The Village of Potsdam, in partnership with the Town, is beginning work on a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to identify opportunities to improve safety and accessibility to destinations within, to, and from Potsdam.
The Safety Action Plan is being developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program. The plan will examine crash data, traffic patterns, and other information to identify safety concerns, understand contributing factors, and develop practical strategies and projects to address them.
Data can only tell part of the story. Everyday users of the community’s streets, sidewalks and roadways know where problem areas are. As part of the community engagement process, Potsdam residents and visitors are invited to identify locations in the Town and Village where they feel unsafe getting around, or where improvements may be needed. An interactive online map allows community members to mark locations and share information about their experiences.
Residents can use the map to identify concerns such as:
- Dangerous intersections or crossings
- Locations where drivers frequently speed
- Difficult or uncomfortable places to walk, bicycle or get around with a wheelchair/stroller, etc.
- Missing, damaged, or difficult-to-use sidewalks
- Crosswalks or pedestrian crossings that feel unsafe or are inaccessible for some users
- Poor visibility or confusing traffic patterns
- Locations with inadequate lighting
- Places where vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists frequently conflict
- Considerations for horse-drawn carriages for local Amish residents
- Other transportation safety concerns
Visit the online map and tell us where you see safety problems at https://engagestantec.com/potsdam-sap.
“Some of the most valuable information we can get will come from people who use these streets and sidewalks every day,” said Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke. “We want to know where people feel comfortable, where they don’t, and how they think we can make getting around our community safer and more accessible for everyone.”
The online map is one component of a broader public engagement process that will help shape the Safety Action Plan. Additional engagement will include a community fair, a pop-up traffic garden, and personal interviews.
The completed plan will provide the Village and Town with a framework for improving transportation safety, and position both municipalities to pursue future funding for projects identified through the planning process.
Everyone who lives, works, studies, visits or travels through Potsdam is encouraged to participate.
To learn more about the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan or contribute to the community safety map, visit the Village’s SS4A webpage at https://villageofpotsdamny.gov/ss4a/.
Contact: Aviva Gold
Project Manager, Village of Potsdam
agold@villageofpotsdamny.gov
315-265-1670