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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/15/2014 Southold Transportation Commission Southold Town Hall Conference Room December 15, 2014 Meeting Called to Order: 10:01 AM by Chairman Neb Brashich. Members Present: Town Engineer Jamie Richter, Planning Director Heather Lanza, Chief Martin Flatley, Councilman Bill Ruland, Highway Superintendent Vincent Orlando, Frank Field, Margaret Brown and Tom Fox. Minutes of November 24, 2014 A motion to approve the minutes was made, was seconded and was carried after Jamie Richter pointed out that"grant" should be substituted for"reimbursement" in the Repaving of SR25 between Manor Place and CR 48—Greenport paragraph on page 2. The mrd has been corrected accordingly. EETC Update Heather Lanza advised that the next meeting would probably be in January 2015, with quarterly meetings thereafter. She will also canvas the various local governments and other public agencies concerning their continued participation in that forum. Public Requests Signage at Laurel Lane& Peconic Bay Boulevard- Peconic Neb's letter of December 11, 2014 to the concerned resident advised that the Southold PD will place an electronic variable message board during peak season travel times to enhance traffic safety. Traffic Light Request at AckerlPond Lane P. Route 25-Southold Neb reported that no signed petition from local residents had yet been received. ADA Access to Bus Shelters Neb again reported that a petition from the East Marion Civic Association had not yet been received. Supervisor&Town Board Requests Traffic Light at Route 25 & Peconic Lane Peconic& Planning Board Recommendations The NYSDOT will conduct a study of that traffic safety issue and report on its findings. No through Trucks—King Street New Suffolk There still has been no response received yet to Neb's letter of October 8, 2014 to the President of the Board of Trustees of New Suffolk Common School concerning that issue. Detectable Warning Signs on Route 25—Town Responsibility A letter dated September 24, 2014 from Guiding Eyes for the Blind to the NYSDOT Hauppauge inquired about the possible installation of bubble warning strips at pedestrian crosswalks in the hamlet of Southold. In its response of October 27, 2014, the NYSDOT advised that the issue raised falls within the jurisdiction of the Town of Southold. The Supervisor was copied in that response, which he forwarded to the Commission on November 3, 2014. Vincent Orlando advised that the Highways Department will secure replacements for the installed strips, as necessary. Parking Issues—Lavender Farm, East Marion Councilman Ruland requested a survey of the parking situation at that location for reporting to the Supervisor. Chief Flatley advised that the site had been very busy over a short period of time during the summer and that there had been vigorous enforcement of parking regulations. A report to the Superintendent will be deferred to the January 2015 meeting, pending a review of the site plan. Parking Issues Laurel School Building—Mattituck/Cutchogue School District Councilman Ruland advised that a resident immediately to the west of that privately—operated pre-school facility on Franklinville Road had complained about traffic and parking issues there. The Commission will review the situation and make recommendations accordingly. It was suggested that a meeting of all interested local and state agencies be convened to discuss the matter. Planning Board Requests Town Comprehensive Plan Issuance of the Transportation & Infrastructure Chapter has been further delayed to late 2015. Improved Pedestrian Safety - CR48 at Soundview Restaurant-Greenport There have been no new developments from SCDPW after the October 2014 briefing by its Chief Engineer. In the meantime, Jamie Richter will investigate possible better street lighting at that location. Current Transportation issues -Updates Bus Shelters The siting of a shelter in Cutchogue remains under discussion. Orientation/Interpretive Signage Proiect—RBA Phase 11 The signs are to be revised. The Southold kiosk will be placed at the Greenport Information Center and the Mattituck—Cutchogue kiosk will be placed at the Mattituck Information Center. Placement of the Greenport kiosk will remain as previously advised. Intersection Reconfiguration