Development in and Around Syracuse Discussion

[OttoMets]

I have not been down the parkway in a number of years but Why can they not just put a breakaway bar at 10 feet as soon as you enter the parkway. If you hit that you would not continue on from there I would guess. If you did continue after that you as the driver would be responsible for any and all damages and revocation of your CDL. Just a thought and would be a cheap resolution.

The engineers' rationale is that this is more likely to result in the breakaway bar hitting other cars (in both directions) doing 55 and causing more collateral damage than a single truck hitting the bridge.

Makes sense.

The one thing I'd like to understand better has been mentioned by others: to what degree is this a problem elsewhere? There're a million parkways in the Northeast, why don't they experience this? (Living in Washington for years, I don't remember trucks hitting low bridges on the Rock Creek or Baltimore-Washingon parkways.)

 

[FAL]

Dead people don’t care who’s responsible.

Ah-h-h, my friend...you forget that ageless and profound adage “Money talks, nobody walks.”

 

[shandeezy7]

The engineers' rationale is that this is more likely to result in the breakaway bar hitting other cars (in both directions) doing 55 and causing more collateral damage than a single truck hitting the bridge.

Makes sense.

The one thing I'd like to understand better has been mentioned by others: to what degree is this a problem elsewhere? There're a million parkways in the Northeast, why don't they experience this? (Living in Washington for years, I don't remember trucks hitting low bridges on the Rock Creek or Baltimore-Washingon parkways.)

It happens out here in Buffalo as well:

WGRZ-TV

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[OttoMets]

It happens out here in Buffalo as well:

WGRZ-TV

Get the latest Buffalo news, sports and weather from WGRZ-TV

www.wgrz.com

Do Western New Yorkers pronounce Colvin properly or are they also big into the whole "Caaaaahlvin" thing?

 

[shandeezy7]

Do Western New Yorkers pronounce Colvin properly or are they also big into the whole "Caaaaahlvin" thing?

Ya know, that's a good question. I guess I've never paid attention. I do know that they don't know how to pronounce "bison" correctly and they call soda "pop."

 

[Cheriehoop]

Ya know, that's a good question. I guess I've never paid attention. I do know that they don't know how to pronounce "bison" correctly and they call soda "pop."

That’s what makes me wonder if there are unknown political, economic etc motivation to all this. Also wondering if it may possibly have anything to do with Amazon warehouse or plans concerning the 81 grid project. There’s another very low railroad bridge on Park St close by that also has been hit previously just west of Destiny. Haven’t heard any plans regarding that bridge - never heard but did they do anything regarding that bridge right by Destiny and the train/bus station?

 

[xc84]

That’s what makes me wonder if there are unknown political, economic etc motivation to all this. Also wondering if it may possibly have anything to do with Amazon warehouse or plans concerning the 81 grid project. There’s another very low railroad bridge on Park St close by that also has been hit previously just west of Destiny. Haven’t heard any plans regarding that bridge - never heard but did they do anything regarding that bridge right by Destiny and the train/bus station?

I have a buddy who did some p/t delivery for a building supply co... They would rent trucks to use. One time he wasn't thinking about the height of his truck that day and headed toward that Park St. Bridge... realized it and screeched to a halt 1 foot from it.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I have a buddy who did some p/t delivery for a building supply co... They would rent trucks to use. One time he wasn't thinking about the height of his truck that day and headed toward that Park St. Bridge... realized it and screeched to a halt 1 foot from it.

There’s an entrance to the parkway just about 500 feet west of that bridge too. Just strange.

 

[shandeezy7]

That’s what makes me wonder if there are unknown political, economic etc motivation to all this. Also wondering if it may possibly have anything to do with Amazon warehouse or plans concerning the 81 grid project. There’s another very low railroad bridge on Park St close by that also has been hit previously just west of Destiny. Haven’t heard any plans regarding that bridge - never heard but did they do anything regarding that bridge right by Destiny and the train/bus station?

The bridge on Park St is 12'2". The Parkway bridge is 10'9". Also, it's probably just more common to have a truck driver get off 81 at the parkway exit than it is to have a driver navigating Park Street. I could be mistaken, but it seems like the overwhelming majority of bridge-striking incidents happen with trucks heading west, which indicates traffic coming off of 81.

 

[Mareiniss]

... The one thing I'd like to understand better has been mentioned by others: to what degree is this a problem elsewhere? There're a million parkways in the Northeast, why don't they experience this? (Living in Washington for years, I don't remember trucks hitting low bridges on the Rock Creek or Baltimore-Washington parkways.)

Things like that don't make the news in a major metro area like DC.

 

[Cheriehoop]

The bridge on Park St is 12'2". The Parkway bridge is 10'9". Also, it's probably just more common to have a truck driver get off 81 at the parkway exit than it is to have a driver navigating Park Street. I could be mistaken, but it seems like the overwhelming majority of bridge-striking incidents happen with trucks heading west, which indicates traffic coming off of 81.

