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THIS IS WHAT NYS IS DOING AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE ACCIDENT ON THE SPRAIN THAT KILLED A NY POLICE DET.
Release Date: February 10, 2018

Earlier this week a  28-year-old Yorktown man was charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol on Wednesday following a complaint of a wrong-way driver on the Taconic State Parkway. Periodically, we read about accidents and fatalities on the Sprain Parkway and on other major roads when drivers drive on the wrong side of the road.

 

In 2015 a Greenburgh resident, NY Police Detective Paul Duncan, lost his life when a car drove the wrong way. After the accident I contacted the state asking that they take action steps to reduce the possibility of these kind of accidents taking place in the future.  

It's been a few years.   What has NYS  done about the problem since the tragedy?  I recently received the following response from the NYS Department of Transportation after reaching out to the Governor's office.   Is NYS  doing enough? Should they do more? 
 What other actions could be taken to make the Sprain safer? PAUL FEINER

 

 http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/02/27/1-dead-in-multi-car-crash-on-sprain-brook-parkway/

newyork.cbslocal.com

Police said a Honda Civic was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the parkway when it hit a Honda Pilot head-on, killing 46-year-old Paul Duncan of Hartsdale.

 

 

Department of Transportation

 

ANDREW M. CUOMO

Governor

 

PAUL A. KARAS

Acting Commissioner

 

 

 

January 19, 2018

 

 

 

Honorable Paul J. Feiner Supervisor

Town of Greenburgh 177 Hillside Avenue

Greenburgh, NY 10607 Dear Supervisor Feiner:

 

Thank you for your correspondence to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo concerning wrong­ way drivers on the Sprain Brook Parkway. The Governor's office has forwarded your letter to me for response.

 

In your letter, you refer to a crash that occurred two years ago on the Sprain Brook Parkway involving a NYPD detective who was killed by a wrong way driver. You ask that steps be taken to address wrong way drivers on the Sprain Brook Parkway.

 

Since 2015, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has investigated the wrong-way signing on the exit ramps from the Sprain Brook Parkway. Exit ramp signing was improved to meet the current standards at ramps that were identified as not meeting the guidance for exit ramp signing. In addition, a number of safety reviews have been conducted to determine if further action is needed at certain locations. In response to one such review, the striping at the intersection of Route 1008 and the ramps for the northbound Sprain Brook Parkway will be modified by placing yellow centerline extension markings to identify the nature of the turn for motorists on Route 1008 eastbound to the entrance ramp for the Sprain Brook Parkway northbound. This pavement marking change will be done under this year's Annual Regional Pavement Marking Contract.

 

NYSDOT staff is in the process of evaluating treatments that can be done on parkway ramps to improve motorists' awareness that the exit ramps are not for entering vehicles. Actions that have been taken to date, as part of this ongoing evaluation, include installation of additional wrong way signs posted high and low and wrong-way arrow pavement markings on segments of the parkway system. Currently, NYSDOT is working to expand implementation of these signs and markings to more locations. The Sprain Brook Parkway has wrong-way arrow pavement markings on its exit ramps, but NYSDOT is working to provide additional wrong-way signing.

 

Thank you for bringing the concerns of your constituency to our attention. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our Regional Traffic Safety & Mobility Engineer Adam Levine, at 845-437-3396.

 

 

 

 

Lance MacMillan, P.E.

Acting Regional Director

 

cc:      Todd B. Westhuis, Chief of Staff

Thomas McIntyre, Assistant Commissioner

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti

Chief Chris McNerney

Eric Wyner

 

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