between Boisseau Avenue & Middle Road (CR48)- Southold In its email of December 5, 2014 to Jamie Richter, the SCDPW attached two proposals for reconfiguring that location, which will be one of several projects along CR48. Alternative 1 proposes closing the segment of Boisseau Avenue east of Yennecott Drive and extending the residents' driveways to CR48. Alternative 2 proposes a cul-de-sac at the eastern limit of Boisseau Avenue, with driveway extensions to the cul-de-sac for the two concerned residents. Construction is expected to commence in 2016. The Commission reviewed and discussed both alternatives and decided that Alternative#2 was preferable. Jaime Richter will advise the SCDPW accordingly and he will also request a situation report concerning the proposed roundabout at Cox Neck Lane and the end of CR48 in Mattituck. New Business Street Light Installation on New Suffolk Road at NS Shipyard — New Suffolk The Supervisor forwarded the December 11, 2014 email from a local resident requesting installation of a street light just south of the shipyard as a traffic safety issue. Chief Flatley will investigate the nighttime situation there. In the meantime, a signed petition from local residents should be forwarded for consideration. Old Business None. Next Meeting The next meeting will take place on January 26, 2015 at 10:00 AM in the conference room at Town Hall. Adjournment 11:15 AM Cc: Town Clerk Respectfully submitted, Thomas F. Fox _ pF SO!/r�,®l SCOTT A.RUSSELL h ® Town Hall, 53095 Route 25 SUPERVISOR l l P.O. Box 1179 Southold,New York 11971-0959 Fax(631) 765-1823 y COU Telephone (631) 765-1889 NTl,�� OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR TOWN OF SOUTHOLD TO: Transportation Commission FROM: Scott A. Russell, Supervisor DATE: November 3, 2014 RE: Detectable Warning Strips Please see the attached letter from the NYS Department of Transportation regarding the detectable warning strips that fall within the jurisdiction of the Town of Southold. Please review this request at your next meeting and advise my office of your recommendations. Thank you. 0 1CL STATE OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STATE OFFICE BUILDING 250 VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. 1 1788-5518 JOSEPH T. BROWN, P.E. JOAN MCDONALD REGIONAL DIRECTOR COMMISSIONER October 27, 2014 ® EC E Q W E Mr. Graham Buck, Assistant Director of Training OCT 3 1 2014 Guiding Eyes For The Blind 611 Granite Springs Road Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD Pedestrian Safety Concerns Various Locations Southold Our Case No. 149320TC Dear Mr. Buck: This is in response to the pedestrian safety concerns you expressed in your correspondence of September 24, 2014 along Route 25 in Southold. The "Detectable Warning Strips" you referred to in your letter do not fall within the jurisdiction of the New York State Department of Transportation. They are maintained by the Town of Southold. We have reached out to the Town of Southold Supervisor Scott Russell's office and apprised him of your concerns. We have forwarded your concerns to him so that his staff can investigate further and take whatever appropriate actions deemed necessary. There are no pedestrian crossing signals currently across Youngs Avenue at Route 25, since there is no existing crosswalk at this location. However, we are planning on installing a crosswalk at that location in an upcoming project. The audible pedestrian crossing signals will be installed as part of this work. Thank you for your interest in this traffic safety matter. Very truly yours, ORMG!PIAL SIG I:D DY SNntitfM1. �,. EMILIO C. SOSA, P.E. Acting Regional Traffic Engineer 4 ' cc: /Supervisor Scott Russell, Town of Southold w/a Mr. Vincent Orlando, Superintendent of Highways, Town of Southold w/a ECS:RJH:mm f ..One can never � consent to creep a G�� V, i f ( f t when one eels an +(fjry/ Wf (} impulse to soar,' � �> \ Helen Keller FOt"The Blind I`ti= RECEIbEt3 September 24, 2014 4 ,o 2 SES' 3) vx 2014 Mr Emilio Sosa TRAFFIC & SAFETY 250 Veterans Memorial Highway NYS DEPT Ol''TRANSPORTAT?ON Hauppauge, NY 11788 Dear Mr. Sosa: I am a guide dog instructor from Guiding Eyes For The Blind in Westchester County, New York I recently worked with Tracy Westerlund and trained her with'a new guide dog.Tracy lives in Southold, New York on the north