Bad GPS besides not reading signs? One of the reasons GPS companies, NYS and commercial truckers should have regulations regarding updated GPS specifically for mandated use by truckers. Maybe there’s an issue too with having both Old Liverpool Rd, the mall and the parkway sharing an exit off 81 - truckers have to know to be in the right hand lane after the mall exit to access the exit split off to Old Liverpool Rd. The drivers hitting the bridge should be able to tell investigators why they didn’t go Old Liverpool Rd as directed. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the number of lanes on the parkway itself, since reducing the number of lanes once on the parkway still doesn’t address why they are on it in the first place.

 

[OttoMets]

That’s what makes me wonder if there are unknown political, economic etc motivation to all this. Also wondering if it may possibly have anything to do with Amazon warehouse or plans concerning the 81 grid project. There’s another very low railroad bridge on Park St close by that also has been hit previously just west of Destiny. Haven’t heard any plans regarding that bridge - never heard but did they do anything regarding that bridge right by Destiny and the train/bus station?

That's low, but it's at least 12', almost two feet higher than the OLP bridge. And it helps that it's on a fairly low-traffic/low-speed local street as well.

 

[Mareiniss]

The engineers' rationale is that this is more likely to result in the breakaway bar hitting other cars (in both directions) doing 55 and causing more collateral damage than a single truck hitting the bridge. ...

I think the breakaway bar concept could work, but the breakaway bar would have to be a lightweight material like they use for swimming pool "noodles," or a similar lightweight material that would not damage other vehicles. But since the material would have to be lightweight, the negligent/distracted truck driver might not notice that s/he struck the bar. Therefore, the bar would have to be connected to a sensor of some sort that would trigger a more obvious warning down the road, like the flashing lights and barrier bar that are used at some railroad crossings.

This type of a system might also make it easier to catch and fine offending truck drivers and their employers, e.g., if coupled with traffic cameras.

 

[maxxyz]

That’s what makes me wonder if there are unknown political, economic etc motivation to all this. Also wondering if it may possibly have anything to do with Amazon warehouse or plans concerning the 81 grid project.

Did you say waterfront property? My tinfoil hat tells me that some power broker is trying to get in on developing the land that will be freed up by removing two lanes of the Lakeside Highway.

 

[xc84]

Did you say waterfront property? My tinfoil hat tells me that some power broker is trying to get in on developing the land that will be freed up by removing two lanes of the Lakeside Highway.
View attachment 173757

Not a bad idea though I think the county owns the land.

 

[KellySyracuse]

they could build a bridge over the bridge

 

[shandeezy7]

they could build a bridge over the bridge

YES! Now we are thinking outside the box!

 

[xc84]

they could build a bridge over the bridge

I vote for a ramp. Trucks that exceed the height limit would be routed to a lane that has a jump ramp. Truck goes over bridge. Problem solved. You're welcome.

 

[bevosu]

When it comes to these types of seemingly unnecessary road construction "improvement" proposals, I, being the cynic that I am, always suspect that there's a lucrative contract that some politician(s) wishes to bestow upon a favored contractor.

 

[Mareiniss]

When it comes to these types of seemingly unnecessary road construction "improvement" proposals, I, being the cynic that I am, always suspect that there's a lucrative contract that some politician(s) wishes to bestow upon a favored contractor.

I share your skepticism about politicians, favored contractors and other insiders, but isn't the "one lane" idea coming from the State, rather than the County?

 

[bevosu]

I share your skepticism about politicians, favored contractors and other insiders, but isn't the "one lane" idea coming from the State, rather than the County?

Yes, but state agencies have been known to be influenced by political favoritism. Sometimes the pressure on them comes from elected state politicians.

It's not unusual for political contributions from contractors to sway elected officials who in turn input their desires to the appropriate state agencies. Sometimes the proposals make sense...this one is questionable.

 

[Cusester]

Why not put a stop sign before the bridge in both directions?

 

[OttoMets]

Why not put a stop sign before the bridge in both directions?

At 55 that'd be a no-go, but it's actually a reasonable and low-cost solution: you people way up north want to maintain vehicle throughput and are objecting to taking Old Liverpool Road? Fine, OLP will be signed at 30 miles per hour and there will be a traffic control signal at the bridge.

Something tells me they'd object to this as well.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I don't ever remember there being this much discussion about the RR bridge over West Genessee street and trucks used to hit that bridge all the time as well before they lowered the road.

 

[xc84]

I don't ever remember there being this much discussion about the RR bridge over West Genessee street and trucks used to hit that bridge all the time as well before they lowered the road.

Well, they fixed it so I guess someone was talking about it.