For the safety of our community we need to keep this light in place.

Village Officials met with Jim Papaleo, DOT, Asst Regional Traffic Engineer. After a long discussion about State and Federal traffic warrants and traffic data recently collected by DOT for the Center St intersection, it remains a fact that this intersection does not meet Federal and State warrants due to the number of vehicles utilizing Center Street and our extremely low accident history.

However, we were able to counteract the warrant data reasoning with a full list of reasons why the traffic signal needs to stay. They included the following:

1. Sight distance issues exiting Center St.
2. Railroad truck route to Thruway entrance
3. Sight distance especially for trucks driving north on Peterboro with overpass
4. Turning radius not sufficient on Diamond St. for trucks as alternative path
5. New truck traffic/increase with new plant
6. Bridge on Diamond only rated for 18,000 pounds
7. 20 mph school zone
8. School buses and traffic back-up
9. Possible new neighborhood on Center St.
10, Resident examples and experiences collected.
11. Businesses affected.

Jim Papaleo, DOT will bring this information back to the DOT Regional Traffic Engineer Linda Lubey. 

In the meantime, please send your experiences, constructive thoughts, and any other feedback to DOT. We need to start a letter writing campaign as this will greatly help us save this traffic signal. Public pressure will be key to helping as we do not meet warrants. I ask that you mail your letter to Linda Lubey, Regional Traffic Engineer, 207 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13501. Please send me a copy of your letter so I know it was sent and have record for our next meeting. My email is carladeshaw@canastota.com.