if you are taking a left onto oakwood from the park, forget it!!! you might as well take a u turn and go back over 15th and go down middleburgh or ingalls ave
A stop light there would help in several ways, lessen the ridiculous clog on hoosick, let people turn left!, and slow all the traffic down northbound so the cops who sit in the park
can go do more and better "service" somewhere else instead of giving out speeding tickets there!!!
I TOTALLY agree! I live right across from the park and this area is extremely dangerous. We can't even cross the street safely to get to the park at certain times of the day. I have seen countless accidents here and have nearly been killled quite a few times trying to get in and out of my own driveway!
This is absolutely needed. Besides the problems with crossing the street at Frear and Oakwood, cars and large trucks speed in from the north at speeds well in excess of the posted 30 mph speed limit, in large part because there's no reason to slow down until the corner of Oakwood and Middleburgh. A traffic signal could provide both pedestrian safety as well as regulate traffic speeds to city appropriate speeds.
putting a stop light at this intersection might lessen traffic glogs elsewhere but it would worsen the traffic congestion on Oakwood Ave itself! No way would a stop light here be a good thing for the neghborhood. Especially for anyone that regularly drives up and down Oakwood Ave.
Oakwood is too busy as it is.
I think we should get rid of the light at Oakwood ave and Middleburgh. It's not warranted. Just put a stop sign there and let traffic move as they can... just like the intersection at frear park and oakwood.
I lived in that area my whole childhood and that intersection has always been very dangerous! My sister was hit by a car who passed a city bus dropping off kids to go to the park at that intersection. A stop light would help the pedestrian traffic and would drop the Vehicle speeds back to the posted 30 mph. After point that you have almost 3 mi of (Rt-40)speedway to ride on Ted so if stopping at a light is too much to ask try living in that area and crossing the street.
It's frustrating to read the comments of all these people who have never studied traffic science. Some things to realize here... 1) traffic lights should NEVER be used as a traffic calming device. 2) Cars are NOT going as fast as you think. Unless you're sitting on your porch with a radar gun (you're not) you perceive them as fast when in reality most are going the speed limit. 3) Unnecessary traffic lights make the road dangerous. People speed up to beat the light, people floor it between lights, and often they run the lights too out of frustration. You may think it is dangerous now but it will get much worse when there is a light there. Another aspect of unnecessary lights is the noise and air pollution. Stop & go noises and more exhaust are byproducts.
Andy I have lived on Oakwood ave for 5 years. Believe me, I know this road and its traffic patterns very well.
Another traffic light would have vehicles backed up on both ends of oakwood ave. Especially, on hoosick and onto alternate 7 ...waiting to turn left on to Oakwood.
If you slow traffic down by putting another light on oakwood, traffic will back up worse than it does now.
The only place I've ever seen cops set up doing radar is in the abandoned office buildings driveway across from Oakwood cemetery. That location is too far away from where the real speeding problem exists... THE CITY. Who cares if people speed once they get out of the populated areas? The cops need to stop the speeding where most people live on oakwood ave... from ingalls ave down to hoosick street.
Planning dude, I bought an inexpensive police radar gun from ebay a while back. It was calibrated and worked perfectly. Please don't assume I'm just dreaming that the traffic is speeding by my house on a regular basis. I used the radar gun on a few occasions at different spots on Oakwood ave. Here's a video of it in use. This is a regular occurance. The only time traffic doesn't speed on Oakwood is during rush hour and that's because the traffic is backed up from hoosick to midleburgh. LOL!
You are the very first person I've ever encountered who *actually* has one. Most people make blanket statements with assumptions that people are going 50 or 60. The speed limit is 30 and up to 40 is generally tolerated. An easy solution to this is to ramp up the police at the intersection, or put in a rotary which calms traffic and solves backup problems.
Now if they'd learn to make traffic flow on Hoosick we'd be all fine. Troy seems to have not hired a traffic engineer (or one that got A's in school) because when the light you are at turns green the next one turns red. That's a blatant amateur attempt at traffic calming that is quite counterproductive.
