Letter from agftc.org Adirondack Clens Falls Transportation CouncilSouthStreet,Suite 0
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Clens Falls, Ply lit
p: (518)223 00,86 f� (518)223 0584
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March 7,2016
Town of Queensbury Planning Board
742 Ray Road
Queensbury, NY 12804
Re:Exit tR and Rig Ray Road Motels- Traffic Assessments
Dear Planning Board Members:
At the request of the Town of Queensbury's Community Development Department's staff,
Adirondack Glens Falls Transportation Council staff has reviewed the Traffic Assessments
provided by Creighton Manning Engineering LLP on behalf of 51dii"ITCHCO LLC and Big Bay
Lodgings, LLC sand offers the following comments for consideration by the Queensbury Town
Planning,Board:
, The Town of Queensbury, A/GFTC and CHA Consulting have recently completed the
Exit IS Rezone ,Study, designed to provide an analysis of the cumulative trip
generation associated with the development of these and surrounding parcels. One
of the determinations of that study was that localized development would
contribute to a deterioration of operations at the Corinth Road and Rig Bay Road
Intersection. Such deterioration would warrant mitigation beyond that of just
providing access to the respective sites, Including the following improvements
Identified by CMA.
a new eastbound left turn lame into the Exit 18 hotel development site from
Corinth Road (local experience with the Corinth Road corridor provides
evidence that the removal of any volume of left turning vehicles from the
primary travel lane has significant benefits)
* a two lane southbound exit from the Exit lg hotel access road,including one
dedicated left turn lane to eastbound Corinth Road and one shared right turn
lane westbound and through lane southbound
o a new northbound right-turn lane from gig May Road to Corinth Road
While It Is acknowledged that the individual trip generation characteristics of these
two proposed developments may Indeed fall short of NYSDOT and ITE thresholds for
consideration of off-site Improvements, treating these development proposals as
Isolated Individual cases Is not consistent with the ongoing efforts of the Town to
create a more favorable climate for economic development while striving to
preserve acceptable traffic operations on Its recently upgraded transportation
network. A/CFTC staff strongly encourages the Planning Board to consider the
cumulative potential development Impacts of this and the surrounding parcels while
assessing the need for system Improvements.
v
. The site plans feature no evident accommodations for pedestrians or bicyclists. The
lack of sidewalks along the proposed access road to the Exit IS hotel Is particularly
conspicuous given the existing sidewalk along the north side of Corinth Road,
Pedestrian traffic would be expected between the hotels and adjacent convenience
store and fast food operations,
. Utilization of the existing traffic signal controlled Intersection at Big hay Road and
Corinth (toad, as proposed by the Exit IS hotel developer, Is to be encouraged In
order to minimize new access points and thus reduce new traffic conflict locations.
4, Primary access to the Big; Bay hotel site should be facilitated via Big Bay Road,
channelizing site trips through the existing signalized Intersection at big; Say Road
,and Corinth goad. While it Is encouraging to .see that this access Is noted In the
report, It is also noted that direct access would also be facilitated through shared
use of the Taco Bell driveway. While the shared usages of driveways is also typically
to be encouraged, staff concern is that this latter access will become the primary
access, as suggested by the comparative distances between the two access routes
from the Exit 18 ramps as well as the proposed orientation of the structure, if such a
usage pattern evolves, the greater potential for additional traffic conflicts Is shifted
away from the signal-'controlled intersection to the non-signalized midblock
driveway,
5a The reports state that the Functional Classification of Corinth Road (County Route
)Is that of Urban Minor Collector.This Is Incorrect,the correct classification Is that
of Urban Minor Arterial. This is an important distinction with regard to access
considerations, as the functionality of an Urban Minor Arterial prioritizes through
trips of moderate length over direct access to adjacent lands.
A/GFTC staff commends the Towyn of Queensbury on its recent efforts to objectively consider
the collective potential traffic impacts of new development to Inform the implementation of
amended zoning provisions. The Exit 18 Rezone Study Identifies improvements at the gig Bay
Road and Corinth Road Intersection that will be necessary to accommodate bulldout of these
and surrounding parcels. The process of completing that study has generated a productive
dialogue between Town officials, property owners and developers regarding the need for
transportation system Improvements to sustain successful new development. We wish the
Town continued success In encouraging meaningful and necessary developer contributions
towards the Implementation of Infrastructure upgrades as warranted by expanded economic
development opportunities.
Regards,
Aaron F`rankenfeld
Transportation Planning Director