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Residents tell Oswego board Route 30/34 intersection and proposed Kendall Point development strain local roads
Summary
Two residents told the Village of Oswego Committee of the Whole on Feb. 18 that traffic at the Route 30/Route 34 intersection and planned development near Kendall Point Drive is creating safety and access problems. Speakers asked the village to consider infrastructure capacity and the recently approved access study for Ogden Falls.
Anne Barrett, a longtime Oswego resident and retired Rush Copley administrator, told the Village of Oswego Committee of the Whole on Feb. 18 that traffic at the Route 30 and Route 34 intersection has worsened and creates safety concerns for people leaving nearby subdivisions.
"On a Saturday...you're going eastbound on a Saturday, the traffic is backed up to Delta Sonic," Barrett said. "It should take me 3 minutes to pop from Menards to my home. It takes 15." She also said that drivers' behavior and signal timing contribute to the delays and asked trustees to give "serious, serious thought" to infrastructure needs at that corner.
Colleen Schmidt, a resident of Seapletage Subdivision, told trustees she is concerned the small parcel proposed for redevelopment at Kendall Point Drive and Route 34 cannot safely handle current traffic volumes or additional traffic from new businesses. She said accidents often force police to route vehicles through her neighborhood, where drivers do not always obey speed limits.
"That particular intersection is just too congested now," Schmidt said, citing left‑turn conflicts and vehicles blocking side streets when Sonic and other nearby businesses are busy. She noted a developer-commissioned traffic study done on a weekday afternoon and questioned whether that captured peak or weekend volumes.
Both speakers referenced an Ogden Falls access study that the village has approved to evaluate access points and medians at the intersection. Barrett described the median and other existing features as safety concerns; Schmidt said additional turning lanes or signage may be necessary if redevelopment proceeds. Neither speaker proposed a specific remedy; both urged the board and staff to weigh infrastructure capacity when reviewing proposals.
The public comments occurred during the meeting's public forum; trustees did not take a formal vote on new traffic measures during the hearing. Earlier in the meeting trustees approved a request to allow Trustee Geist to attend electronically for this session.
The comments underscore local concerns about whether current road geometry, signal timing and available turning or stacking lanes can accommodate both routine peak traffic and new commercial development on or near Route 34. Residents asked the village to ensure traffic studies reflect weekend and peak afternoon conditions and to consider pedestrian and emergency‑vehicle access when evaluating site plans.
