[The most recent stories are on the home page]
For those sick of getting stuck at the Airmont
Road and Route 59
intersection, there's no help coming in the near future. The State might
address the problem in 2011 and maybe they will have a partial fix in by
2012--or maybe not. As the Town and the State fumble around for the
right
papers and procedures, development all around continues and drivers are
subjected daily to what passes for fresh country air a few hundred yards
west of Ramapo Town Hall. Journal story
here.
The $2 million project is among the
costliest ever undertaken by the Town of Ramapo. It includes "widening Maple Avenue
between Route 306 and Monsey Blvd., as well as adding antique lamp posts, turn lanes, sidewalks and curbs on both sides of the
avenue. [Story available only in Journal News archives]
"Residents have become increasingly concerned about the traffic and safety issues in the area, with a 142-unit development nearing completion and another 160-unit complex on the horizon. In 2001, Kaser tore down 15 bungalows on Route 306 near the corner of Maple Avenue, but village officials say any development there is still in the planning stage."
"These roads were not built for such projects," said [one resident]. "It's going to be very bad. The traffic will be unbelievable."
"The state Department of Transportation, which maintains Route 306, estimates that more than 21,000 vehicles travel daily in both directions on the two-lane road." [Story available only in Journal News archives]
"Despite serious traffic concerns, plans for a 160-unit condominium
complex in an increasingly congested area of Ramapo moved forward last
night. By a 4-3 vote, the town's Planning Board declared that the
proposed Blueberry Commons complex, off Route 306 in Monsey, would not
have an adverse environmental impact."
[Story available only in Journal News archives]
"The DEC has permanent monitors in all metropolitan counties except
Rockland, and has said those monitors are adequate because air quality
can be determined on a regional basis. While we are not experts, this
Traveling Editorial Page, which knows Rockland's geography well,
disagrees, suspecting at least pockets of pollution trapped in the
inversions. If that is the case, buildings in any such area that take in
the bad air as part of their ventilation systems might be offering a
health threat. That is one reason we have called for a permanent
monitor, properly located."
[Story available only in Journal News archives]
"Town officials met
with Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials yesterday to
discuss a $900,000 walkway, which would start at Monsey Glen County
Park, cross over the Route 59-Route 306 corridor and end at Robert Pitt
Drive. The 3,000-foot-long paved walkway would follow the path of the
former Piermont Branch rail line."
[Story available only in Journal News archives]
"At this point, planners must think very carefully about what growth
will and can be allowed, the road changes that developers should pay
for, drainage and architecture. And, oh, where is the water supply for
all this? Until that is assured, new development must be phased in."
[Story available only in Journal News archives]
The State Department of Transportation will
conduct a traffic study on Route 306. "We will initiate a study of Route
306 in Monsey and will examine the causes of crashes and explore ways
that the infrastructure can be improved to reduce risk to motorists and
pedestrians." The article mentions proposals in the Town's Master
Plan for possible solutions, but no mention of the Plan's downzoning as
a causative factor. Perhaps the State will notice the connection.
[Story available only in Journal News archives]
The proposed Walmart on the old drive-in property on Route 59, Monsey,
would add traffic volume in numbers that would be disastrous ("the
proposed store would generate 16,000 vehicle trips on a typical weekday
and 21,000 on a Saturday" according to one environmental engineer.)
[Story available only in Journal News archives]
A proposed 48-home subdivision located off Spook Rock Road near Grandview Avenue is expected to create new problems with traffic. Hearings will continue on Feb. 14. [Story available only in Journal News archives]
"A 2002 state Department of Transportation survey showed 15,329 vehicles traveling daily between Sterling Mine Road and Route 17.More than 18,000 cars travel daily through the village on Route 17, just north of the Sterling Mine Road intersection.Estimates on how much traffic the new construction would bring were unavailable.At 7:30 a.m. yesterday, continuous lines of traffic were exiting Sterling Mine Road onto Route 17."[Story available only in Journal News archives]
Super Wal-Mart planned in Monsey (April 23)
With traffic ratings already within the failing range, Route 59 in Monsey may
soon add the traffic from a Wal-Mart Superstore that will be twice the size of
the Wal-Mart up the road in Airmont. The National Realty & Development Corp. and
Supervisor St. Lawrence and Town Attorney Michael Klein are looking at the site
of the old Rockland Drive-In Theater next to PathMark as a future site for a
200,000 square-foot mega-store.
You can go to the project page of National Realty at
http://www.nrdc.com/nrdc/default.aspx?page=Projects&id=11177361 to view the
developer's plans.
[Story available only in Journal News archives]