Rendering Visualization

Report - Traffic Simulation

Great... really excellent presentation. Thank you, and I hope tons of people see this work via your seeclickfix posting.
I see St James goes right to the circle, circle, and now connect Wall and Fair to Ulster Avenue/Malls and the Broadway/Corridor in a much more natural way.
This presentation from start to finish was a pleasure to see, very entertaining as well.

Can we hope that queuing for traffic circle will take less time than waiting for lights? Will it be less dangerous?

Also, everyone going right off Chandler will now be forced down Albany Avenue for long wait at Clinton Avenue traffic light (where not everyone agrees to turn right on red before 9 AM). No more shortcut down Maiden.

On the other hand, it's an improvement if you are trying to turn left on Albany onto Chandler. The current short left turn lane is inadequate to accommodate rush hour traffic in the afternoon.

Finally, I agree: It's a great presentation. Well done!

The simulations here are very narrow in focus at the moment, focusing on just potential improvements to the intersection itself. The actual draft plan expands on this area quite a bit, offering solutions for the Pearl Street/Clinton/Albany Avenue intersection, as well as looking at expanding the nearby grid network a great deal over the long-term to give vehicles, pedestrians, etc, more options than solely utilizing the I-587 intersection.

So we will be unveiling some more exciting stuff in the coming weeks and months. In fact, you can see some of the ideas that came out of our public meeting on the county planning dept's website right now at: http://ulstercountyny.gov/planning/i587.html#doc

Take a peak at the file marked "Preliminary Recommendations" and you'll get the bigger picture I am talking about.

visiting arglington va, many side streets intersect in very small circles... slows the traffic, makes left turns a bit easier... they also have some well marked pedestrian ways in those circles to make sure the pedestrian doesn't suffer.
It is nice for traffic movement, less start and stop and one certainly does not barrel through those small traffic circles.
There is a bit of education needed for drives, how to enter, leave and especially a need to be polite with other traffic... help other drivers do what they signal they want to do.

i like the idea of a round-a-bout. it will relieve several issues. however, i would consider keeping it the same size, if not a bit larger, as the thruway one. reason: there is a lot of traffic at this intersection. if you make the circle smaller, you're going to have many accidents. that's less time for people to react when entering the circle. people love to cut each other off now as it is .... i certainly wouldn't encourage it happening more. jmo.

great presentation and thank you for addressing this issue. i would really like to see the daily freeman writing a story on this. this is certainly news worthy.

I believe the key to the success of any project of this nature is communication through proper signage and lane markings. The Thruway traffic circle is an example of poor communication, as drivers are constantly driving past exits in the outer lane with drivers using the exits from the inner lane. The pavement markings should show exit only from the outer lane more clearly and additional actual signs telling drivers the outer lane is for exiting only would be helpful.

You'll want to google Michael Wallwork and see his papers (eg http://www.ite.org/traffic/documents/AIA91G08.pdf) where he explains roundabouts vs traffic circles, how they are designed...
This is the man that served as consultant for Ulster County on the roundabout for 587/Kingston Corridor at Broadway, Albany Ave, St James St.
It is surprising at the amount on engineering, study, analysis of traffic flow that stands behind the modern application of roundabouts. Look for various studies and reports on their design and effectiveness.

Thanks Gerald - I also add - Mr. Wallwork (aka Mr. Roundabout) is also including in the appendices of this draft report - recommendations to improve the traffic circle by exit 19 - it has some key flaws that he notes and makes suggestions on how to correct.

It looks good, an improvement over what is there. In a state that is broke, and a county and city that are struggling, I don't see where the money would come from to do any of this.

"Some people see things as they are and say "why": I see things that never were and say "why not".
RFK
I am tempted to suggest that a fact is a fact whether you know it or not, that facts exist independently of ourselves, absolute truths and such. But then there is a curious fact, that humans are quite powerful and choose what they like and what they do not like, what is possible and what is not, and we settle, right there. If I don't know that fact, is it yet a fact?
Dunno.
But I will say that Kingston should be prepared to surprise itself, that there are some wonderfully fine people come to this town, living in this town, and displaying the better angels of our nature.
Nancy Donskoj puts out a letter from the Main Street Manager: there, every week, you will find out about some incredibly talented person living and working in this town. It is a fact. but a fact we didn't seem to know. So, does that make it not a fact? Dunno

Funding would come as part of Ulster County's transportation improvements program (TIP)- from the federal government. It is pin# 881126 on the UCTC's TIP if you care to look it up.

Yes it will be awhile (post 2015 for implementation at the moment), but it is on the schedule nevertheless.

http://www.ulstercountyny.gov/planning/uctc/tip/2011draftfinaltip.pdf.

The TIP is subject to yearly revision and depending upon the priorities of the council and the availability of funding, it can be moved up and down on the schedule.

So again, it is not a matter of if, it is just one of waiting and patience. As you can see the TIP is a substantial document, each project included in the prioritization.

I live directly on the 587/Broadway/Albany Ave Intersectiom and own the property next door that houses my business. I am very, very interested in the plans to protecy the Historic designated home on this intersection.

The draft report and its appendices are now available online at:

http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/planning/i587.html

We will be scheduling public meetings on the report in the near future!

The property next door should only benefit in the long-run from these traffic improvements. It shouldn't have any impact on the house or the property itself.

Any update on when a change will take place? I very much look forward to a traffic circle here!!!

A roundabout is the only solution here. I watch at lest a dozen people run the red light at this intersection every day. When implemented it would need proper signage and street paint showing street names and outside lane as exit only. Things that are missing at the other end of 587 and a cause of significant confusion for those unfamiliar with the area.