Game Farm Road crossing plan moves along

The town of Dryden’s efforts to put a crosswalk on Game Farm Road continues to move along, said Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Lamb last week.

Town officials are putting together a plan to implement a crosswalk on the road that will connect a section of the Dryden Rail Trail with the East Ithaca Recreation Way.

Last fall, the town opened a new section of the Rail Trail in an effort to make the dream of connecting the trails a reality (tinyurl.com/23zn7as5). The section stretches 1,800 feet and is attached to the 11-mile Rail Trail.

“We are one road crossing away from having 3 miles of this trail open,” said Todd Bittner, a member of the Rail Trail Task Force and director of natural areas for Cornell Botanic Gardens, last year, referencing the trail stretch between Route 13 and the East Ithaca Recreation Way.

Now, the crosswalk is at arm’s length for the town.

Lamb noted the town recently received an offer from the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to reduce the speed limit to 45 mph on Game Farm Road.

“It’s unlisted, so people can go 55, which is too fast on that road,” Lamb added. “[DOT] said the road is appropriate for speed reduction.”

Lamb mentioned that along with the speed reduction, additional mitigations could include rumble strips, a yellow advisory speed limit at 35 mph and rectangular flashing beacons (a user-activated crossing light).

“Thirty-five is what we need to get the stopping distance right,” Lamb noted.

Game Farm Road sees the most traffic when drivers use it to get to Cornell University, Lamb said.

“It’s busier during the school year,” he added. “Overall, the road hasn’t seen cars stacked up on either side of the road.”

Game Farm Road is also slated to be resurfaced next year, said Lamb, adding that the “vertical rise in the road” will be removed.

“[Game Farm Road] will become even safer next year,” he noted.

The town’s consultant on the project, Barton & Loguidice, is in line to send a revised plan to the Tompkins County Highway Department, with the towns of Dryden and Ithaca getting a copy of the plan as well.

With the speed reduction, additional mitigations and the state DOT on the town’s side, Lamb believes it is enough to convince the county Highway Department to approve the plan. He added the department’s potential approval of the plan is the last piece to implement the crosswalk.

“With all these mitigations, we can achieve a safe crossing there,” said Lamb, who added the department could approve the plan in the next week or so. “It’s a pressing matter. We need the county to be comfortable with it because it’s their road. They need to analyze this as their due diligence.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.

In brief:

‘Yoga & Yarn’ in the village begins Thursday

A “Yoga & Yarn” gathering begins Thursday at Montgomery Park in the village of Dryden.

The free gathering will start with yoga from 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by knitting and crocheting items from 6 to 7 p.m.

This special weekly event will take place every Thursday on the following dates: June 30, July 7, 21 and 28 and Aug. 4 and 11.

The yoga portion of the gathering will be a “gentle yoga practice,” as stated in a flyer. Those with any or no experience in yoga are welcome to join.

The knitted and crocheted items will be donated to Knitting4Peace, an organization “that supports refugees and other vulnerable populations with handmade comfort items, such as blankets, hats and mittens,” according to the flyer.

Those who have experience in knitting and crocheting, along with those who are looking to learn, are welcome to join.

Folks can participate in either yoga, yarn or both portions of the gathering. A yoga mat or towel, yarn and hooks and needles are recommended for the gathering, but organizers will have items on hand to borrow.

For more information, contact Alyse at knitting4peacedryden@gmail.com. To register for the event, go to drydenrec.recdesk.com.

Village of Freeville to hold public hearing on draft revision

The Village of Freeville Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on a revised draft of Article 3 on land use regulations of the village’s land use and development code at its July 5 meeting.

The hearing will begin at 7:15 p.m., with the meeting itself starting at 7:30 p.m.

Copies of the revised draft of Article 3 are available at freevilleny.org or at the Village Hall on 5 Factory St. The office is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 to 11 a.m.