Delaware Avenue Complete Streets Project

THE CHALLENGE
Delaware Avenue between Elsmere Avenue and the City of Albany is a heavily traveled state road through the heart of Elsmere.  Unfortunately, it has several serious problems.

  1. Unusually high number of car accidents
    There were 213 crashes between 2011 and 2015 on this section of Delaware Avenue, especially between Elsmere Avenue and the Delaware Plaza, and particularly involving cars making left turns.  This is above the statewide average for roads of this size with this many cars.
  2. Dangerous for pedestrians
    This challenge was highlighted by a crossing guard twice being hit by cars near the Elsmere Elementary School.  Further safe pedestrian crossing locations are non-existent, with the only crosswalks located ½ mile apart.
  3. Undesirable for new businesses
    When new businesses contact our Economic Development Coordinator about moving to Delaware Avenue, they consistently reject space in this area, preferring instead to be in the “walkable” part of Delaware Avenue.

THE SOLUTION
The Delaware Avenue Complete Streets Project is designed to address these problems by building on lessons learned by state DOTs across the country with a modern design to make Elsmere’s Main Street safer for cars, safer for people, and better for business.

In October, 2016, the Town Board heard a presentation about redesigning Elsmere’s Main Street using national complete streets standards.  In 2017, the Town began the big-picture planning process which included:

  • 2 well-attended public forums,
  • a special meeting for business owners,
  • 2 mailings each to 800 nearby residences and businesses,
  • 10 articles in the Spotlight and Times Union (plus an 11th in January, 2018),
  • 5 notes in the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce E-newsletter,
  • 4 notes in the Town E-newsletter,
  • a month-long display in the Bethlehem Library, and
  • articles in the spring and fall editions of Bethlehem Town News (which is mailed to 16,000 households).

The core product of this planning effort was the Delaware Avenue Complete Streets Feasibility Study.  The study included analyses of traffic operations and crashes, and assessment of four potential lane designs.

WHAT’S NEXT
In December, 2017, the Town Board considered the findings of the study and input from residents and businesses, and voted to move forward with the complete streets project.  In 2019, the Town was awarded a federal grant for $2.91 million to complete design work and to cover a portion of the construction costs.  The State DOT has also committed $1.56 million for paving.  The Town will only have to cover 20% ($728,000) of the $5.2 million total cost for the 1.3 mile long project.

Design work for the project will begin in 2020.  Construction is projected to begin in late 2021 or in 2022, depending on the State DOT’s statewide paving schedule.

FAQs