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New turning lane sought on Packard Road

by jmaloni
Fri, May 30th 2014 08:35 pm

by Susan Mikula Campbell

The intersection of Military Road and Packard Road in the Town of Niagara can be a driver's nightmare.

Town Councilman Marc Carpenter has suggested a new right-hand turning lane on Packard Road next to the CarQuest parking lot. The Town Board last week agreed to ask Niagara County and the state Department of Transportation to do a traffic flow study to see if the new lane would help the flow of traffic heading west on Packard and turning north on Military.

"I really hope the DOT takes this very seriously," said Councilman Danny Sklarski. "To say it's a bottleneck would be an understatement."

Carpenter said the traffic problem seems particularly bad between 3 and 5 p.m. when traffic turning left from the light at Porter Road near the Jetport Restaurant often gets stuck in the intersection because of the short distance between that light and the light at Military Road. The current right lane at the Military Road light is used both by traffic turning right and those continuing straight through the Military Road intersection. People going straight try to be in that lane in order to travel the short distance to the light past the gas station where Porter Road picks up again on the right leading to the thruway entrance and businesses such as Sam's Club.

Carpenter believes his proposal for an additional right hand turn only lane, possibly using some of the property from the CarQuest parking lot, will help the congestion.

"It sounds kind of insignificant, but you (people turning right onto Military) won't get stuck behind that one person in the right lane who wants to go straight," he said.

In other matters last week:

The board approved resolutions to declare deteriorating buildings at 3039 St. Paul St., and 3212 Rhode Island Ave., public nuisances and to take action to demolish them.

The board agreed to summer hours of 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for water/sewer/highway garage employees, beginning June 1.

The board approved the town's Fourth of July week fireworks display for June 30 from Premier Pyrotechnics, not to exceed $10,000.

Town residents Ross Johnson, Kristi Pilato and David Bargar were added to the Niagara Active Hose Fire Co. membership.

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