Construction on third roundabout begins

Brian Farkas News Editor

Preliminary work on the third and final Raymond Avenue roundabout began on Monday, April 7 and is expected to continue until December 2008.

This third roundabout will be located at the intersection of Collegeview and Raymond Avenues, and will be larger than the other two now at Vassar’s main gate and the intersection of Raymond and College Avenues, which opened in 2006.

The cost of adding the three roundabouts is now expected to top $10 million, exceeding the $6 million original estimate. Green Island Contracting, based out of Glenmont, N.Y., was selected by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to execute the next round of work.

Before the first two roundabouts were installed, roughly 17,000 vehicles traveled on Raymond Avenue each weekday. Work won’t affect drivers until the summer, when lane closures will begin.

The DOT released a study last year indicating that the number of vehicles on Raymond Avenue decreased by about nine percent after the introduction of the first two traffic circles, which together cost about $3 million.

This third circle will cost about $6.5 million. State officials have blamed the higher costs on generally higher construction and fuel prices, which have increased since original projections were made several years ago.

Because Raymond Avenue is a state road, its maintenance falls under the jurisdiction of the DOT. According to a traffic report released by state officials, the first two roundabouts have improved traffic flow in the area, making it safer for both drivers and pedestrians.

The project has also seen the addition of new streetlights, sidewalks and landscaping to the Arlington district along Raymond Avenue.

The final reconstruction of Raymond will include improved drainage, sidewalks, streetlights and landscaping between College Avenue and the eastbound arterial. Collegeview Avenue will be entirely reconfigured to accommodate parallel parking on both sides of the street.

Drivers must currently park their cars head-on into the fence bordering Vassar’s north edge, which will also be removed. The DOT fears that this current configuration forces drivers to back out of parking spaces onto Collegeview without a clear view of oncoming traffic, making the area accident-prone.

Because of the project’s proximity to the College, Vassar has been actively involved in planning and coordinating the project. Director of Faculty Housing and Special Projects Jeff Horst has been acting as the liaison between the contractor, the DOT and the College.

“We’re really trying to use this as an opportunity,” Horst explained. “All of this work is going to be happening right outside of the campus, and so we’re really trying to work very closely with the DOT and the contractor and take advantage of the situation to do some construction of our own.”

The Master Planning Committee formed a North Edge of Campus subcommittee to examine the functions and aesthetics of that area.

“One of the projects that we’re planning to undertake this summer is a large, six-foot-wide concrete path between Josselyn House and the gate opposite Juliet Café,” said Horst. Vassar will also install a large plaza on the so-called Juliet Gate, which will be pushed back into the campus by about 45 feet. The plaza will include lighting, a seating area and the Vassar logo carved into the concrete.

“We want to create a really inviting space, a center of the Arlington Business District that will help to bring pedestrians into and out of campus,” Horst said. “We’re even considering some bike racks, so that people will be able to easily ride to and from campus,” he continued.

Vice President for Finance and Administration and chair of the Master Planning Committee Elizabeth Eismeier was equally excited about the upcoming work.

“I think the new road work will be a great step forward for the commercial district,” said Eismeier. “We hope to continue to work with the Town, the DOT and the Business Improvement District to take advantage of this major road rebuilding to improve the commercial district.”

According to Eismeier, Vassar has made arrangements with Central Hudson, the local power company, to pay for the electric transmission lines to run underground from Fulton Avenue by the Alumnae House entrance just past the intersection, to the space across from The Beech Tree.

“From that point on, the wires will come above ground on new poles, moved back into the area where trees have been removed,” she said.

The stumps will be taken out when the road contractor works on Collegeview.

Despite the reassurances of the DOT, a number of residents have expressed unease about the installation of the roundabouts, citing concerns about increased traffic on nearby residential streets.
Others have questioned the $10 million cost, complaining that state money could be better spent on other projects.

Local business owners have raised their own concerns. Babycakes co-owner Susan Wysocki worries about customers during the summer.

“You know, when students leave [Vassar], our business falls about 60 percent,” she explained. “Now we’re trying to figure out what business is going to look like when even our local customers can’t drive easily and park. Parking is a concern for a business that relies exclusively on residents four months per year.”

Such apprehension has not gone unconsidered by state officials or the College. “What we’re hearing is not opposition to the roundabout, but to how they’re going to manage during the construction,” said Horst. To help local businesses weather the parking crunch the College added 18 spaces to North Lot over spring break. Businesses will be able to use these spaces during the summer.

The DOT also exercised its powers of eminent domain to seize the lot between the Laundromat and the Arlington Post Office, which will be turned into a parking lot. The Garden Art Space will also be turned into a temporary lot, to accommodate about 10 parked cars.

Vassar has granted the contractor permission to use the north end of the Alumni Flats—the area in front of the Alumnae House—as a staging area for construction equipment. According to Horst, the Farmers’ Market, which is usually hosted on the north side of the Alumnae House lawn, will set up on the south side next fall.

The project is occurring almost concurrently with the upcoming renovation of the Juliet’s Café building to accommodate the new Vassar bookstore, which will open in 2009.

“There will wider parking areas, making it much safer to park and shop,” explained Eismeier. “Pedestrians should find it easier to cross one lane at a time, with slower moving traffic on Raymond.” Eismeier is also working to schedule an open discussion about the construction on Raymond and Collegeview, which will include Charlotte Nesbitt of the DOT.

This meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 28 at 5 p.m.