HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-18
Dryden Rail Trail Friends and Task Force
Minutes of the Meeting Monday, April 18, 2022
Via Zoom
Attendance: Bob Beck, Alice Green, Chris & Diane Tessaglia-Hymes, Rose Borzik, Tony
and Janice Bretscher, Susan Ashdown, Judy Pierpont, Dan Lamb, Todd Bittner, Steven
Winans
Call to order at 7:03 pm – Bob Beck
Additions to agenda:
1) June 11 Dairy Day booth
2) Announcement of upcoming trail event: Bird Walk led by Chris beginning at 7:30 am
April 30 starting from the Freeville Village Hall. Limited to 30 people. Announcement
coming on the list serve.
Approval of March minutes: unanimous
Broadband work underway at Pinckney and Hall Woods Roads – Bob, Dan
Bob has visited the site. Work is well underway. Conduit is being laid for the fiber cable
in the Pinckney Rd. area. Because the overgrown rail bed has been cleared, it’s now possible
to easily walk from Pinckney all the way to Route 13 (except for a wet area behind the new
large buildings near the east end of Hall Woods Rd. Susan suggested that we request that the
DPW install barriers to discourage folks from going to and crossing Route 13.
Chris asked about the section of rail bed behind the two large buildings (Bellasario
property). He noted that fill has been added behind there and asked whether the broadband
teams will clear down the added fill. The broadband engineer told Bob they will drill under
the wetland area to lay the fiber and they won’t move the fill.
Dan said this pilot project will offer broadband to 30 to 50 households and businesses. He
noted that the entry level fees will be lower than residents are paying now. After the
Pinckney Rd. targeted area is up and running, the project will move toward Varna and
towards Etna. There will be a broadband photo op on the Knickerbocker property on Friday.
Dan reported the Town got some good news in the NYS budget: legislators reversed fees
that were previously required to be paid to DOT on their property that would be used for
laying broadband. He also noted that Assemblywoman Anna Kelles took quick action to pass
state legislation that explicitly gives permission for municipal governments to establish
broadband.
Todd asked the Town’s plan to keep the brush cleared from the path. Engineer said they
aren’t planning to plant grass or bring in gravel to cover the fiber optic lines. Todd also
asked about the washout on the NYSEG property. It appears the cable will go underneath,
and the project may not help with work that’s needed for trail development across the
washout.
Game Farm Rd crossing update – Dan, Bob, Todd
Dan said the Barton and & Loguidice (B&L) report has been received by the Town.
They’re looking for feedback. Jeff Smith from County Highway responded with an
agreement to fix the bump on Game Farm Rd north of the crossing in the summer of 2023,
but until then, he recommended there should be more planning.
Todd reported that Cornell Transportation Planner Reed Heugerich has reviewed the
B&L report and he will provide feedback. Reed took issue with the traffic speed limit
approach that B&L took (the 85th percental); he recommended newer tool, US Limits Two,
that shows a different lower speed limit. The newer tool produces different sightline limits.
This could be used to push back against DOT’s decision not to approve a speed limit
reduction on Game Farm Rd.
Reed said he was surprised that the B&L report did not analyze the use of a set of four
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) for the crossing. Todd shared a short video
describing this technology. They are user activated. They have a horizonal strip. They have a
bar with multiple LED’S. They’re placed at crossings, and they can also be connected with
flashing advanced warning signs in both directions. Once activated, all four are lit and going.
Reed said this technology should evaluated as part of the analysis, because it could solve
the sightline issues with or without the road regrading. He mentioned a project that
successfully used this approach in a rolling topography. This technology is in the DOT tool
kits and could be used off the shelf. If the county would approve this, they could be installed
as soon as they could be ordered and delivered. Todd noted that an argument could be made
that it would be less expensive to the county than addressing the sightline issue by regrading.
RH said these could be installed without the sightline change.
