INVESTING IN SAFETY
Funding will turn dangerous stretch of Route 787 into boulevard
COHOES, N.Y. » By 2019, officials hope motorist and pedestrians will be able to safely share a dangerous stretch of Route 787 in the city.
City and state officials joined together Monday morning to announce a $15 million investment to convert Route 787 in the city from an expressway to a boulevard, creating a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly gateway to the city. The project will restore the connection between the east and west sides of the city and feature updated crosswalks and a landscaped median.
Funding for the project comes less than a year after 16-year-old Brittany Knight, of Cohoes, was hit by a car and killed as she crossed the busy highway at Bridge Avenue. Since the teen’s death, Mayor Shawn Morse said he has been fighting every day to fund this vision of the highway, an extension of busy Interstate 787, which connects to downtown Albany and the New York State Thruway.
The $15 million was allocated to the state Department of Transportation in the 201718 state budget for design and construction of the proposed gateway project, which will also require federal approval.
“I made a commitment to the citizens of Cohoes that we would improve safety on
this highway and turn it into a true boulevard,” Morse said during a Monday morning news conference near the intersection when Knight was killed. “I want to thank Governor [Andrew] Cuomo and my partners in state government, who heard our concerns and moved swiftly to provide a new gateway to our city, improving community connections, pedestrian safety and accessibility. Today is a great day for Cohoes.”
Last summer, the state DOT upgraded crosswalks and installed new pedestrian push-buttons that trigger dedicated exclusive traffic phases for pedestrian crossings at the three intersections with Route 787 within Cohoes. The anticipated proposal features a boulevard-style roadway with a landscaped median and narrower travel lanes from Dyke Avenue to just south of the approach to the Cohoes Waterford Bridge, where the highway becomes New Courtland Street. Userfriendly pedestrian crossings at the three intersections will help restore the connection for those who cross Route 787 for work, school, shopping and more between the Van Schaick Island and Simmons Island neighborhoods to the east and downtown Cohoes and
the Cohoes Hill and Harmony Mills neighborhoods to the west.
“The community has asked for a renewed Cohoes Boulevard, and New York state is answering the call,” said state DOT Commissioner Matthew Driscoll. “The new boulevard will serve as a gateway to Cohoes and restore the connections for neighborhoods on both sides of Route 787.”
Since Knight’s death, city officials and state legislators have been in constant contact regarding funding for the boulevard project, and those elected representatives in Albany said they are as pleased to see the funding awarded to the city as city leaders.
Assemblyman John McDonald, D-Cohoes, who
served as Cohoes mayor for 13 years before being elected to the state Assembly, said he knows too well of the dangers along the stretch of highway. During his tenure as mayor, McDonald said he also had to face the families of young victims killed while crossing Route 787. He specifically remembered Michael Hallock, 14, who was hit and killed in the early 2000s in the same area as last year’s tragedy. Nyla Jordan, 53, was also killed as she crossed the road in 2014, while Morse’s uncle, George Primeau was mayor.
“As former mayor, I have advocated for this effort and am pleased to be in the position to see this project become a reality which will be of benefit to the pedestrians and motorists that traverse this busy highway and also present a significant economic development opportunity for the city, as well,” McDonald said. “Since the death of Brittany Knight last year, DOT, [state] Senator [Neil] Breslin, and myself have worked closely with the city to confirm that the best solution for the area was the boulevard approach, as it was important to have city support in this effort. As we informed Mayor Morse and the [Common] Council, it was up to the senator and myself to do our jobs, and that we did.”
State officials expect to complete the design and put the project out for bids by early 2018, with construction anticipated to begin that spring and be completed by the end of 2019.
“This new gateway project, known as Cohoes Boulevard, will not only spur further economic development in city of Cohoes, it will also make the roadway safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike,” Breslin, D-Albany, said.