ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The City of Rochester is working to figure out which roads and sidewalks need repairs. It comes as neighbors have expressed concerns about potholes, and also want to see improvements in traffic safety.
The city surveys its roads for repairs every five to six years. The last time was in 2019, before the pandemic. Officials are in the process of finding a contractor to drive more than 500 miles of streets with a special camera to scan the streets for damage.
The city says the survey will help to decide which roads to prioritize and how much to budget. Streets and sidewalks go through constant wear over the winter. The city feels like now is the time to reassess and see what’s changed.
“In the short term, the city’s crews are able to go out and make patches, but we know that that will only last so long,” said David Riley, Rochester’s principal transportation specialist. “So this work that we’re doing with getting all the streets scanned helps in the form of projects that we do that are longer-term fixes. So in some cases, we’re milling and resurfacing the street, we’re taking off the whole surface and laying down a new pavement layer. And in some instances, we’re completely reconstructing the street.”
Riley said the project funding will come from city funding, along with state and federal grants. The city is currently accepting proposals from prospective contractors through May 22.
The city is also aiming to improve traffic safety through an initiative called “Vision Zero”, which over 60 other communities across the country are taking part in. As News10NBC has covered, Rochester’s rate of deadly crashes is among the highest of any midsize city in New York State, at about 10 deaths per 100,000 people each year.
News10NBC’s Garrett Chan spoke with several residents, who said the city’s road damage survey and traffic safety initiatives are long overdue.
“I know there are some intersections where there are a lot of accidents, and they should focus on that,” city resident Wanda Buggs said. “Trying to change the design of the streets so drivers are more aware of the area, and the way some streets are sectioned off that can cause accidents.”
Jordan Daniels, another city resident, shared a similar sentiment.
“I would like to see improvements, especially if I’m paying money for it. So it’s good to know that our money is going towards rebuilding the city,” he said.
Some changes are already underway to make roads safer in Rochester. That includes the city’s school bus camera program, which has issued over 5,100 tickets since January to people caught passing stopped RCSD buses. The city is also adding more crosswalks for bikers and walkers. Efforts are also underway to improve safety on Lake Avenue, which has a seven-mile stretch that one study found was the state’s deadliest road. Riley explained what’s next for Vision Zero.
“Every time we’re working on a city street, we’re looking at opportunities to make safety improvements,” he said. “So we’re looking at crash statistics. We’re looking at how people are using the street already to try to make sure we’re meeting the needs of the surrounding neighborhood. So every time we’re touching a street, we’re looking at safety improvements and ways to better accommodate everybody who’s using that street. And not just drivers, but people who are walking, biking, taking the bus.”
The city hopes that once they find a contractor, it can get to work within the next couple of months. Riley hopes that, by the end of next year, they will have an annual budget and planning process finalized as they begin rebuilding and repaving the streets. Riley said the city does not plan on deviating from its five to six-year timeline.
As part of Vision Zero, the city is hosting meetings to get the public’s feedback on possibly bringing automated traffic enforcement to the roads. The first meetings began last week. Here’s the schedule for the rest:
- Tuesday, May 12: 6 p.m. at Edgerton R-Center on 41 Backus St.
- Wednesday, May 13: 6 p.m. at Thomas P. Ryan R-Center on 530 Webster Ave.
- Saturday, May 16: 11 a.m. at Gleason Auditorium, Central Library on 115 South Ave.
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