fork of Long Island. I wanted to bring to your"attention some areas of travel concerns for Tracy and her new guide dog. Almost all of the bubble warning strips at the ramps in the village are-either completely or partially worn down. in fact, some of the ramps do not have them at all I will include exact intersections that Tracy uses on a frequent basis. However, all of the ramps in the village would need to be updated. The raised bubbles are not easily detected and are also fading in color. Most towns and cities are now using updated orange or bright yellow bubble strips. There is also one area of sidewalk that is not graded properly along a route where Tracy travels. I have listed that as well.There is a drop off to the right where she could get injured if she caught her foot. Specific locations are: -Colonial Village entrance at route 25 at Annesway on the north side of the street. -Route 25 and Young's Avenue all-four corners. -Beckwith. Both-sides both down and up curb. North side of the street -On the south side of street Mechanic Rt 25 both sides up and down. -All ramps between Giving Room Yoga Center(across from Mullen-Motors) and Jockey Creek. -Oaklawn and Jockey Creek sidewalk needs to level with the substrate. By updating the bubble strips in the village of Southold, you would be helping Tracy and her new guide_dog travel more--safely and effectively.As part of the training for guide dogs,they look to target bubble-strips at corners. In addition, if the bubble strips are easily detected by the blind guide dog handler, then they can assess the intersection more efficiently. Ideally,if these bubble strips could be replaced before winter, you-would be helping Tracy very much. In addition, there are many elderly people in'the village with walkers and or in wheelchairs. Lastly, an updated audible crossing signal was put in at the corner of Route 25 and Youngs Avenue:This allows Tracy to cross the road safely when crossing over Route 25.'However, there is_no audible for Youngs Avenue. I'm not sure if this is part of your jurisdiction but it would be helpful if you could help facilitate the second audible signal at Route 25 and Youngs Avenue. 1 I appreciate your attention to these matters and your willingness to help update the bubble strips in the village I would greatly appreciate if you could correspond with me and provide me an update and timeframe of when the strips could be replaced'so that I can work with Tracy and her guide-dog to show them the new target locations. Thank you very much for your time and effort. Sincerely 7 Graham Buck Assistant Director-of Training Email. bq uckCa)4uidinaeyes.ora 914-243-4342 l SOUTHOLD TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION Town Hall P.0.Box 1179 53095 Main Road Southold,W 11971-0959 Phone(631)765-1889 Fax(631)765-1823 December 11, 2014 Mr. John Peters 4985 Peconic Bay Boulevard Laurel, New York 11948 Dear Mr. Peters: This is a follow-up to several telephone exchanges between yourself and Town officials concerning perceived traffic safety issues on Peconic Bay Boulevard. The Commission discussed this issue during the past three monthly meetings and reached a decision to have the Town police place a variable message board on the boulevard during peak season travel times as well as monitor safety compliance. Sincerely, Neboysha R. Brashich Chairman Cc: Supervisor Scott A. Russell Record Det> ils Page 1 of 1 Increase Font Decrease Font RECORD DETAILS Caller Name: JOHN PETERS Caller Address: 4985 PECONIC BAY BLVD, BET. BRAY 8-; 6. VIrp' Caller Company: Caller Phone: (631)298-8113 Incident DatelTime "�15/8/2014 9:34:35 j Incident Type: S I-'©p�' -T o N Incident Address: '�14985 PECONIC BAY BLVD Incident Laurel Hamlet: MR. PETERS LIVES ON PECONIC BAY BLVD-LAUREL--HE IS GRAVELY CONCERNED ABOUT RUNNERS,JOGGERS, BIKERS,WHO TRAVEL ON WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THERE IS NO SIDEWALK TO PROTECT THEM. SPEEDING CARS POSE ANOTHER HAZARD-HIGH RATES OF SPEED/ERRATIC DRIVERS. HE HAS TRIED TO HELP BY PUTTING UP A SIGN BY HIS HOME...HE HAS TRIED TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON BICYCLES THAT THEY SHOULD TRAVEL W/TRAFFIC AND JOGGERS AGAINST TRAFFIC. THEY DISREGARD HIS ATTEMPTS TO KEEP THEM SAFE. HIS SUGGESTION IS THAT THE TOWN PUT UP A SIGN WHERE LAUREL LANE AND THE BOULEVARD MEET AND