Poughkeepsie public works presents five-year paving plan, outlines CHIPS-funded priorities and sidewalk work

Commissioner Jett, the city Department of Public Works commissioner, presented the department’s five-year paving plan to the Poughkeepsie Common Council on Tuesday, May 20, describing how the city will use recent state CHIPS funding to prioritize streets, sidewalks and traffic-control work.

The presentation matters because the plan maps resurfacing, crosswalk and curb work across wards and ties the schedule to limited contractor and plant capacity in the Northeast, storm-weather constraints and coordination needs with utilities such as Central Hudson.

Commissioner Jett said, “Paving and plowing are the 2 biggest things we do,” and described a visual grading process the department uses to choose streets. He told the council the city received “about, dollars 1,500,000.0” in CHIPS funds this year, roughly double what the city received earlier in the pandemic period, and said the department will balance repaving, sidewalks and traffic marking to reach as many neighborhoods as possible.

Jett outlined this year’s street list (Quaker, Lexington, Forbus, Maine, portions of Main Street, Gerald, Marion, Wantagh and Kingston) and explained that the department postponed Verrazano and Brookside until after two bridge projects on Washington and Garden to avoid duplicative work. He said Grand Avenue is a state-led complete-street and drainage project and that Central Hudson is running a gas project that will affect timing there.

On sidewalks, Jett said CHIPS funding requires the city to include ADA ramps on streets being repaved and announced the city will pilot a contractor to “cut our trip hazards” where tree roots have buckled sidewalks. He cautioned that cutting does not fix all cracks: “Sidewalks are about $30 a square foot. So a $100,000 couldn't even do a a block,” he said, adding driveway aprons increase costs because apron elevations must match the roadway.

Council members pressed for targeted safety measures. One councilmember asked about speed humps near schools; Jett said the plan is “thinking about speed humps around the school zones.” Another asked the department to evaluate corner geometry and curb radii at Gerald and Rinaldi while paving is done to improve walkability ahead of future waterfront redevelopment; Jett agreed to review engineering there. The council also noted the city has two radar speed-feedback signs available from the police department and that the city can deploy them by request.

Councilmember Menace and other members indicated staff would present a right-of-way management and street-opening permit process to the council this summer; City staff said they will bring a resolution of support for the five-year plan after incorporating council comments. That administrative action was described as forthcoming rather than a vote taken Tuesday.

The presentation included scheduling details, a pledge to try to “roll over” CHIPS funds into the next year where feasible, and repeated emphasis on coordinating with Central Hudson so new pavement is not undermined by later utility digs. Jett said the city intends to save contingency funds to respond to emergency work and to extend the paving program if weather and money allow.

The council did not take a formal vote on the plan during the presentation; staff indicated they will return with a right-of-way management proposal and a resolution of support to be considered in coming weeks.