Village Board approves traffic changes

by Joshua Maloni

The Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees took action Monday to ease traffic congestion associated with Artpark's free "Tuesday in the Park" concert series.

From June 1 through Sept. 30, parking is banned after 3 p.m. Tuesdays on North Fourth Street, which is Artpark's main entrance road. Following the concerts, this portion of the street will be one way (headed north), with vehicles exiting left to River Road and right to the I-190 and Robert Moses Parkway.

Parking will be prohibited on the 200 block of Cayuga Street, the 100 block of South Third Street, Ridge Street, and the 200 block of North Sixth Street. Additionally, the parking of motor vehicles or motorcycles in the village will be restricted to one side of certain streets.

"We hope it will remedy the situation on Tuesday nights with regards to parking," Mayor Terry Collesano said. "Hopefully this will help the situation."

In past years, it's taken more than two hours on some Tuesday nights before all Artpark patrons have exited the village, according to the Lewiston Police Department.

The LPD will post signs and sandwich boards indicating which roads and/or road portions will be affected by the new law.

Collesano also announced the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation OK'd a new Seneca Street exit to the RMP (Tuesday nights only), allowing more cars the option of leaving Artpark via its upper plateau entrance.

A small stretch of grassland will have to be converted and connected to the RMP. Collesano said it would take about a week for the project to be complete, and expects work to begin within the next month.

"It just has to be coordinated between the village and town departments of public works," he said. "It should be done by the 15^th of June. Hopefully all will be in place (by then)."

News and Notes

•The Piper Law Office Welcome Center is set to receive a porch in the near future en route to the building's grand opening at noon on Monday, May 16. Trustees approved a 50 percent down payment ($1,050) to DHO Construction.

Deputy Mayor Bruce Sutherland and a team of volunteers have spent about 18 months renovating the historic building.

"It's looking pretty good," he said.