyclists/pedestrians.
Leslie said those property owners can schedule an appointment online for about a 45-minute session in mid-January with him, town engineering staff and CHA Consulting. He explained that when the avenue’s driveways were constructed years ago, they were made far wider than standard driveways are designed today.
“Narrowing driveways better defines them, which reduces the potential for conflicts between cars and bicyclists or pedestrians,” said Leslie.
However, not all driveways will be the same width under the complete streets plan.
“It depends on the type of uses,” said Leslie. “If large truck deliveries are needed a larger driveway is needed.”
The meetings will afford property owners the opportunity to understand the plan’s design for their particular driveway and for them to advise the town if their driveway has a use requiring a greater width than proposed.
The town had previously submitted its complete streets plan to the State Department of Transportation and had been waiting for its approval. However, the DOT instead advised the town it would be more efficient to “hold the driveway discussions “ before DOT reviews the full plan, said Leslie.
Other efforts to make town roads friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians are also under way. On Dec. 12, the town held a public meeting to discuss building a 10-foot-wide multi-use path alongside the Cherry Avenue Extension between Kenwood Avenue and the traffic circle at the intersection of Cherry and New Scotland Road.
About 80% of the approximately $1.9 million project will be paid for by state and federal grants obtained about two years ago, and the remaining 20% with town funds. The town plans to build the path on the eastern side of the Cherry Avenue extension for pedestrians and cyclists to use for two way travel.
“We are also going to add a path to get people from the intersection to the rail trail,” said Leslie.
Because the path will be built off the road using the present shoulder, which is a DOT right of way, no land acquisition is needed. Currently, Leslie said he expects construction to begin at the end of 2024 after completion of the design phase with construction to be completed in spring of 2025.
“This road created a barrier if on a bike or walking and trying to travel between Slingerlands and the roundabout,” said Leslie. “People will be able to bike or walk on a path and not the road’s shoulder.”
This story was featured on page 5 of the December 27, 2023 print edition of the Spotlight news
