19- Left Turn Lane not Right

A memo from the Ulster County Planning Board came to the Woodstock Planning Board on December 14, 2009. The memo stated that the UCPB has reviewed the application for RUPCO's project, and has the following concerns about the intersection of Route 212 and Playhouse Lane:

Access from NYS Route 212

The UCPB has concerns with respect to left-hand turning movement onto Playhouse Lane from NYS Route 212.

Advisory Comment

The applicant should coordinate with NYSDOT to determine whether the increased intensity of use off Playhouse Lane would require a left-hand turning lane.

Earlier this evening, this being Thursday, December 17, 2009, a representative from RUPCO explained this memo. He said that the county planning board probably had not read the traffic study done for RUPCO (remember the traffic study that ignored the 67 cars per hour that entered and left the parking lot across from Playhouse Lane on Route 212.) He said further that he asked the State Department of Transportation to look at this traffic study, and it seemed that he was confident that when the DOT looked at the study, it would see the minimal traffic and absence of need for a left hand turn lane. All in all, this person representing RUPCO seemed confident that when the State DOT sees the traffic study, the concern will be allayed.

Not by a longlonglongshot. There are three main problems with this whole picture.

The first problem is with RUPCO's picture. In RUPCO's view, there is no need for a left turn lane, since there is very little traffic at the intersection of Route 212 and Playhouse Lane. The problem here is that the traffic study in question does not represent reality, so it should be thrown out altogether and redone. The State DOT certainly will get wind of the problems in the study that they have been asked to rely on. : - )

The second problem with this whole picture is that even if the project produces enough additional traffic traveling in and out of Playhouse to warrant a dedicated left turn lane only on eastbound Route 212, where would such a lane be located? It would be located where the current through lane is now. This means that the new through lane would be to the south, or, IN the parking lot at Playhouse Plaza. What does THAT mean? THAT means that the State would have to claim its right of way and destroy the parking lot in front of all of the stores in Playhouse Plaza. It would mean that there would be nowhere for customers to park. The lane would also have to start, safely, before the stream to the west of Playhouse Lane, which means the widening of a bridge. It would also probably mean protest by the businesses IN Playhouse Plaza, who might contest that the state even has the proper right to develop its 50 foot (25 foot from the mid line) right of way by digging and building for an additional road, which would be dangerously close to buildings on private property. The whole thing would probably end up in court, a battle over eminent domain. It could take years, and it wouldn't even matter, because...

The third, and bestest problem with this whole picture is that a left turn lane on eastbound Route 212 at Playhouse Lane would solve nothing, since MOST of the traffic at that intersection drives into and out of the parking lot at Playhouse Plaza, not into and out of Playhouse Lane. Very few cars would use the turn lane, even if the whole road shifted laterally to the north and used some of the playhouse's land and there was enough room for cars to park in front of Playhouse Plaza. Even then, the fast lane, meaning the lane from which nobody could turn left, would be the very lane that the parked cars would back into in order to leave the parking lot. Seriously. What a confused mess. And the traffic problem is bad too...