LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Transportation has just kicked off its $5.5 million project on S. Transit Street in the City of Lockport, with plans set to both upgrade and reconfigure the road.
The department’s plan includes a new lane configuration, upgraded traffic lights, dedicated bike lanes, improved curb ramps, sidewalks, drainage upgrades, resurfacing and re-striping.
"We did a crash study, and we saw higher than expected crash rates across the corridor and at a number of intersections," DOT Region 5 Public Information Officer Ryan Whalen said.
The DOT plans to reconfigure S Transit from just north of Summit Street to Walnut Street from its current 4-lane setup to a 3-lane setup. It will have one lane in each direction, a continuous two-way left-turn lane, and bike paths on either side.
"The narrower the road, as far as the amount of cars that can drive on it, the more people are going to slow down and the fewer safety issues we are going to see," Whalen said.
Whalen said that the size of the road will remain the same. Only the lane configurations will change.
According to the Crash Modification Factors Clearinghouse, which was funded by the US DOT and FHWA, a crash reduction factor of 37% is associated with narrowing a cross section from four lanes to three lanes with a two-way left-turn lane.
However, with a DOT-estimated 17,000 to 28,000 cars on this road every day, people like Brandon Hale find the fewer-lane solution confusing.
"With the way it already is, I feel that could be pretty hectic," Hale said.
"We feel that the amount of traffic that was going through there could still handle [a 3-lane solution], with specifically, signalized [and timed] traffic lights," Whalen said.
A small portion of Walnut Street, between South Transit Street and just east of Cottage Street, will also undergo the same 4-lane to 3-lane transformation.
Initial work has already begun. If you drive down S Transit, you’ll see DOT contractors trimming trees to make room for the project.
WATCH: ‘Something new’: DOT begins $5.5M transformation of Lockport’s South Transit Street
Whalen says that this year will be mostly preliminary work, such as tree trimming and removals, drainage upgrades, concrete work with new granite curbing, and electrical work.
Installing new traffic signals, completing concrete work and granite curbing, tree planting, new signs and pavement markings, and milling and paving the corridor will take place next year.
The DOT expects the work to be complete in Summer 2027.
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