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Clinton County transportation committee flags Empire State Trail funding gaps and delays in transit tracking software
Summary
County transportation staff told the Legislature that a proposed Empire State Trail route would affect county-owned Lake Shore Road but lacks state funding for necessary upgrades; planners also said a request for proposals for real-time bus-tracking software awaits NYSDOT approval before solicitation.
During committee reports at the Feb. 14 Clinton County Legislature meeting, Transportation Committee members raised two operational issues: concerns about the Empire State Trail routing and a delay in issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for transit-tracking software.
Highway Superintendent Al Rascoe said the Governor's Empire State Trail proposal would include a segment of county-owned Lake Shore Road but that "very little State funding" accompanies the program to pay for the roadway upgrades the route would require. The Transportation Committee's consensus was to advise the State to use State Route 9 for the trail unless funding becomes available to support required upgrades to Lake Shore Road.
Planning Director Rodney Brown and Clinton County Planning Technician James Bosley told the committee that the county's planned transit vehicle-tracking software—intended to provide real-time arrival information for riders and to support a route-deviation service beginning in May—has not yet had its RFP issued because NYSDOT approval is required before solicitation. Bosley also warned of a significant shortfall expected for the Clinton County Public Transit 2017 fiscal year.
Why it matters: Routing decisions for the Empire State Trail could impose upgrade costs on county-owned roadways if state funding is not provided. Separately, the delay in issuing the RFP for transit-tracking software may affect the timely rollout of route-deviation service and the public's ability to know bus arrival times.
What to watch next: The Transportation Committee meets next on March 12; county staff and the Legislature may seek clarification from NYSDOT on funding for Lake Shore Road and on the RFP approval timeline.
