Getting There
Do Albany school zone lights always need to be on?
Q: For many years now, I have wondered about the yellow flashing lights at school zones in Albany. They are on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Because they are on constantly, they have lost their effectiveness.
At 11 p.m. on a Saturday night, the school zone reduced speed rules are not in effect, yet these lights flash incessantly. It is a waste of electricity and a distraction to drivers. I have tried to get information about this from the Albany
Police traffic bureau to no avail. There must be a way that these can be placed on timers.
I would also like to know what the requirement is that these be on all the time. If the school zone speed limit is only from a certain hour in the morning to a certain hour in the evening, Monday through Friday, then these flashing lights do not need to be on at any other time outside of those hours.
I hope you can find the answer to my questions. But more importantly, I hope we can get these lights turned off when they are not needed.
—Nancy Goody A: The city is aware of this concern and is working with the vendor on a solution, said Steve Smith, public information officer for the Albany Police Department.
Smith did not give an expected timeline for fixing the problem, but said they are “committed to finding a solution as soon as possible.”
A reader asked last summer if reduced speed zones are enforced when the lights are flashing, even when school is not in session. Lt. Robert Donnelly of the Colonie Police Department, traffic safety division, answered that the reductions are only enforceable when school is taking place on normal weekdays.
Route 2 bridge: The state Department of Transportation is beginning work on a $2.6 million project to replace the Route 2 bridge over the Poesten Kill in Brunswick.
Removal of the old bridge and installation of the replacement will occur on half of the bridge’s length at a time. Work will start this week on the westbound half of the bridge and switch to the eastbound side in August. It should be completed by the end of the year.
Traffic will be reduced to a single alternating lane controlled by traffic signals around the clock.
The current steel truss bridge was built in 1931 and carries approximately 4,600
motor vehicles per day.
The new bridge will have five-foot wide shoulders on both sides to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.
Motorcycle registrations: Motorcycle owners need to renew their registrations before they expire on April 30, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
Motorcycles are registered for one year, and all registrations expire April 30. Most renewals and registrations can be done online.
Motorcycles must also be inspected at least once every 12 months at a licensed station. Look for a black and yellow sign reading “Official NYS Motorcycle Inspection Station.”
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