ANOTHER ON THE EASTERN END WITH SIMILAR DIRECTIVES. Incident Notes: • R ' Incident AlI Status: PRINT CLOSE DELETE hitp://web/phoneLog/reports/rpt_details.aspx?id=8103 5/8/2014 Suffolk Times�rticle-IMMEDIATE https://webtop.webmail.optimumnet/viewmessage?r=<request><mail a... From: "NEBOYSHA BRASHICH" <nrbi@optonline.net> To: snormandin@rbagroup.com Date: 12/10/2014 10:37:17 PM Subject: Suffolk Times Article- IMMEDIATE Steve - Here is the article that will appear tomorrow. See last DOT comment re move approval. Neb Government A decade later, kiosks pop up in Mattituck and Southold by Cyndi Murray 1 12/10/2014 8:00 AM PICTURE IS MISSING - SOUTHOLD KIOSK A kiosk in Southold that will serve as a tourist guide won't stay in its current location much longer. (Credit: Cyndi Murray) Two three-sided structures have popped up around town in recent weeks and have many residents scratching their heads. Standing seven feet tall, the black structures were installed across the street from the IGA in Southold, at the intersection of Main Road and Youngs Avenue, and in Mattituck, near Love Lane and Pike Street. During a North Fork Chamber of Commerce meeting Friday in Southold, realtor Joan Tyrer asked Supervisor Scott Russell a question that's been on a lot of people's minds: "What is it?" "It is tourist guide that will show you what the attractions are,"Mr. Russell explained. Right now, the information on the kiosks is covered up, but once revealed, it will highlight historic places and shopping areas in the hamlets. There will be three kiosks in all when the project is complete. The idea for the kiosks emerged more than a decade ago from the town's Transportation Commission. The initiative received more than $100,000 in federal funding in 2006 to cover the cost of a study of all the town's signage and for a project consultant. However, Mr. Russell said, the effort has had a"had a lot of starts and stops"over the years, including the need for New York State Department of Transportation approval for several stages of the project. As for the recent installation of the two kiosks, Mr. Russell told Chamber members Friday that he"didn't see it coming." While the Town Board had approved a bid from KJB Industries Inc. to install the signs in May, the project needed to be amended by the Transportation Commission and work did not start immediately. Mr. Russell said in an interview Tuesday that Transportation Commission chairman Neb Brashich had briefed him about the project throughout the process, but said overall there wasn't"continuity at the town level about staying on top of it." "In fairness to Neb, who has been carrying the project, the Town Board really hasn't stayed on top of it," Mr. Russell said. "The project started before we all got here and the presumption was that previous boards signed off on it and approved it, and we at the time didn't see a need to interfere with it." 1 of2 12/10/2014 10:37 PM Suffolk Times�r icle-•1MIvIED1ATE https://webtop.webmail.optimumneVviewmessage?r=<request><mail a... Since the kiosks were installed last month, the town has received plenty of backlash from residents about their aesthetics— or lack thereof— and complaints that the one in Mattituck takes up"critical parking spaces,"Mr. Russell said. The initial plan was to install three kiosks — in Southold, Mattituck and near Karen's Deli Cutchogue. To date, only the Southold and Mattituck the kiosks have been installed. But, don't get used to seeing them in their current places for too much longer, Mr. Russell said. "We recognize it is not a good place for it,"he said. "We are going to have to relocate them." The Mattituck and Cutchogue kiosks will eventually both have a permanent home at the tourist information booth at Laurel Lake on Main Road in Laurel. The Southold kiosk will be moved to the information booth near the Lutheran church on Route 25 in Greenport, Mr. Russell said. Once the kiosks are relocated, Mr. Russell believes the project will be a positive one for the town. A spokeswoman for the DOT, which administered the federal grant to the town for the project, agreed. "The DOT has recently paved Route 25 in Southold Town ... it was a part of initiatives to contribute to North Fork,"said Eileen Peters of the DOT. She added that the town would have to receive DOT approval to move the kiosks. "This fits