Sullivan County lawmakers to push for DOT changes to 'crash hot bed' on Route 209
Sullivan County lawmakers are urging New York state Department of Transportation to fix a major roadway that they say has been a hot bed for truck crashes.
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Sullivan County lawmakers are urging New York state Department of Transportation to fix a major roadway that they say has been a hot bed for truck crashes.
In a resolution passed Thursday, the Sullivan County Legislature’s Public Works Committee agreed to reach out to the DOT to fix safety issues on Route 209.
“I travel through the Village regularly, and I’ve seen the damage that results when huge trucks careen down the hill,” said Legislator Salomone, who represents the Village of Wurtsboro.
The intersection of U.S. Route 209 and Sullivan Street is the site of multiple crashes in the Village of Wurtsboro over the last decade.
“... Mostly due to heavy trucks whose brakes have overheated while coming down Wurtsboro Mountain Road (County Route 172) from Rock Hill,” explained District 9 Legislator Terry Blosser-Bernardo.
Blosser-Bernardo co-introduced the resolution with District 4 Legislator Nick Salomone.
About 8,000 vehicles use that section of Route 209 every day, and around 5,100 use Sullivan Street.
County officials are suggesting a traffic signal technology that would install detectors under the pavement on Wurtsboro Mountain Road.
The detectors would monitor how fast trucks are traveling and trigger warnings to drivers and pedestrians of a potentially out-of-control vehicle.
“We cannot wait until another accident happens to take action...It will literally save lives.”” says Blosser-Bernardo.
