Albany residents have a chance tonight to weigh in on a manual being drafted to make city streets safer.
The City of Albany and the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) are presenting the first of two public meetings to gather input into a policy and design manual that will lay down guidelines for the creation and installation of sidewalks, cycling infrastructure, crosswalks, road diets, traffic calming measures, bus pullouts and more.
Albany’s Complete Streets policy requires that city roadways accommodate all users regardless of age or ability. Mayor Kathy Sheehan is excited about being able to talk to the public about the project. "This is something that was really started by the Common Council back in 2013, and it recognizes that if we want to have a healthy, vibrant city, we've gotta make sure that we accommodate everybody who uses our streets, regardless of their age, their ability. We're really looking at engaging with people to talk about how we can ensure that our seniors, our pedestrians, the disabled, cyclists, everyone who is using our streets is safe."
The manual will act as a guide for all future construction, reconstruction and resurfacing projects within the city. CDTC Executive Director Michael Franchini: "This project is a big step toward achieving the goals set forth in the Albany Comprehensive Plan. You know the project will have a wide impact on the neighborhoods and the communities and hopefully they'll be applied, you know, objectively throughout the entire city."
The mayor says the manual will help push the 2030 plan agenda, and the result: Albany will thrive. "When you look around, not just the country but the world, as liveable walkable cities, they've gotten this right. They have the balance between cars and pedestrians and cyclists in good balance, and I believe and those who are proponents of this believe that it drives more business to the city (no pun intended there) but that it creates more opportunity in a city when you have streets that take into account all of the users."
WHAT: Public Meeting to Provide Input Into the City-wide Complete Streets Policy and Design Manual
WHEN: Tonight, Monday, October 5th, 5-7:30 p.m.
- 5-6 p.m.—Open House
- 6-6:30 p.m.—Project Presentation
- 6:30-7 p.m.—Input about Complete Streets in Your Neighborhood
WHERE: The Linda, 339 Central Avenue, Albany 12206