At its meeting last night, the Common Council approved a change order on the work being done to improve the intersection of Green Street and Fairview Avenue. According to the resolution, the original contract with A. Colarusso & Son, the lowest bidder, was for $367,840.25. The change order approves an additional $20,984.50 to make the southwest corner of the intersection, as Public Work commissioner Peter Bujanow explained it, "more pedestrian friendly and truck safe." The change order brings the cost of the intersection improvements to $388,824.75.
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In July 2018, when the Common Council changed the city's zoning to accommodate Stewart's expansion plans, it was the expectation that Stewart's would provide the money needed to finance improvements to the intersection, for the safety of pedestrians and drivers, in a host community benefit agreement. In May 2019, the terms of the agreement were presented to the Common Council. The City would receive $200,000 from Stewart's to compensate for the impacts of the project on the community: $135,000 to $140,000 for improvements to the intersection to enhance pedestrian access; the remainder--$60,000 to $65,000--to be used for planning and zoning studies. The actual cost of the improvements is almost three times what was anticipated in 2019 and almost twice the amount the City received from Stewart's.
Last night, Bujanow said that the intersection was to be striped today, between 9:00 a.m. and noon. By now, the striping has probably been done, and we can start to understand how the changes to the intersection will benefit pedestrians and drivers.
COPYIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK
The crosswalk lines were not done today, likely due to threat of rain. The signals are all up and working - 5 of the 6 are working, anyway.
ReplyDeleteUnlike signalized pedestrian crossings in NYC and elsewhere where no vehicles have a green light to drive through the crosswalk while pedestrians have been given the walk signal, at Stewart's you can be given a signal to walk and vehicles from one or two directions can have the green light to be driving through the crosswalk at the same time as you. In other words, even if you get the GO to cross the street, you had better keep your eyes on all oncoming traffic the entire way across to be sure drivers obey the little signs that say YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS!
It's still a frightening place to cross, maybe even more dangerous because the crossing signals give the false impression that pedestrians are free to cross and no cars or trucks will be headed their way.
Stewart's and City Hall have offered us the Hudson version of safe pedestrian crossings. Someone or some people are going to get run over there, even though the signal indicated to them that it was time to safely cross.
Bill
So on the one hand the City is suing Colarusso for various reasons, while the other is handing them a check? Priceless!
ReplyDeleteSame as it ever was
DeleteColarusso won the bidding process. Would you rather the city pay more just to stay away from them?
Deletethis complicated intersection has always been an accident waiting to happen, and nothing being done here has substantially improved anything. Stewart's muscled the city into getting its big new store with vague promises of safetification as the velvet glove on its iron fist.
ReplyDelete