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There was talk in the recent past (12-18 months) of trying to create greenways alongside 347 to encourage bicycle traffic, etc, and making 347 more limited access with service roads. To me it sounded like the area in NJ around Rtes 4 & 17 which is a nightmare, too.
The plans 10 years ago were also labeled "greenways", but what it really was was a limited access highway like sunrise with more trees and bike paths. This is the idea that my environmental consultant aquaintance shot down immediately. "There's nothing green about it, it will simply encourage sprawl further out east."
That explains plenty.
Aint nothing but meatwagons tearing up Nicolls en route to SUSB Hospital all day long.
Thanks LIC.
You didn't know about opticom?
I am on Nicolls passing UHSB quite a bit during the day. I see ambulances about 20% of the time. A few times we've encountered the opticom in action at the 347/Nicolls intersection. While I feel badly for the person in the ambulance, it's a timesaver to have the light tripped in your favor.
As LIC noted, though, it stinks for those who aren't in that flow. (Been there, too.) You get a back up at the light from those who should have gone but couldn't because the light tripped, and then those who came along behind them in the normal course of traffic. It takes a few cycles before things are back to normal.
The plans 10 years ago were also labeled "greenways", but what it really was was a limited access highway like sunrise with more trees and bike paths. This is the idea that my environmental consultant aquaintance shot down immediately. "There's nothing green about it, it will simply encourage sprawl further out east."
It's being revisited. Probably will be shot down again, however we do have more sprawl out east, more traffic than 10 years ago, so who knows?
There was talk in the recent past (12-18 months) of trying to create greenways alongside 347 to encourage bicycle traffic, etc, and making 347 more limited access with service roads. To me it sounded like the area in NJ around Rtes 4 & 17 which is a nightmare, too.
Not so much of a nightmare anymore since they widened the roads and made it easier to negotiate lanes. The real nightmare is the Garden State Plaza off of Rt 4 and Paramus Park at Rt. 17.
A bit of research has revealed that your local fire departments and volunteer ambulance services use what is called an opticom system. An opticom system is located on the emergency lightbar of each of their emergency vehicles. Once activated, IE: an emergency response, those vehicles have priority over the roadways via a sensor mounted by each traffic light at every intersection usually at mid wire. The sensor is black and it appears that small tubes protrude from it. Once activated their light will turn green. THe sensors can pick up the signal from approximately 1/2 mile away.
Normally the lights reset once the vehicle has passed and all is fine.
Occasionally it can throw off a traffic light system that is timed to keep traffic at a steady flow. Indications that it is messed up can be situations like a light that won't change for several minutes or gets stuck. a person from the town will then have to respond with a key to the traffic box to manually fix the light.
Numerous emergency response vehicles can wreak havoc with the system such as vehicles that are coming from 2 or 3 directions although I think fire has priority over the ambulance signal.
There you go.
Ain't technology grand
This is great info. I didn't know this was used here either. I remember before my dad retired as a firefighter they were installing these up in Westchester county and the congestion literally exploded.
it really explains the nightmare near Stony Brook.
Not so much of a nightmare anymore since they widened the roads and made it easier to negotiate lanes. The real nightmare is the Garden State Plaza off of Rt 4 and Paramus Park at Rt. 17.
I was sitting in that disaster on my way home from upstate last November. We hit the area around 7 PM and 17 south into 4 was backed up several miles. We crept along more slowly than the pedestrians who walked to and from the Starbucks. In fact, my son hopped out, ordered drinks, used the facilities, and I had moved a whopping store's length in that time.
We flew threw heading north the day before around 10 PM.
347 around the holidays is a complete nightmare. Hopefully the powers that be do something to alleviate the congestion from PJS through Lake Grove.
Hopefully the powers that be do something to alleviate the congestion from PJS through Lake Grove.
HOW???? The only way would be to close off alot of the side streets access....I think its too late.
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