NY Route 2 Corridor Improvement Project Feedback

The Route 2 traffic that travels through Troy, New York is detrimental to the community of downtown Troy. The city's traffic system is pretty simple: a grid of one-ways, alternating direction that has been established since 1787. It wasn't until 1970 that the Congress Street bridge was completed which has since changed the purpose of Congress and Ferry Street. The issue with Congress and Ferry Street is that it's distributing the load of traffic incorrectly, and for the wrong audience.

By "wrong audience", I'm meaning wrong consumer audience like how a product is designed for a market. We must de-prioritize cars as our market segment-- this is what I mean by the "wrong audience." The traffic of Route 2 brings noise, violence, and bad attitudes from people who don't plan to contribute here. Every summer night, motorcycles with modified exhausts rev and peel out through Congress street. Accidents are all too frequent with Congress and 4th street having seen multiple vehicle-to-person collisions and fatalities. The current placement of the route makes it too easy for brash drivers to enter the downtown at speeds exceeding the limits set by the city.

Every week, I can count well into the teens the number of times speeding cars (rolling off of Route 2 onto 2nd street to cut north) run stop signs where families and children exist. And by run, I'm not saying rolling stop.

All of the proposed solutions do not solve this problem at the root cause, because the problem cannot be solved effectively without de-prioritizing cars. All solutions presented align on a road diet that reduces the lanes to one lane per direction. Additionally, one solution (C) suggests moving the bicycle lanes away from the traffic, which doesn't make sense with the goals of the project.

My proposal is:

1. Make Ferry Street bidirectional for all of Route 2 traffic
2. Add a two lane bicycle path to Congress

This aligns with proposal 1B, except the Ferry Street component.

Implementing a bidirectional Ferry Street for all Route 2 traffic would significantly contribute to the redistribution of traffic and alleviate aggressive traffic from downtown Troy. While this proposal will worsen the experience for cars, it aligns with the goal of de-prioritizing cars and prioritizing alternative modes of transportation. Although it may result in increased traffic through a tunnel, this is precisely what the tunnel is designed for: cars! Additionally, this will allow for Congress Street to return to being a more local street instead of a route.

Local-izing Congress Street would benefit from adding a two-lane bicycle path to prioritize bicycle transportation for not only locals but Russel Sage and RPI students. Separating the bicycle lanes from the Route 2 traffic will enhance the safety and comfort of cyclists, encouraging more people to choose biking as a viable transportation option. Not just residents, college students too; creating a bicycle route on Congress creates an inviting route for Russel Sage and RPI students to easily cross the river and explore the rest of the capital region.

So, the NY Route 2 Corridor Improvements Project should prioritize the needs of the community over the convenience of passing traffic. By implementing a bidirectional Ferry Street for all Route 2 traffic and adding a two-lane bicycle path to Congress Street, we can effectively redistribute traffic, enhance safety for cyclists, and create a more balanced transportation system.

It is important to remember that while traffic may spend only a few minutes passing through downtown Troy, the residents and businesses spend their lives here. The Congress Street bridge has only existed since the year 1970 (which allows for this passage) while the Troy grid's design has existed since 1787 (here's a cool map (opens in a new tab) I found), which is one hundred twenty-one years before the Model T was produced for the public. Two blocks of streets should not be dedicated to the purpose of Route 2's modern existence. We must isolate this to one street and use the tunnel to dampen the noise for everyone. By de-prioritizing cars in the evaluation of Route 2, we can create a more livable and vibrant community.

Learn more about this Creighton Manning & Alta project at their website: https://congressandferrycorridor.altago.site (opens in a new tab)

Provide feedback at: https://congressandferrycorridor.altago.site/#contact (opens in a new tab)