The Empire State Bank on Main is an example of too little connectivity. With better planning, the bank, the Institute for Family Health medical center and the Stop & Shop plaza could have all been connected — allowing drivers access without a return to Main.
While it’s being looked over by the town right now, Rhoads said she’s hopeful the village will also adopt access management soon — albeit with slight modifications to make it jibe with the village code.
The law, if adopted by the town or village, would apply to new constructions or renovations only.
“There are a lot of little things. But hopefully, they’re helpful long-term,” Bowdery added. “Now you don’t see any bus shelters in town, but we have been pushing for them. The problem, of course, is that you have to have DOT approval, they have to be handicapped accessible and they’re almost always on private property.”
That is a lot of hurdles to jump, he added.
“It looks like maybe this summer we’ll finally get one at the Teen Seen, which is town-owned property,” Bowdery said. “And there’s a possibility of one at the bus terminal as well — in front and possibly across the street.”
In the past seven years, the big victory for the TIC was seeing the New Paltz Loop Bus get up and running. Bowdery said he was proud of that, and he sees it as a true cooperative venture between many differing agencies.
For instance, SUNY New Paltz pays for Loop Bus fuel, the college’s Student Association pitches in as well, and it also gets support from Ulster County, the town and the feds.
According to Rhoads, the TIC still has a role in ensuring the Loop Bus is a pleasant experience for all riders. They’re always looking to make improvements.
“The whole Loop Bus service, I hope that more and more people use it,” she said.
Another role the TIC has is hearing traffic complaints from the community. They get referrals from the village and town whenever appropriate.
Rhoads noted that they’d heard complaints even out in the more rural parts of town.
“We’ve had a request to try and help with the whole intersection of Butterville and 299,” she said. “I do know if you want to come out there and make a left-hand turn, it’s very difficult.”
Butterville and Route 299 could become an important intersection in New Paltz’s future if the Mohonk Preserve’s plan to rehabilitate the old Testimonial Gateway comes to fruition. With tourists potentially coming in droves, Butterville-299 is a “futuristic” project that they’re contemplating — as well as potential speed limit changes out there, Rhoads said.
Members are needed
Currently, the TIC has 11 members, but they’d like to recruit more people onto their team. They want new ideas and new blood to tackle the issues of traffic.
Gallerie noted that any New Paltz community member with an interest in joining is welcome. The group does not have a maximum number of members, so they’re free to add.
According to Rhoads, young parents are a perspective that is currently missing on the board. “Right now, we have a generation gap,” she said.
Parents could have a totally different viewpoint of traffic than the current members, because they’re worried about the safety of kids playing in the road or walking across busy streets, she added.
“New ideas and new energy is what is needed in any organization,” Rhoads said.
But the TIC is also a place to come if you’d like to volunteer for a committee that helps solve small quality-of-life problems — those which can sometimes get lost in the fray at Town Hall or Village Hall.
“All too often people look at committees as not solving day-to-day problems. I think this is a committee that really attempts to address quality-of-life issues.”
According to Bowdery, TIC also has a schedule that a busy adult could appreciate. “We don’t have very many meetings a year,” he said.
The TIC meets between four and eight times each year, and board members usually don’t have much homework between meetings.
Chairwoman Gallerie also sees urgency in getting new members to continue the group’s fight for long-term projects. With a lack of monitoring, those big projects would die, she said.
People who’d like to join the TIC can get more information or submit a letter of interest to become a new member by contacting Gallerie at [email protected].