within that vein. 2 of2 12/10/2014 10:37 PM t , < < f Join the discussion... Bottom of Form Frank• 13 hours ago Ugly vk• 13 hours ago 2 kiosks at one location doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.... Frank• 13 hours aizo Because Mr. Russell was asleep these signs were randomly placed.Now the town has to spend additional taxpayer dollars to remove and reinstall these eyesores! forwardthinking39@yahoo.com Frank• 12 hours ago he does more "asleep" than most people do awake... and they are not in the same place... if they help tourists spend then so be it---previous board approved(note this) ...there are worse "eyesores" • r TRUTH North Fork Frank• 9 hours ago Frank, I will stand behind Scott Russell any day of the week. I wonder how many people can say that about you? J Frank TRUTH North Fork• 8 hours ago I'm not spending taxpayer dollars. It's nice that you support Mr. Russell but our elected leaders should be criticized when they make questionable decisions. NorthForkBob • 11 hours ago 10 years ago there were no smart phones. These people are in the past making buggy whips and managing our money WeekendNorthforker• 6 hours hours ago Please remove at once... They are not aesthetically pleasing to the eye and most of all and not within the character of a historic "landmarked" Village. If it does withstand the test of ignorance,please include the following: "Tanger Mall 15 mi" with an arrow!!! Howard Burden• 3 hours ago More than$100,000,00 six years ago? So with interest these are some awfully expensive Eye Sore's. RE:Interpretive Signs https:Hwebtop.webmail.optimmLnet/viewmessage?r=<request><mail a... From: "NEBOYSHA BRASHICH" <nrbi@optonline.net> - To: "Sepenoski, John" <johnsep@town.southold.ny.us> Cc: "Richter, Jamie" <Jamie.Richter@town.southold.ny.us>, "Russell, Scott" <Scott.Russell @town.southold.ny.us>, "Standish, Lauren" <Lauren.Standish@town.southold.ny.us> Date: 12/09/2014 11:14:56 AM Subject: RE: Interpretive Signs John - I think it was clearly understood that if, in the future, the signage or location need to be changed, the Town would be able to do so. As an aside, are the current Town kiosks showing current trails? The important thing is to get the current interpretive signage finished and installed ASAP-we are working against a tight time line. Neb Brashich On Tue, Dec 09, 2014 at 09:13 AM, Sepenoski, John wrote: All: I am working on getting the current trail information to The RBA Group as discussed at yesterday's meeting. However, I missed discussing one point yesterday concerning the signs. The point I missed is that the map portions of the signs are redundant since we already have kiosks dedicated for posting our trail maps at the preserves and the signs are all being installed near the kiosks. I know that for now it is important to get the correct trails to RBA as soon as possible so that we can get this project wrapped up and that's what I will do. However, as we move forward will there be any issues if, for instance, when we update the Laurel Lake trail system we either replace the maps on these signs with additional interpretive text and photos or keep the maps but move the signs away from the kiosks so that they serve as additional maps in other sections of the preserve (e.g. the other entrances) to help visitors navigate the trail systems? This is consistent with our long-term plans for Laurel Lake since the trail system here will be long and rather complicated and require additional maps at the other entrances and in the interior to keep visitors from getting lost. I noticed that at ` least some of the photos on the current maps are Jim McMahon's and I know Jim has additional photos and information about these preserves that he could put together to replace the maps and I assume that DPW would be able to move these signs to other locations without much trouble if we keep the maps so I believe this would be a viable solution that makes use of the new signs without duplicating our existing kiosks. Please let me know your thoughts. Again, I will be putting the information RBA needs together today so that they can move forward immediately and my question above is for after we are done with the current project. John Sep 1 of 1 12/9/2014 11:15 AM RE:Boisseau Avenue&County Route 48 Intersection-RE:Highway I... https://webtop.webmail.optimun).net/viewmessage?r=<request><mail