Is GPS to blame for bridge strikes?
Reader suggests truck drivers may be being misled by technology
Q: Perhaps the drivers who are striking the Glenville bridge with their trucks are from out of the area and using GPS to guide their travel. Local truck drivers would be much more likely to know about this problem and avoid it. If these assumptions are correct, has there been any effort to address this problem with technology? Have the town and state reached out to GPS providers to see if a warning can be added to their systems?
—Dean Elsworth A: The state Department of Transportation is working with government and industry partners to publish bridge data through a new national standard to make it more accessible to navigation app developers, DOT public information officer Bryan Viggiani said.
The growing use of noncommercial GPS systems, along with changes in traffic flow and driver behavior since the pandemic, is likely among the factors causing the increased frequency of bridge strikes, he added.
Earlier this spring, the DOT announced plans to build a U-turn area for truckers by the end of the year, along with an infrared detection and warning system to help prevent future bridge strikes. The 10-foot, 11-inch bridge over Glenridge Road has been the site of dozens of accidents over the past few years. Sitterly Road Bridge, Clifton Park: The Sitterly Road bridge over the Northway in Clifton Park will be closed from midnight on Saturday, June 18, through Monday, Sept. 12, for a previously announced bridge replacement project.
The temporary span over the Northway’s southbound lanes, which has been in place since last May, will be removed, the remaining portions of the old bridge will be demolished, and the bridge will be completely rebuilt.
A detour will be posted directing drivers to Clifton Park Center Road, state Route 146, U.S. Route 9 and Crossings Boulevard. A pedestrian shuttle service will be available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily during the closure. It will stop at the intersection of Sitterly Road and the Ellis Medicine Medical Center driveway, and at Sitterly Road and Crossing Boulevard.
Drivers should also watch for shoulder closures and lane closures during off-peak hours south of Exit 9, as well as periodic full closures of the Northway on weeknights between midnight and 5 a.m. of up to 10 minutes each to move bridge components into place.
The project was timed to coincide with summer to minimize the impact on school buses.
Gender markers on driver’s licenses: Starting on June 24, New Yorkers can choose an “X” gender marker on their driver’s licenses, learner’s permits and ID cards. The change is part of the state’s Gender Recognition Act, which provides expanded protections for transgender and nonbinary residents.
New Yorkers with an existing license or ID will have the option to change the gender marker from “M” or “F” to “X” either in-person or online starting in July.