SUBMITTED by Roger Straub, Route 88 N, Newark (27-Mar-2013)
Letter to the Editor
I am greatly concerned with the impact on local roads and traffic patterns created by the trucks which will be hauling the trash to the proposed Arcadia landfill, and returning.
The Arcadia Hills website, under the section "Impact/Mitigation “says, "A Traffic Study for the proposed facility has been completed using the 2008 New York State Department of Transportation traffic count study as baseline data for existing traffic. Based on an assumption of the facility accepting 100 truckloads of waste per day it has been calculated that local roads will experience minimal increases in overall traffic."
Is this study available for public review? Is the Town willing to verify these figures or have another study done? Why were 2008 study numbers used in the study when 2010 numbers are available on the DOT website? (The 2010 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Count for Rt. 88 exhibited a decrease of 130 vehicles per day; a decrease of 2.8 %.)
The AADT is an estimated number based on a 7 day week. A study using these figures would have to account for the fact that the increased traffic through the village would be primarily concentrated Monday – Friday, as the landfill proposal states there would be limited operations on Saturdays, and none on Sundays, not over a 7 day period.
I find the study flawed and terribly skewed, since it is comparing increased TRUCK traffic to ALL present traffic which includes all cars, SUV’s, vans, pickup trucks, etc. A much more accurate picture would be presented if we compare increased TRUCK to present TRUCK traffic. I have personally conducted traffic counts at my residence, approx. ¼ mile from the proposed landfill, and determined that approx. 24 trucks (6-wheels and above), travel by on the average day. Adding 200 trips would be 833% higher than the present 24. Given that additional trucks will be needed for construction and maintenance, and to haul cover material, an increase of over 1000% would be reasonable to expect.
My calculations focused only on Rt. 88 headed north to the proposed landfill. If there are an anticipated
100 trucks of garbage entering the landfill daily, this amounts to 200 trips, as they also return. I believe it is reasonable to assume that 2/3 of the trucks will come through the village, or roughly 132 trucks per 10 hours of operation. That would be, using rounded figures, 13 trucks per hour, or 1 truck every 5 minutes.
The proposed travel route will utilize the Rt. 88 bridge over the canal in the center of the Village, as well as the railroad bridge and Gananaqua Creek bridge at the north end. Are these bridges rated for that increase in traffic, especially as it will be large, heavy trash hauling trucks, not the normal village traffic? What will be the impact of having these trucks rumble past businesses, homes, and schools every 5 minutes from 7AM to 5 PM (stated hours of operation on the proposal website)? I personally, do not care for the idea of eating lunch at one of the local outdoor eateries if I must endure the noise and smell of a passing garbage truck every 5 minutes.
Given the structure of the intersection of routes 31 and 88, how will the additional truck traffic impact traffic flow through the intersection? How will this impact customer access to businesses at the route 31/88 intersection? How will this impact ambulances, fire trucks, and police vehicles traveling to and from emergency calls and the hospital? How will it impact school bus routes, particularly for Lincoln school?
What will be the impact of these heavy trucks be on the physical structure of the Village of Newark and Town of Arcadia roads? If they degrade from the constant heavy traffic, who pays to repair them or maintain them?
Please do not take all of the information being presented by Arcadia Hills and the Town of Arcadia as fact, as much of it is projections with no business model as basis. You need to listen and sift through the information carefully to determine the truth. In my opinion, they are blinded by Money and Power, and are ignoring the negative impacts on our health, safety, and way of life.
REFERENCES
Letter to the Editor
I am greatly concerned with the impact on local roads and traffic patterns created by the trucks which will be hauling the trash to the proposed Arcadia landfill, and returning.
The Arcadia Hills website, under the section "Impact/Mitigation “says, "A Traffic Study for the proposed facility has been completed using the 2008 New York State Department of Transportation traffic count study as baseline data for existing traffic. Based on an assumption of the facility accepting 100 truckloads of waste per day it has been calculated that local roads will experience minimal increases in overall traffic."
Is this study available for public review? Is the Town willing to verify these figures or have another study done? Why were 2008 study numbers used in the study when 2010 numbers are available on the DOT website? (The 2010 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Count for Rt. 88 exhibited a decrease of 130 vehicles per day; a decrease of 2.8 %.)
The AADT is an estimated number based on a 7 day week. A study using these figures would have to account for the fact that the increased traffic through the village would be primarily concentrated Monday – Friday, as the landfill proposal states there would be limited operations on Saturdays, and none on Sundays, not over a 7 day period.
I find the study flawed and terribly skewed, since it is comparing increased TRUCK traffic to ALL present traffic which includes all cars, SUV’s, vans, pickup trucks, etc. A much more accurate picture would be presented if we compare increased TRUCK to present TRUCK traffic. I have personally conducted traffic counts at my residence, approx. ¼ mile from the proposed landfill, and determined that approx. 24 trucks (6-wheels and above), travel by on the average day. Adding 200 trips would be 833% higher than the present 24. Given that additional trucks will be needed for construction and maintenance, and to haul cover material, an increase of over 1000% would be reasonable to expect.
My calculations focused only on Rt. 88 headed north to the proposed landfill. If there are an anticipated
100 trucks of garbage entering the landfill daily, this amounts to 200 trips, as they also return. I believe it is reasonable to assume that 2/3 of the trucks will come through the village, or roughly 132 trucks per 10 hours of operation. That would be, using rounded figures, 13 trucks per hour, or 1 truck every 5 minutes.
The proposed travel route will utilize the Rt. 88 bridge over the canal in the center of the Village, as well as the railroad bridge and Gananaqua Creek bridge at the north end. Are these bridges rated for that increase in traffic, especially as it will be large, heavy trash hauling trucks, not the normal village traffic? What will be the impact of having these trucks rumble past businesses, homes, and schools every 5 minutes from 7AM to 5 PM (stated hours of operation on the proposal website)? I personally, do not care for the idea of eating lunch at one of the local outdoor eateries if I must endure the noise and smell of a passing garbage truck every 5 minutes.
Given the structure of the intersection of routes 31 and 88, how will the additional truck traffic impact traffic flow through the intersection? How will this impact customer access to businesses at the route 31/88 intersection? How will this impact ambulances, fire trucks, and police vehicles traveling to and from emergency calls and the hospital? How will it impact school bus routes, particularly for Lincoln school?
What will be the impact of these heavy trucks be on the physical structure of the Village of Newark and Town of Arcadia roads? If they degrade from the constant heavy traffic, who pays to repair them or maintain them?
Please do not take all of the information being presented by Arcadia Hills and the Town of Arcadia as fact, as much of it is projections with no business model as basis. You need to listen and sift through the information carefully to determine the truth. In my opinion, they are blinded by Money and Power, and are ignoring the negative impacts on our health, safety, and way of life.
REFERENCES
- 2010 DOT Traffic Report Data: https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Data%20Report%202010.pdf
- 2008 DOT Traffic Report Data: https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/Traffic%20Data%20Report%202008.pdf
- DOT Website: https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/highway-data-services/traffic-data
- Arcadia Hills Solid Waste Management Facility proposal website: http://www.arcadiahills.net/home.htm
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