Governor Hochul Announces More Than $32 Million Awarded to Local Governments to Enhance Safety on Roadways as Part of its “Safe System” Approach Toward Zero Deaths on State[...]

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the award of more than $32 million to help local governments enhance safety on their roads by reducing instances of vehicles inadvertently straying from their lanes and lessening the severity of crashes that result from those instances. The funding is part of the State Department of Transportation's comprehensive "Safe System" approach toward zero highway deaths and will support roadway improvements - including new guide rails, signs and pavement markings - in municipalities across the state. In New York State, 44 percent of crash fatalities occur when a vehicle departs from its lane.

"Keeping New Yorkers safe is my highest priority as Governor and that includes making every effort to improve safety on our roads for drivers and pedestrians," Governor Hochul said. "This funding gives local governments the resources they need to save lives by implementing improvements that keep drivers more aware and reduce instances where they stray from lanes, which can often have deadly consequences. One death on our roads is too many, and we will continue to invest in proven solutions to enhance safety and achieve our goal of zero deaths on New York's roads."

Striving to achieve a Safe System Approach toward Zero Deaths, the New York State Department of Transportation in the summer of 2024 released the Roadway Departure Safety Action Plan, which calls for a comprehensive approach to be undertaken by NYSDOT and its partner agencies to reduce fatalities and serious injuries that result when vehicles inadvertently depart their lanes or the roadway. Under the plan, NYSDOT is focusing on engineering improvements, public education and awareness campaigns, and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee is coordinating law enforcement activities.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "Reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our highways is the goal of our 'Safe System Approach Toward Zero Deaths' and thanks to the unwavering support of Governor Hochul we are moving closer to achieving it. Even one death on our roads is too many and the funding we are providing to our local partners will create safer streets in every region of the state, making it more likely that motorists will arrive at their destinations safely and without incident."

Funding for these projects was made available through the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Safety Improvement Program, which is intended to support the design and construction of countermeasures intended to reduce roadway/lane departures and lessen the likelihood that departure-related crashes cause death or serious injury. Such countermeasures include, but are not limited to, enhanced striping, curve warning signs, rumble strips and median barriers. Today's announced funding complements an additional $90 million that has also been set aside for NYSDOT to make safety enhancements on roads in the state highway system.

Locations receiving funding include:

North Country ($1.6 million)

• Town of Elizabethtown, Essex County - $1 million to install center line striping, edge line markings, enhanced curve signage and pavement markings, shoulder, remove fixed objects to widen clear zone on Lincoln Pond Road.
• Town of Malone, Franklin County - $400,000 to install guide rail on County Road 24.
• Town of Denmark, Lewis County - $200,000 to install guide rail on Deer River Road.

Capital Region ($4.5 million)

• Town of East Greenbush, Rensselaer County - $1.4 million to install edge line markings, center line striping, curve warning signs, enhanced curve signage and pavement markings, flashing beacons and speed feedback signs on Best Road, Michael Road, Morgan Road, New Road, and Phillips Road.
• Town of Ballston, Saratoga County - $900,000 to install enhanced curve signage and pavement markings, flashing beacons and speed feedback signs, shoulder on Middleline Road, and Round Lake Road.
• Towns of Chester, Chestertown, Horicon, Johnsburg, Stony Creek, in Warren County - $1.3 million to install enhanced curve signage and guide rail on Warrensburg Road, Mountain Road, Friends Lake Road, Schroon River Rd, and Bolton Landing-River Bank Road.
• Towns of Cambridge, Fort Edward, and Greenwich, Washington County - $500,000 to install center line striping, edge line markings, curve warning signs on County Roads 30, 43, 47, 52, and 77.
• Towns of Claverack and Greenport, Columbia County - $400,000 to install guide rail on County Road 29.

Mohawk Valley ($3.6 million)

• Town of Newport, Herkimer County - $1.3 million to install guide rail on Butler Road (County Road 88).
• Towns of Annsville, Augusta, Boonville, Bridgewater, and Camden, Oneida County - $1.5 million to install guide rail on Blossvale Road, Sheehan Road, North Road, Webster Hill Road, Potato Hill Road.
• City of Rome, Oneida County - $100,000 to install flashing beacons and speed feedback signs on Potter Road, Williams Road.
• Towns of Hartwick and Middlefield, Otsego County - $700,000 to install guide rail on County Road 11.

Finger Lakes ($0.2 million)

• Town of East Rochester, Monroe County - $200,000 to install edge line markings, center line rumble strips, enhanced curve signage, flashing beacons, guide rail on Bluff Drive.

Western New York ($7.7 million)

• Towns of Alden, Clarence, Concord, and Sardinia, Erie County - $6.6 million to install shoulder on Alden Crittenden Road, Genesee Road, and Rapids Road.
• Town of Amherst, Erie County - $400,000 to install curve warning signs on S. Ellicott Creek, Getzville Road, Seabrook Drive, Campus Drive N, and LeBrun Road.
• Towns of Porter and Wilson, Niagara County - $700,000 to install shoulder, curve warning signs on Youngstown Wilson Road.

Long Island ($7.0 million)

• Towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Islip, Riverhead, and Southampton, Suffolk County - $6.3 million to install center line rumble strips, shoulder rumble strips, guide rail, edge line markings, curve warning signs on William Floyd Parkway, Nicolls Road, Edwards Avenue, Nugent Drive, Quogue Riverhead Road.
• Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County - $700,000 to install guide rail on Sunrise Highway Service Road, Bellport Avenue, Station Road, Horseblock Road, and Leeds Boulevard .

New York City ($7.5 million)

• $7.5 million to install guide rail, edge line markings, lighting, shoulder improvements on Henry Hudson Parkway and Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx and Manhattan.

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, "These new safety improvements on the Hutchinson River Parkway are an important investment for New Yorkers who use our highways every day. Roadway departures are a major factor in serious crashes, and upgrades in lighting, markings, and guide rails help reduce those risks in a meaningful way. I appreciate Governor Hochul's continued commitment to strengthening road safety through this statewide initiative."

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, "Millions of New Yorkers rely on our road systems every day to get from point A to point B, it's only right that we do everything we can to keep these drivers safe. I'm grateful for the partnership of Governor Hochul and Commissioner Dominguez in keeping our roads safe and for their commitment towards pursuing zero highway fatalities in New York."

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, "One traffic fatality is one too many, and I commend Governor Kathy Hochul for taking swift action to ensure our roadways are safe for all. With this announcement, we are ensuring that drivers have the tools and resources they need to travel safely to and from their destinations, while reinforcing the importance of continued investment in traffic safety and responsible driving."

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