Albany

With the addition of all the new parking garages for AMC, the new traffic lights on Holland Avenue, and all the traffic that leaves the vicinity at 4:30 every day, there have been backups from Delaware Avenue through New Scotland Avenue (and further) on both sides of the road due to congestion. Often the traffic lights (such as the one in front of the VA) allow people from the VA and from the Albany Law parking lot to enter onto Holland, but not enough time for those on Holland to continue on their journey. Hackett backs up as well, as people use Clara Barton Road to try to bypass the traffic. It seems when they did the new intersection at Delaware and Morton, they should have added a third lane for right-turn only onto Delaware to help with the traffic.

Since the city of Albany decided to make the first half of Notre Dame drive a one-way street by Albany Law, traffic leaving the university heights area has been a living nightmare ESPECIALLY in inclement weather (which includes snow AND rain). Several times in the last year alone it has taken me more than one hour to go from outside the Law school to Clara Barton Drive (which should also have a light at its exit onto Hackett). This issue has only gotten worse as the pharmacy school has taken over the old transportation building and increased traffic. Why was the change made, and couldn't the city do a traffic study on this area to alleviate the congestion? In gridlocked conditions, people make Notre Dame a two-way street anyway - just to make it out onto Holland without running out of gas waiting in your car for SOMEONE to move. There should also be a left-turning signal and separate lane on Princeton Drive's exit onto Holland Ave, as it is nearly impossible to make a left-hand turn at rush hour especially with the VA traffic.

Owner is destroying historic houses by leaving them empty. Houses should be put up for rent or sold.

The time has come to retire Larkfest. Anyone who walked the area today and tonight saw our streets, sidewalks, tree beds, front yards and stoops destroyed with trash, food, cigarette butts, broken bottles, spilled alcohol, etc. Other than the bars, many of the businesses say Lark Fest actually decreases their business and certainly does not result in increased revenue. On top of that, tax dollars have to be spent on increased police and DGS presence and overtime. The Executive Director of the BID does not live here, so makes decisions without experiencing the ramifications. Larkfest was intended to be a celebration of what we have to offer, but it hasn't been that for a long time. It merely reinforces the stereotype that all this area has to offer is alcohol which further injures the neighborhood economically and otherwise. Then, when the official "Larkfest" ends, even greater problems of noise, drunkenness, public urination, vomiting, fighting, property destruction, etc. go into full swing until after 4:00 AM bar closings. All told this event negatively affects the area for at least 24 hours. The people who live here, and invest in this community every day, are left to manage this mess with no balancing benefit. The BID needs to show the neighborhood, in unequivocal provable data, how this event helps retail businesses and restaurants (whose primary business is not alcohol, pizza, or ice cream), and how the cost for the event (in time, money, effort, manpower, damage, lost parking, lost street access, lost sleep and quality of life etc.) is worth what it does to the neighborhood and its reputation.

Ever since St. Peter's made a policy of "no smoking" on hospital grounds, their employees have been crossing the street to smoke under the canopies of the businesses along New Scotland Avenue. In doing so, they drop their cigarette butts and gum all over the sidewalk. The business owners have complained to Saint Peter's to no avail.

This is not only a health hazard for residents walking along the sidewalk and having to breathe cigarette smoke, but going in and out of any business is also unpleasant. The clouds of smoke hover, and customers should not have to be exposed to this unpleasantness. It wasn't so bad when the policy began but this winter dozens of smokers congregated regularly in front of Subway, and yesterday the sidewalks were a disgrace.

I suggest the city make a NO SMOKING area from the corner of New Scotland at South Manning, to New Scotland at West Lawrence. Punishable by a fine.

Saint Peter's has a responsibility to create a smoking area for their employees. Their problem should not compromise taxpaying businesses.

Zoar Avenue between Lincoln and Central is an absolute mess. So many potholes you can barely drive down it'. There are lots of people who take this road to drop the kids off to school as well as go between central and Lincoln and the roads are so bad that you have to basically drive on the other side of the road to avoid them. This needs to be fixed quickly.

On an almost daily basis, there are 5-10 particular motorbikes and ATVs speeding on Lark St., at deafening levels, popping wheelies, and often wearing masks. One of the ATV drivers stands on the vehicle as he rides it vertical down the street, unable to see pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. The Mayor's office has stated there are increased patrols in this area as well as plain clothed officers, but there are no signs of either when it comes to this ongoing safety, noise and quality of life issue. It's relatively common knowledge that, almost daily in nice weather, some of the worst noise and safety offenders race down Lark (From the Madison end) popping wheelies down the street toward Central where they are also sometimes seen causing issues, and they have been spotted coming from a side street off Delaware Ave., near Stewarts across from the former Friendly's building (check traffic cameras on Delaware Ave. for Sunday May, 26th between 6:10 PM and 6:45 PM), and they are part of the crew that rides on the sidewalks. One or more of them often has a woman on the back of their vehicle.

Check the cameras at the intersection of Madison and Lark and all the way down Lark Street (going south to north toward the Armory) for Monday, May 27th. They were directly outside Stacks and Rain at 5:26 PM. popping wheelies as always. Between 5:00-5:05 PM, on May 27th, another of the worst offenders (riding a blue motorbike and wearing a mask from his nose down) rode past the same spot but going north to south towards Madison. And, at 5:42 PM, four more went past also going north to south. Instances like this are reported but the riders are too fast to be caught if APD isn't present when the violations occur. The department has been provided enough information to find the offenders on traffic camera footage and to be waiting for them when they speed by. When it's not raining, try placing a patrol car out of site along the North wall of Rain restaurant (in the parking lot) and typically at least some of the riders will go by. Additional police vehicles could block their way at the end of Lark, toward the armory. Surely APD can out smart and out maneuver these guys with just a little planning and effort.

Residents above raw juice bar @454 put trash out, not in proper containers in front of 456 Madison now blowing into street. Please inform them of proper disposal requirements as they just moved in.

Panhandling is getting out of control on Lark st...especially on weekends. Can't even walk outside or dine at a restaurant sidewalk patio without getting harassed for money.

This man was Throwing trash over the fence and the empty lot on the corner of Dove in Lancaster. When I confronted him he walked away but I was able to get a picture of him if anyone knows this man they should call the police we don’t need Cockroaches mice or rats or any other animal in the neighborhood

the number of people sleeping in Washington Park continues to proliferate. There are now multiple encampments of homeless living in tents throughout the park. As you can see in the pictures, they leave refuse all around their encampments and now actually bathing and in the park. it's amazing that these "Sheehan Shantytowns" are allowed to stay in place. The mayor and the APD are allowing this once pristine city resource to fall into neglect.

53 S Main. Time to start abandoned property processes to new ownership