The members of The Town Board have received many emails and letters from residents that live in the area of Murray Hill Road that are concerned about traffic safety near their homes. The Town will implement changes to enhance safety, but would like to do it in a manner that our residents are comfortable with. We are asking for input from the residents that live near Murray Hill Rd. Your opinion matters.
Our police officers conduct safety enforcement on Murray Hill Road on a regular basis, but they cannot be there all the time. As a result, the Town Board asked our Town Engineer, Tom Sullivan, to look into the matter. Tom researched the safety history of the location to determine the extent and nature of the problem and developed different options to help alleviate the condition.
Tom concluded that the most effective measure would be to construct a mini-roundabout within the existing intersection at Murray Hill Rd. and Washington Dr. (possibly largely paid with grant funding). A roundabout would force traffic to slow down and reduce crash severity. He also explained many other options that could be implemented.
The Supervisor consulted with some of the residents that live near Murray Hill Rd. and explained the options, including the roundabout. The residents expressed concerns about the impact the roundabout would have on the neighborhood, both short and long term. They felt that the residents would be impacted substantially during construction, and with the drastic change in traffic pattern long term. They suggested trying less intrusive measures first, assessing their effectiveness, then adding to them and/or considering more drastic measures if necessary.
Based on resident response, the Town Engineer suggests the following measures be implemented at the intersection of Murray Hill Rd. and Washington Dr.:
1) High-visibility crosswalks across Murray Hill Rd. and across Washington Dr. (four crosswalks).
2) High visibility pedestrian warning signs on Murray Hill Rd (before the crosswalks).
3) Stop signs on Washington Dr. enhanced with a warning indicating that it is not a four way stop.
4) Repositioning of the stop signs on Washington Dr. closer to the intersection, allowing drivers to see oncoming cars on Murray Hill Rd. better.
5) Selective trimming of tree branches on Murray Hill Rd. to increase the ability of drivers to see cars coming at farther distances.
6) Periodic enforcement by Vestal Police Officers would continue, as now.
The proposal is to institute these measures, then assess the effectiveness after a period of time. The following additional measures could be added, if necessary:
1) An intersection warning sign with associated flashing beacon on Murray Hill Road. Those lights tend to be helpful initially, but less effective as time wears on.
2) The installation of a speed warning sign. A sign that tracks the speed of the cars on the road and indicates how fast they are going to the driver (It normally flashes “You are going _ speed”.)
3) Evaluation of an all way stop at the intersection.
4) The installation of a roundabout.
Additionally, the Town Board has received many complaints regarding parking on Midvale Ave. and is considering prohibiting overnight parking.
The members of the Town Board would like the opinion of the residents that live in the area around Murray Hill Rd. If you live on or near Murray Hill Road, please email the Supervisor at msexton@vestalny.gov with your thoughts and opinions. The Town Board seeks to enhance the safety of the residents in the area, but wishes to do so in a manner that the residents are comfortable with. We strongly encourage the residents in the area to let us know how they feel.