Bob guessed that the cost would be $15K+ or so for an additional 2 units (making 4
units), plus installation. The longer this is unaddressed the more significant safety issue that
remains. He feels this solution is better than waiting. Bob requested that Dan approach B&L
to see if they would include RRFB in the submission to the County. Todd reported that he
had talked with Town of Ithaca Councilperson Bill Goodman, who was surprised to hear that
the county hadn’t accepted B&L’s plan.
Dan said the most difficult hurdle will be the stopping distance. Susan asked whether
there was a look at how fast people really travel; her daily experience is that people rarely
travel 55 MPH on Game Farm Rd. Todd said B&L did some measurement of actual speeds.
Dan said he will reapproach DOT to establish a lower speed zone in the area of the
crossing, since this could reduce stopping distance.
Steve suggested paying attention to signage and gates or bollards to give pedestrians
forewarning when they approach. Bob said many of these treatments are in the plan, but the
emphasis is on warning traffic.
EPF grant update – Bob
Bob reminded members that getting the Game Farm Rd. section of the trail open last fall
meant that the full scope of the work in the NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
(Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) grant has been covered. All that’s left is surfacing,
kiosks and benches, and coordinating with the TAP grant for the section from Monkey Run
Rd. to Route 13.
Local State Parks rep Kathleen McIsaac has been working with the Town Bookkeeper to
document all town spending on the project. Kathleen wants to get this done before she
retires and moves from the area. She said she has been working with State Parks lawyers in
Albany to complete approval of the last ROW, the 20-year Game Farm Concurrent Use and
Occupancy Agreement. Albany has had this since last year. Now they’re asking for a Town
statement about what the Town will do if DEC does not renew after the 20 years. Bob has
drafted a letter for Dan to send on behalf of the Town.
Next step: Bob will ask Todd to review all the finances to maximize the matches. Todd
explained that a spreadsheet has already been created by Bob to provide a blueprint for
reimbursements. DPW work helps meet match requirements. Todd noted that the only
disappointment in the EPF process, besides the length of time to get approval of all the
easements, is that road crossings are not covered in the EPF fund.
TAP grant update – Bob, Todd, Dan
The Town has sent the final design plan to engineers Erdman Anthony, and this has gone to
the Department of Transportation (DOT). Bob said Town Planner Ray Burger recommended an
expansion of the survey of needs for the Knickerbocker property. Since the owners of this new
business have offered to deed over whatever the Town needs to build the bridge, the Town will
request the entire 33 feet of the ROW on that side to the right-angle bend in Hall Woods Rd.
Bob also reported that DOT asked for increase in height of the bridge clearance from 16 to
17 feet, so the ramps and width change, and this means a little more property may be needed on
the Kickerbocker and possibly the Hale property. The changes were made quickly and sent to
DOT. Todd said this will raise the cost of the bridge, and he questioned whether this DOT
requirement can be appealed. Bob said the bridge subcommittee should meet again on April 28.
Todd asked for a copy of the changes in advance.
Since the bridge construction won’t begin until 2023, Bob wondered if it would make sense
to re-surface the trail from Monkey Run to Rte. 13 this summer. Todd said this could only be
done when the entire package is approved through DOT. There was some discussion about
whether this should be done by DPW or contractors.
It was noted that DPW still hasn’t installed requested crosswalks, including Mt. Pleasant, and
that the crossing at Stevenson Rd still needs pedestrian crossing signs. This will be discussed at
the next TB meeting.
Streets Alive! Ithaca / Bike Walk Tompkins – Bob
Volunteers needed – Sunday, May 1st, 1:00–5:00
Tony, Janice and Rose volunteered to help Bob with this.
June 11 Dairy Day
The return of this event means that the task force will be looking for volunteers to staff the
Rail Trail booth.
Next meeting: Scheduled for 7 pm Monday May 16 in Etna if conditions allow
Adjournment at 8:26 pm
Respectfully submitted: Alice Walsh Green