Well, WEST of the Trapps Bridge has not seen any roadside parking in years. Using an accident there to assess the effect of the scenic pullout parking is just ridiculous. One might just as easily conclude that the porta-potties under the bridge were to blame.

Mike, no one connected the parking situation to the accident. The accident wasn't mentioned at the town board meeting except in private conversation.

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But sadly, there was a very serious head on collision yesterday morning, at about 8:30, on 44/55 just west of the Trapps Bridge, pretty much in the heart of what all of us consider to be hallowed ground. I don't have any details other than it was very bad.

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When leaving home one Sunday eve about 2 months ago I came across a head on where 44/55 crosses the coxing kill (about a mile west of the West Trapps) All I can say is I never what to see that again in life. That road going over the ridge is inherently bad on its own design. Whether the parking is 30 minutes (enforced) or long term would make no difference in that regard. No parking and no pull offs might make is slightly safer, but I don’t think that’s the way to go.

Kent,
Thanks for taking the time to post on the discussion at the board meeting... it will be interesting to see if they begin ticketing the violators again. It's been atleast 3 or 4 years since the last crack-down on the parking situation...

I guess we'll all have to get up and going a bit earlier to beat the "Leafers" to the legal parking!

"Hopefully they won't start towing... the overlook is a bit tight to try and get a tow started without smashing several other cars..."

hahahaha, tow truck drivers don't care about dings! Once saw a Philly parking Authority towing a pickup at 5th and Walnut Sts. Tow truck couldn't navigate the turn and hooked the pickup on a pole, it left a nice gash. Reasonable care is tough to prove in court. I hope they start towing, it should be entertaining to watch.

So sad about a bad accident in that section of road. I can tell you that I sometimes shudder, driving toward the bridge after getting out of the Trapps lot at how fast some people cruise that section, even in foggy conditions. Knowing there could be people walking accross the street under the bridge, I just don't understand how people can be so unthinking.

When I am walking with my dog from Slime to the Nears, I fear for his safety too. People go SO fast there. Both ways. With curves in the road, and people not staying on their side of the lines, it's easy to see how head ons occur.

I've commuted on that stretch of road for several years, I'm going to guess that the accident (and many, many close calls that I've witnessed) had something to do with the one and only passing zone that is located right in front of the West Trapps lot. It's a relatively short passing zone, but the only one for the next 5 miles or so through very hill terrain. Get stuck behind a truck hauling a load here (doing 30mph in a 55mph zone), and you can tack 10 - 20 minutes onto your commute, depending on where you're headed. I drove this route from 1999 to 2003. I think the volume of traffic in this area has increased considerably since then, maybe by a factor of two. Much of the traffic is now large heavy trucks delivering material for the building boom that has occurred in the towns of Rochester and Marbletown.

I'm afraid we'll see more of these accidents as the density builds. The highway department should really look into adding some additional lanes to some portions of 44/55.

Speaking of parking - last Saturday we saw 8-10 cars PARALLEL PARKED ON 44/55 between the steel bridge and the overlook. That's just plain stupid and dangerous. I was astounded, frankly.

That's the insidious nature of the blatant overlook parking violations. People get the idea that if no one is enforcing those, why not park wherever you feel like?