BTW - I am a traffic engineer in another city but I live in Troy.
Rerouting Oakwood, and the ends of Frear Park Rd. and 15th St. into a single, wider roundabout would probably be the "best" answer - lights or a 4-way stop would make things worse.
Though I bet Troy PD likes having Oakwood straight and wide open there, nice lucrative speed trap.
Are you kidding me? This will never happen in this area. The County, State and City are too busy playing cards to do anything to enhance public safety in this area. Why do you think there are 2 cemeteries so close to this location?
As far as I am concerned the issue is not closed. There needs to be a light at this intersection at least during high traffic times. Keeping this issue alive could make a difference. Each time it is commented on the Troy City Council is notified.
So many questions here:
1)who closed this ticket? and WHY?
NOTHING has been done--sounds just a little bit too typical of TROY!
2) sorry Brooke, but what the hell does looking both ways have to do with anything??? we can all do this, but if you can't take the left because all of the traffic is coming off Hoosick St, it doesn't make a difference if you are looking left right, up or down!
3) MR educated on Traffice flow: what makes you an expert?? a couple of classes? anyone who drives on this road and every other road, for that matter, should have a say !!!
4) Don't the cops have anything better to do? You always see the same cops in the same places! Tucked into the parking lot near Frear Park, one on Hoosick Street catching people who are not even purposely driving fast DOWN the hill, it is called velocity!!!
5) And as far as the speed, if laser guns were cheaper, I would buy one and set outside and prove you wrong!
6)More Specifically to Traffic & City Planning Dude: What city do you work in, and what is their traffic flow like?
The coit of Troy should do on Oakwood Ave is what Bennington VT does on their city streets... create a new ordinance and erect "no engine brakes" signs on the hill AND ACTUALLY ENFORCE IT.
Or the cops could just enforce the noise ordinances (and speed limits) that are already in place. The limit is 70dB measured 25 feet from the center of the travel lane. The jake brakes on local trucking company trucks are almost all breaking the law. Ask any resident.
I assume the noise ordinance isn't enforced because Fane and Troy sand & gravel are both in bed with Troys DPU and DPW.
Actually Oakwood ave only has two stop lights one at Park Blvd and one at Northern Dr. So why would one more be that big of a problem? If traffic lights are timed properly there shouldn't be a problem.
I agree a light is needed. Drivers speed through and it is difficult to turn from Frear Park, especially left. I was hit there a few years ago coming out of Frear Park, and I also used to live on Frear Ave saw many near accidents. It is a speedway.
Oakwood ave is certainly a speedway! Especially, from frear park down to hoosick street. However, you will NEVER see a cop doing radar or have a vehicle pulled over on this stretch of road. WHY???
Anyone that drives Oakwood ave often... ask yourself if you've ever seen a car pulled over or seen the police doing radar from Frear park down to hoosick street.
It's the most populated part of Oakwood Ave so you'd think this part of the road would be patrolled and enforced more frequently.
There's an officer parked on Oakwood ave (near sausse ave) doing radar today. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. He's pulling over a vehicle about every 10 minutes!
Thank you Troy PD for making our neighborhood safer.
They (police) should do a few minutes on 15th St. I saw car carrier go down the street from Frear Park circle to Hoosick St. blowing it's horn and driving about 45 to 50 mph. In fact people speed down the street regularly . Just park on Mass ave. behind the hospital sign. They could point the radar either way.
Now, I do believe the police do read these fix-it boards and they do care. I'm very impressed. Maybe they'll come to 15th street next?
With the GIGANTIC revenue generating possibilities & a safer neighborhood for residents... I'm surprised the police don't do radar on this section of Oakwood Ave. all the time.
Assuming that the officer is issuing speeding tickets, not warnings... he is making a KILLING for the city of Troy and gaining respect from residents in the process.
