Proposed changes to the Route 11 commercial corridor could include a roundabout, crosswalks, a boardwalk through the wetlands west of the village and better lighting. Photo submitted.
BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week
POTSDAM — Civil engineering consultants from Clarkson are recommending what they call the “most robust” pedestrian safety enhancements to the Route 11 commercial corridor with a total potential cost of up to $12.9 million initially and $56,000 annually.
The final study by the Clarkson Construction Engineering Management Consulting Group (C3G) on potential pedestrian and traffic safety improvements on the Route 11 corridor between the village and the Walmart and Tractor Supply plazas is now complete.
The municipalities and the Health Initiative paid the group $16,000 to study the corridor, which was identified in the town’s 2020 comprehensive plan as being ill equipped to accommodate frequent non-motorized traffic to the shopping plazas, and risky to pedestrians there.
“Those without cars are particularly at risk in certain areas not designed for pedestrians. One example is the shopping areas about 1.5 miles south of the Village on Route 11. Pedestrians can often be seen walking on the shoulder of this busy section of highway, crossing the four-lane bridge over the railroad and crossing at the stoplight at the intersection of the entrances to the two shopping areas. Safe travel along this corridor necessitates the use of a car, which some cannot afford or access,” the comprehensive plan said.
Erik Backus, the C3G group’s academic advisor, presented the final report to the village board of trustees earlier this month and was on the agenda to present to the town board at their meeting Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The study used extensive field survey work in the summer of 2022, including a traffic count; public outreach, a design charrette, surveys; and a peer review by Complete Streets expert Dan Burden to identify the corridors weak points…
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