PRESS RELEASE
March 6, 2008

Legislators Renew Request for State Rt. 43 Safety Work

Rensselaer County Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote are renewing their request for the state Department of Transportation to make safety improvements on a section of State Route 43 in the West Stephentown area of Stephentown.

The new request follows two serious accidents last month, including an accident in which an out of control car collided with a Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department patrol car and a subsequent accident in which a car rolled over.

Ironically, the two serious accidents in February came just days after state DOT sent a letter to Brownell and Goodermote that no additional safety work was needed on the section of State Route 43. While residents and motorists who regularly travel the road say they believe a change in the road surface has created safety problems, state DOT said the road surface is “adequate”.

“There were two serious accidents last month and other minor incidents over the past several weeks. The problem does not seem to be going away and we are concerned there will eventually be a tragedy on the road,” said Brownell.

“We are still hearing from residents who say the road is often unsafe especially during the winter months. They tell us that accidents are regular occurrence and that they are concerned about their safety,” said Goodermote.

Legislator Martin Reid, who represents Nassau in the County Legislature, said residents have spoken to him regarding problems on the state road in recent months.

“This is a busy road and the frequency of accidents is a real concern. We urge the state to reconsider their decision and take a close look at what is happening here,” said Reid.

Nassau Supervisor David Fleming lives just off State Route 43 near the Stephentown border and has considerable first-hand knowledge of the problems on the state highway.

“There are a significant number of accidents occurring on this portion of Route 43 that are going unreported. I live near this section of dangerous road so I see the ambulances and fire trucks traveling to the scene of these repeated accidents. It is vital that DOT act to correct this obvious problem before someone is killed,” said Fleming.

Brownell, Goodermote and Reid said they will introduce a resolution at the April legislative meeting to renew the request for the state DOT to make safety improvements on State Route 43 in the West Stephentown area of Stephentown.

 Support Freedom - Support Our Troops

Back