Ferry, Walnut reconstruction makes sense

There has been a bunch of backlash over the State Department of Transportation spending $6.7 million on reimaging Ferry and Walnut Avenues between Packard Road and Main St.

The newly constructed roads will be one-lane with curb bump outs at intersections and bike lanes.

DOT engineers did a safety study and discovered on Ferry Avenue, 11 out of 40 intersections had an accident rate above the state average in 2018. The accident rate was above the 2018 state average, in 2018, at 16 out of 38 intersections on Walnut Avenue.

The state's safety evaluation showed from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2017, there were 100 crashes on Walnut Avenue and 76 crashes on Ferry Avenue. The largest percentage of those crashes, 42% on Walnut Avenue and 44.7% on Ferry Avenue were "overtaking" collisions

Data from the state also showed that 55% of the overtaking collisions involved motorists turning left from the wrong lane on the street.

DOT officials calculate the project will result in the time it takes a driver to drive from one end to the other increasing between 2 and 9 seconds.

I have been sworn at for riding a bicycle on Ferry Avenue. The project makes sense. It will improve things for residents of both streets as well as motorists.

Objections remind me of the people who say not to remove the remains of Robert Moses Parkway or the naysayers who complained about the reconstruction of Niagara Street. It makes no sense. We are better without the Scenic Parkway. Niagara Street is improved.

Both streets are lined with traffic cones but construction has not begun.