The New York State Department of Transportation has approved a speed limit reduction on Route 5 in the town of Elbridge. The DOT will extend the 30 MPH speed zone east from the village line to include the commercial development; add a 35 MPH zone between the village’s 30 MPH zone and the existing 45 MPH zone; and extend the 45 MPH zone east to Champion Mobile Park. The lowered speed limit requests were made in late February by the town board on behalf of Roger Tumber, a resident of Sunview Drive. “Based on the existing commercial development, roadway characteristics and prevailing traffic conditions we have determined that adding a 30 MPH speed zone adjacent to the easterly village line and extending the 45 MPH zone to a point slightly beyond Sunview Drive would be appropriate,” wrote Carl Ford, Regional Director of Transportation for the DOT, in a letter dated April 6. Ford said the official orders for the new speed zones will follow, and the new signs will be installed by state maintenance forces as soon as their work schedules permit. Town Supervisor Ken Bush said the speed limits will be a great benefit, especially in lowering the speed of vehicles traveling from the East as they approach the commercial development on Rt. 5 before entering the village. “Also, for those residents living on Sunview Drive, it should help them entering and exiting their street with slower moving traffic on Rt. 5,” Bush said. State finds no need for traffic light at Sandbank Road
One week before hearing from the state on the reduced speed limit, Bush heard received a letter in regards to the town’s June 21 request for the installation of a three-color traffic light at the intersection of Route 5 and Sandbank Road. The DOT conducted a review of the area that included a six-and-a-half-year accident history report, a three-day traffic count and assessment of on-site conditions. “Based on that review, we have determined that a three-color signal is not needed at this time,” Carl Ford wrote. “We will, however, continue to monitor this site in the event conditions change.” Bush said over the past several years many residents have expressed concerns over how difficult it is to pull out of their driveways and side streets onto route 5 considering the amount of traffic coming through that intersection. “They suggested perhaps a traffic light at Sandbank and East Main Street (Route 5) would help space the traffic along East Main Street,” Bush said. “Also, as the traffic increased off Sandbank due to Kenney’s, the town park, new housing, expanded trooper barracks and ever increasing commuting traffic using Sandbank, it was thought that intersection would be a good place to install a traffic light. I guess the state does not agree with that view.”