Resident urges action after speeding, blind curve make Oswegatchie Road 'very unsafe'

Linda Lane, a resident of 23 Oswegatchie Road, told the Waterford Board of Police Commissioners on May 11 that excessive speeding and a blind curve near Josan Drive have made her family and neighbors “very unsafe.” Lane said vehicles routinely travel “at least 15 to 20 mph OVER the posted speed limit” of 30 mph on that stretch and highlighted the lack of sidewalks as an added hazard for pedestrians and dog walkers.

Lane recounted a January 17 incident in which, she said, “a speeding work truck with a drunk driver at the wheel” hit two parked cars, broke its rear axle, lost a tire and came to rest in her front yard. She provided the Waterford Police case number 2600002459 and said she can share photographs of the crash with the commission.

Lane described a sharp, blind curve on Oswegatchie Road that prevents drivers from seeing oncoming traffic until they are "literally upon you," and said existing warning signs are routinely ignored. She told commissioners neighbors would support either a three-way stop at the intersection of Oswegatchie Road and Josan Drive or a series of speed bumps positioned along the road, and offered to bring a petition signed by neighbors in support.

The commission accepted Lane’s statement during the public comment portion of its May 11 meeting. The minutes record no board action on Lane’s specific requests at that meeting; the Traffic Report and a separate Cross Road signage request were considered during the meeting but the record does not show that the board took immediate action on Oswegatchie Road traffic-calming measures.

Lane’s statement and the case number she cited are part of the meeting record; commissioners have not yet adopted a traffic-calming plan for Oswegatchie Road based on the May 11 discussion. The commission’s next steps, if any, were not specified in the meeting minutes.