By EMILIA TEASDALE
KINDERHOOK—The Village of Kinderhook Board voted 4 to 1 in favor of sending preliminary plans for the Albany Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement project to the state to review at a special meeting on January 23.
At the meeting the board reviewed two proposals for the roadway, one for a 13’ shared lane for cars and bikes and another for 10’ lane with a 4’ shoulder. After hearing several comments from residents about the plans, the board voted to send “the 13’ lane solution,” which also includes parking lanes and the sidewalk, to the state for review with the mayor and three board members voting yes and one board member abstaining.
In 2022, the governor announced that the village had received an $1.8-million grant “for projects that promote environmentally friendly modes of travel and make it easier and safer to walk, bike or hike,” according to a press release. That grant money led to this plan to make pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Albany Avenue. The grant funding would provide up to 80% of total project costs and the village would have to pay the remaining 20%.
At a special meeting after the announcement in June of 2022, Mayor Michael Abrams said that the plans for the street would be a “collaborative effort” with the engineering firm HVEA Engineers and the residents of Albany Avenue. At the time, he said the project would improve the sidewalks, road and drainage. And he said that the village will replace the 100-year-old water main under the road before the sidewalk project gets started. He said that the water main replacement was not included in this grant but that there are other grants the village could look into and there are federal Covid relief funds that could be used. Replacing the water main in that part of the village has been discussed by the board for years.
A year after the grant was awarded in July of 2023, the board amended a 2021 bond resolution “authorizing improvements to the water system in the village; estimating the aggregate cost thereof to be $1,954,500.” Part of the resolution says that the board has “determined that it is necessary” to replace about 2,700’ of water main pipes from Williams Street to Albany Avenue, and to replace the village’s water meters. The resolution also says that the board is looking to apply for grants for the project.
The project discussed at the meeting on January 23 was just about the Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement not the water line repairs. Several Albany Avenue residents came out to voice their concern with having a 13’ lane, saying that it might lead to increases in speeding and impact the safety on the street. They also worried about trees being removed for the project. And some pointed out the historic nature of the street.
Residents worried that the plan was “suburbanizing” the area. Alexandra Anderson, a resident and vice president of the Columbia County Historical Society, told the board that it “seems pretty clear people want narrow roads.”
“The street does not need to be altered dramatically,” said another resident, Billy Murphy.
Some residents expressed support for the plan to have a wider lane for bicycles and cars. Albany Avenue resident Tina Lang pointed out that “there are so many issues” with the street, including drainage, and that the village had hosted many meetings about the plans and that many alternatives had been looked at.
According to the motion passed about the project, the board and residents were kept informed as to the status of the preliminary design “since August 24, 2023” at four special public meetings and they held five workshop meetings with residents “dedicated to their specific concerns,” Ms. Lang said.
At this special meeting, board member Mark Browne, who chaired the meeting, told residents that the board had “listened to you for many, many months.” He supported the 13’ lane, as did Mayor Abrams, who, in a long, researched statement, pointed out that there is no conclusive data on wider roads and speeding. Mayor Abrams had information from other villages, including the Village of Chatham on the roads’ width. He also pointed out the board is planning to pass a motion, after a public hearing, on lowering the speed limit on Albany Avenue to 25 mph from 30 mph.
Board members Susan Patterson and Dorene Weir both voted yes. Trustee Weir said she met with representatives from the farming community, which use the road often, and first responders and they said the 13’ option was better from a safety standpoint.
Trustee Quinn Murphy was the abstaining vote, saying that “a wider road encourages people subconsciously to speed.”
There are images and information about the project on the village website at www.villageofkinderhook.org/albanybike.html
