NYSTA Mobility Improvement presentation 5-23-06
Text Description
Slide format: Each slide in this presentation contains a formatted slide background that contains a photo (view looking south) of existing Woodbury Toll Barrier with New York State Thruway Authority Logo in a banner at top of each slide. At the bottom right hand corner of each slide is a HDR Engineering Inc. logo as well.
Slide 1:
New York State Thruway Authority
Proposed Woodbury Mobility Improvement Project
Highway Speed E-ZPass
Informal Public Open House
May 23, 2006
6:00 to 8:00 P.M.
Central Valley Elementary School
Slide 2:
About The Project
The Woodbury Toll Barrier is at the southern end of the Thruway’s ticketed system. It serves as the gateway to the Catskills and upstate New York. About 20 million vehicles passing through annually, it is one of the busiest toll plazas on the 641-mile Thruway System.
Slide 3:
About The Project (Continued)
Thruway traffic has consistently grown at a rate of 2.3 percent annually at Woodbury and is predicted to continue. Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes will improve traffic flow through the barrier and benefit the majority of the travelers.
Increasing traffic volumes Thruway-wide continually challenge the Authority to reduce congestion within toll plazas. Additional staffed and dedicated E-ZPass lanes have been added; however, traffic demands at barriers continue to grow.
Slide 4:
Project Location
This slide has an aerial photo of the entire project site from mile post 43.5 to mile post 46.4 with call outs to particular locations along Thruway. Specifically, Woodbury Toll Barrier, Interchange 16 Ramp Bridge, Route 6 bridge, Arden House Road bridge, Route 6 & 17, Route 32, Commercial Developments and Harriman Toll Barrier.
Slide 5:
Woodbury Toll Barrier Aerial
This slide has an aerial photo above actual Woodbury Toll Barrier at Interchange 16. There are several call outs of locations, specifically, Woodbury Toll Barrier, Woodbury Commons Mall, Harriman Toll Barrier, Route 17, Route 6 Bridge, Interchange 16 Ramp Bridge and a text box above existing toll barrier that reads, “Demolish & remove five toll booths and construct concrete median barrier through the existing toll plaza to safely accommodate two Highway Speed E-ZPass Lanes in each direction.”
Slide 6:
What Is Highway Speed E-ZPass?
Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes allow E-ZPass customers to drive through select toll collection locations at highway speeds using dedicated E-ZPass lanes. Highway Speed
E-ZPass lanes would be physically separated from cash-paying vehicles. As demonstrated in other areas, Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes can process significantly more vehicles than staffed toll lanes.
Slide 7:
Benefits of Highway Speed E-ZPass
- Improve Air Quality through reduced fuel consumption, idling and emissions.
- Reduce congestion.
- Improve highway and toll plaza safety.
- Improve travel time.
Slide 8:
New York State Thruway Highway Speed
E-ZPass Opportunities
This slide contains a map of New York State with several call outs to other locations along the New York State Thruway where E-ZPass opportunities may arise. Locations listed are Williamsville Toll Barrier, Ripley Toll Barrier, Canaan Toll Barrier, Spring Valley Toll Barrier, Yonkers toll Barrier and the Woodbury Toll Barrier.
Slide 9:
Highway Speed E-ZPass on Similar Facilities
This slide contains 3 photos of other toll plaza locations throughout country where high Speed E-ZPass is used. The 3 locations are Florida: Orlando – Orange County Expressway, New Jersey: Garden State Parkway and New Jersey: New Jersey Turnpike.
Slide 10:
Project Objective
The Project Objective is to Implement Highway-Speed E-ZPass at the Woodbury Toll Barrier.
Additional benefits include:
- Improving safety, increasing mobility and reducing accidents.
- Improving overall traffic operations and reducing delay.
- Enhancing the environment.
Slide 11:
Project Concept
- Remove five of the existing 15 lanes at the Woodbury Toll Barrier.
- Construct two Highway Speed E-ZPass Lanes in each direction with full shoulders, standard Interstate lane widths and concrete median barriers through the existing toll plaza.
- Safely separate Highway Speed E-ZPass mainline traffic from cash paying customers while allowing all traffic to safely merge.
Slide 12:
Alternatives Considered
No-Action/Continued Maintenance
- Provides for continued maintenance of the Woodbury Toll Barrier and the existing northbound and southbound Thruway and ramp junctions between mile post 43.5± and mile post 46.4±.
- Provides for the continued operation of conventional E-ZPass.
Reason why this alternative was not selected:
- Does not meet the project objective of implementing Highway Speed E-ZPass at the Woodbury Toll Barrier.
Slide 13:
Alternatives Considered (continued)
Relocate the Facility
- Calls for the relocation of the Woodbury Toll Barrier to the median of the Thruway at mile post 51.7.
- The Right-of-Way width at this location is approximately 125 m (410 ft) and could accommodate a toll barrier with a reduced number of lanes within the existing median of the Thruway.
Reason why this alternative was not selected:
- Compared to the preferred alternative, this option involves more environmental impacts, would be more costly and would not provide additional operational improvements at Interchange 16.
Slide 14:
The Preferred Alternative
Highway Speed E-ZPass at the Woodbury Toll Barrier
- Meets Project Objective and provides additional benefits
- Two Highway Speed E-ZPass Lanes in each direction
- Four Northbound Cash Lanes
- Six Southbound Cash Lanes
- Project Limits: mile post 43.5 - 46.4
- New Toll Collector Bridge
- 1 Bridge Rehabilitation (Arden House Road Bridge)
- Toll Utility Building Expansion
Slide 15:
Existing Woodbury Toll Barrier
This slide contains 2 photos of existing Woodbury Toll Barrier, view looking south and view looking north.
Slide 16:
Proposed Toll Barrier with Highway Speed E-ZPass Lanes Through Center of Plaza
This slide contains a computerized rendering of the future Woodbury Toll Barrier with call outs for the 2 (65 mph) Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes southbound and the 2 (65 mph) Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes northbound, the 4 northbound ticket lanes and the six southbound cash lanes.
Slide 17:
Advance Signing
This slide contains 2 photos, examples of advance signage used at a Highway Speed E-ZPass location on the Orlando – Orange County Expressway. And to the right of the photos is the text below:
- Signs required two to three miles in advance to safely separate Highway Speed E-ZPass traffic from slower moving Woodbury cash traffic and Interchange 16 traffic.
- Signing will meet Interstate Standards.
Slide 18:
Project Schedule
Preliminary Design Schedule and Dates:
Public Open House - May 2006
Public Comment/ Advisory Agency review period - June 2006
Design Approval - August 2006
Final Design Schedule - Construction Contract #1 - Construction Contract #2
Plans, Specifications & Estimate - September 2006 (contract #1) - August 2007 (contract #2)
Letting - November 2006 (contract #1) - November 2007 (contract #2)
Construction Completion - Late 2007 (contract #1) - Late 2009 (contract #2)
Slide 19:
Environmental Concerns
This slide contains a photo of a wetland area with the following text to its right.
- Avoidance of potential impacts to wildlife habitat is being coordinated with NYSDEC and US Fish & Wildlife Service.
- This project provides opportunity for enhancing stormwater quality.
- Impacts to Federal Wetlands have been minimized to less than 1/10 acre. There are no impacts to State Wetlands, however, the project does affect the 100 – foot adjacent area. This is being coordinated with NYSDEC
and The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Flood control will be coordinated through NYSDEC
and FEMA.
- One permanent easement is required to reconstruct the Arden House Road Bridge. All remaining work is within the Thruway right-of-way.
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