Glad to hear this. Sometimes it feels as though "the powers that be" don't find our concerns important. See Click Fix is giving anyone with access to a computer a means to relay specific concerns in a manner that is difficult to ignore. Yes, Tim...our government officials and peace officers do care...as long as we show them how much we care. Keep posting your concerns. They are heard and if valid will be addressed.
Let's see, two weeks ago, I was sideswiped by a little old lady pulling out of the park as I tried to pull into my driveway. By the way, she drove off before I could get her plate. Then last night there was a big accident at the intersection. The rode was closed in one direction for quite some time and the traffic was all backed up. What will it take? Someone getting killed? At the very least there should be a light that runs during peak hours to make exiting the park and accessing driveways and sidestreets off the area safer. I live across from the park entrance, I see it everyday -- near misses, people cutting off others, brake slamming the traffic backing up into the park....it's a mess. I don't see how something can't be done. Please help to make this street safer -- safer for the travelers of it and those of us who call it home.
I agree that its a dangerous intersection but there's a traffic light 1 block away at middleburgh and oakwood. Maybe more people can use that intersection instead of the frear park one?
Imagine how screwed up traffic would be with another traffic light only 1 block away? It would be ridiculous.
31 Comments
Annoyed taxpayer & annoyed driver (Guest)
ERR (Guest)
ERR (Guest)
troy native (Guest)
A stop light there would help in several ways, lessen the ridiculous clog on hoosick, let people turn left!, and slow all the traffic down northbound so the cops who sit in the park
can go do more and better "service" somewhere else instead of giving out speeding tickets there!!!
Anonymous (Guest)
Frear Park resident (Guest)
ted (Guest)
putting a stop light at this intersection might lessen traffic glogs elsewhere but it would worsen the traffic congestion on Oakwood Ave itself! No way would a stop light here be a good thing for the neghborhood. Especially for anyone that regularly drives up and down Oakwood Ave.
Oakwood is too busy as it is.
I think we should get rid of the light at Oakwood ave and Middleburgh. It's not warranted. Just put a stop sign there and let traffic move as they can... just like the intersection at frear park and oakwood.
NO MORE STOPLIGHTS ON OAKWOOD AVE PLEASE!
Andy Zlotnick (Guest)
I lived in that area my whole childhood and that intersection has always been very dangerous! My sister was hit by a car who passed a city bus dropping off kids to go to the park at that intersection. A stop light would help the pedestrian traffic and would drop the Vehicle speeds back to the posted 30 mph. After point that you have almost 3 mi of (Rt-40)speedway to ride on Ted so if stopping at a light is too much to ask try living in that area and crossing the street.
AZ
Traffic & City Planning Dude (Guest)
ted (Guest)
Andy I have lived on Oakwood ave for 5 years. Believe me, I know this road and its traffic patterns very well.
Another traffic light would have vehicles backed up on both ends of oakwood ave. Especially, on hoosick and onto alternate 7 ...waiting to turn left on to Oakwood.
If you slow traffic down by putting another light on oakwood, traffic will back up worse than it does now.
The only place I've ever seen cops set up doing radar is in the abandoned office buildings driveway across from Oakwood cemetery. That location is too far away from where the real speeding problem exists... THE CITY. Who cares if people speed once they get out of the populated areas? The cops need to stop the speeding where most people live on oakwood ave... from ingalls ave down to hoosick street.
Planning dude, I bought an inexpensive police radar gun from ebay a while back. It was calibrated and worked perfectly. Please don't assume I'm just dreaming that the traffic is speeding by my house on a regular basis. I used the radar gun on a few occasions at different spots on Oakwood ave. Here's a video of it in use. This is a regular occurance. The only time traffic doesn't speed on Oakwood is during rush hour and that's because the traffic is backed up from hoosick to midleburgh. LOL!
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v517/esop/?action=view¤t=P1010023.flv
Traffic & City Planning Dude (Guest)
You are the very first person I've ever encountered who *actually* has one. Most people make blanket statements with assumptions that people are going 50 or 60. The speed limit is 30 and up to 40 is generally tolerated. An easy solution to this is to ramp up the police at the intersection, or put in a rotary which calms traffic and solves backup problems.
