Committee begins work on streets plan

DUNDEE—A committee of local residents and Dundee village officials held their first meeting in July to review the complete streets study that was recently finished. This study was commissioned by the Our Town RoCKS Health Improvement Project and the village of Dundee to provide an assessment that could help to guide improvements to streets and sidewalks in order to make the community more walkable and bike-able. In March, consultant Justin Booth from Make Communities in Buffalo led 25 attendees through a workshop that consisted of an introduction to the complete streets concept; a walk-around the village which focused on Main, Water and Millard Streets including the intersection in front of the school; and, a debriefing that included brainstorming of the vision for the village.
“It can be a variety of things,” Project Coordinator Lauren Snyder said. “It’s really about making it safer not only for bicycle riders and pedestrians but also vehicles and horse and buggies going through the community. It’s really thinking about how to make it safer for everybody who uses the streets, and that includes the sidewalks too.”
Snyder said the complete streets study is not just about the main streets but also includes the side streets as well. She said while no plans or projects are solid yet, plans may include sidewalk repair, safety lanes and landscaping to make the community more appealing. Snyder said the committee will begin working every month to review the study and identify which projects should receive top priority. She added while the overall implementation of some projects amy take awhile to occur, she said Booth identified some projects that would be quick fixes for relatively low expense.
“It’s like a first step and we hope it can lead to the ability for the village to get additional grants to improve the streets and the sidewalks and also the streetscape,” Snyder said. “You are always dependent on the next round of funding. Probably the first opportunity that I am aware of is the Transportational Alternatives Program Grant that comes up every year. The next round of funding is next spring to early summer to apply for it [...] This is not a short-term project at all.”
According to the New York State Department of Transportation website, “A complete street is a roadway planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of all roadway users of all ages and abilities. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motorists; it includes children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.”
The committee will continue to meet every fourth Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Our Town RoCKS office at the Presbyterian Church at 31 Main St. in Dundee. Anyone who lives, works, learns or plays in the Dundee area is welcome to join the committee.  
For a copy of the “Creating a Livable Dundee Through Complete Streets” report, visit the Our Town RoCKS website at www.ourtownrocks.org and click on the “In the News” tab. For more information about the complete streets project call the village office at 607-243-5551 or the Our Town RoCKS office at 315-246-6351.