a... V From: "Richter, Jamie" <Jamie.Richter@town.southold.ny.us> To: "'Dawson, Jeffrey"' <Jeffrey.Dawson@suffolkcountyny.gov> Cc: nrbl@optonline.net Date: 12/16/2014 10:37:42 AM Subject: RE: Boisseau Avenue &County Route 48 Intersection - RE: Highway Improvement Projects on CR 48, Middle Road Jeff You say that the Cox Neck Road project was removed from your Capitol projects list. Who would you recommend that we contact to voice our disappointment. That intersection is of concern to us here in Southold and we thought that our worries would be resolved by that future project. Do you know why it was removed? Please let me know what we need to do to try and resurrect this project. Thank you. Jamie James A. Richter Office of the Engineer Town of Southold, New York Stormwater Management Control Plan Website: http://www.southoldtownny.gov/index.aspx?nid=195 Office: 631-765-1560 Cell: 631-926-9430 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication with its contents may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. It is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized interception, review, use or disclosure is prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the communication. From: Dawson,Jeffrey [mailto:Jeffrey.Dawson@suffolkcountyny.gov] Sent:Tuesday, December 16, 2014 9:29 AM To: Richter,Jamie Subject: RE: Boisseau Avenue &County Route 48 Intersection - RE: Highway Improvement Projects on CR 48, Middle Road Jamie, 1 of3 12/16/2014 10:46 AM RE:Boisseau Avenue&County Route 48 Intersection-RE:Highway L.. https://webtop.webmail.optimum.net/viewmessage?r=<request><mail a... Thank you for the response and input. I fully agree with the Commission's opinion, and the discussion was similar to one we had internally. We will progress the design accordingly, and I'll forward you a copy of the final plans. I expect this to be complete by early March. As for the Cox Neck Road project, I am not familiar with that project but it is my understanding that it has been removed from our capital program. If you need additional information, I can investigate further. Thanks, Jeff From: Richter,Jamie [mailto:Jamie.Richter@town.southold.ny.usl Sent:Tuesday, December 16, 2014 8:48 AM To: Dawson,Jeffrey Cc: nrbl@optonline.net Subject: Boisseau Avenue&County Route 48 Intersection - RE: Highway Improvement Projects on CR 48, Middle Road Hi Jeff The Transportation Commission met this past Monday. We had the opportunity to look at and review the two alternatives that have been proposed for the above referenced intersection. Some of the discussion related to how the individual residents (the two driveways) would feel about the two options. In the end, the Commission was more concerned about traffic safety and how overall traffic patterns would be affected by the change. As per the Transportation Commission, Alternate # 2 with the Cull-de-sac would seem to be the best alternate. We were resolute that anytime you can eliminate access points to a roadway, especially one with a radius, it would be considered less hazardous. The potential inconvenience of two residential driveways loosing direct access to the County roadway was overshadowed by the safety of all traffic at this location. If we can be of any additional assistance, please let us know. On another note, what has happened to the project to reconstruct the west end of the four lane highway at Cox Neck Road? As we understood it, the project design for reconstruction as a Roundabout was completed some time ago and the County was just waiting for funding. Is this project still in the system? 2 of 3 12/16/201410:46 AM RE:Boisseau Avenue&County Route 48 Intersection-RE:Highway I... https://webtop.webmail.optimumnet/viewmessage?r=<request><mail a... Thanks again. Jamie James A. Richter Office of the Engineer Town of Southold, New York Stormwater Management Control Plan Website: http://www.southoldtownny.gov/index.aspx?nid=195 Office: 631-765-1560 Cell: 631-926-9430 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication with its contents may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. It is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized interception, review, use or disclosure is prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the communication. 3 of 3 12/16/2014 10:46 AM