Now if they'd learn to make traffic flow on Hoosick we'd be all fine. Troy seems to have not hired a traffic engineer (or one that got A's in school) because when the light you are at turns green the next one turns red. That's a blatant amateur attempt at traffic calming that is quite counterproductive.
BTW - I am a traffic engineer in another city but I live in Troy.
Jameel Akari (Registered User)
Rerouting Oakwood, and the ends of Frear Park Rd. and 15th St. into a single, wider roundabout would probably be the "best" answer - lights or a 4-way stop would make things worse.
Though I bet Troy PD likes having Oakwood straight and wide open there, nice lucrative speed trap.
Anonymous (Guest)
クローズド Brooke. (Guest)
ERR (Guest)
Reopened Anonymous (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
So many questions here:
1)who closed this ticket? and WHY?
NOTHING has been done--sounds just a little bit too typical of TROY!
2) sorry Brooke, but what the hell does looking both ways have to do with anything??? we can all do this, but if you can't take the left because all of the traffic is coming off Hoosick St, it doesn't make a difference if you are looking left right, up or down!
3) MR educated on Traffice flow: what makes you an expert?? a couple of classes? anyone who drives on this road and every other road, for that matter, should have a say !!!
4) Don't the cops have anything better to do? You always see the same cops in the same places! Tucked into the parking lot near Frear Park, one on Hoosick Street catching people who are not even purposely driving fast DOWN the hill, it is called velocity!!!
5) And as far as the speed, if laser guns were cheaper, I would buy one and set outside and prove you wrong!
6)More Specifically to Traffic & City Planning Dude: What city do you work in, and what is their traffic flow like?
Kimberly (Guest)
Brooke (Guest)
jake brake hater (Guest)
The coit of Troy should do on Oakwood Ave is what Bennington VT does on their city streets... create a new ordinance and erect "no engine brakes" signs on the hill AND ACTUALLY ENFORCE IT.
Or the cops could just enforce the noise ordinances (and speed limits) that are already in place. The limit is 70dB measured 25 feet from the center of the travel lane. The jake brakes on local trucking company trucks are almost all breaking the law. Ask any resident.
I assume the noise ordinance isn't enforced because Fane and Troy sand & gravel are both in bed with Troys DPU and DPW.
Andy Zlotnick (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Tim (Guest)
Oakwood ave is certainly a speedway! Especially, from frear park down to hoosick street. However, you will NEVER see a cop doing radar or have a vehicle pulled over on this stretch of road. WHY???
Anyone that drives Oakwood ave often... ask yourself if you've ever seen a car pulled over or seen the police doing radar from Frear park down to hoosick street.
It's the most populated part of Oakwood Ave so you'd think this part of the road would be patrolled and enforced more frequently.
Tim (Guest)
I'll eat my words!
There's an officer parked on Oakwood ave (near sausse ave) doing radar today. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. He's pulling over a vehicle about every 10 minutes!
Thank you Troy PD for making our neighborhood safer.
ERR (Guest)
Tim (Guest)
Now, I do believe the police do read these fix-it boards and they do care. I'm very impressed. Maybe they'll come to 15th street next?
With the GIGANTIC revenue generating possibilities & a safer neighborhood for residents... I'm surprised the police don't do radar on this section of Oakwood Ave. all the time.
Assuming that the officer is issuing speeding tickets, not warnings... he is making a KILLING for the city of Troy and gaining respect from residents in the process.
KUDOS to the TPD.
The Dartlady (Guest)
kmd (Guest)
wilson (Guest)
I agree that its a dangerous intersection but there's a traffic light 1 block away at middleburgh and oakwood. Maybe more people can use that intersection instead of the frear park one?
Imagine how screwed up traffic would be with another traffic light only 1 block away? It would be ridiculous.
LowRider (Guest)
クローズド tina (Guest)