The Setting – New Scotland Ave. has four business districts: way out there (Whitehall-Krumkill – Stewarts, Russian gasoline), mid-town (Manning-West Lawrence – post office, bank, booze, RX, etc.) lower (Ontario-Quail – gas, bank, Stewarts, barber, booze), and lower-lower (Holland-Madison Ave. – banks, RX, eats, booze).
The first two will be addressed as part of the New Scotland Ave. Corridor Study. Lower-lower is in a state of constant flux because of the unending Albany Medical Center Hospital and residential building spree.
The Changes – The lower district (Ontario-Quail) is the “walkable neighborhood” section with several dining establishments, ice cream, banking, etc. It is currently being rebuilt to provide pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, space for patio tables for the restaurants, and notably an effort to rationalize the New Scotland Ave. – Quail St. intersection. There are now “bumpouts” on both sides of Quail. They may encourage people in cars to slow down (we hope) and to enter and leave New Scotland Ave. at a closer to a 90-degree angle. This is opposed to the swooping turns previously favored by the City of Albany’s street designers (e.g., Willet and Madison Ave., New Scotland Ave. and Krumkill, New Scotland Ave. and Buckingham/Lenox, New Scotland Ave. and Euclid, and, Lark St. and Madison Ave.).
The walk area curb-to-curb across Quail St. is now 61 feet. The visual width for people in cars coming south on Quail is somewhat less at around 45 ft due to the bumpouts. Back from the crossing, the street is about 32 ft wide with some parking and two motor vehicle travel lanes. Once the lane markings are in, we’ll have a better idea on the impact on people in cars, on busses, on foot, and on bicycles.
Photos:
- Bump out on east side of Quail
- Bump out on west side of Quail
- New intersection layout viewed from New Scotland Ave.
- New intersection from New Scotland Ave. – looks plenty wide and a little scary for people walking. Is it better?
- The sprint zone – 61 feet across.
- Looking west on New Scotland Ave. with new sidewalk configuration. Once parking is added, looks like bicycle lanes will be impossible.
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Albany Bicycle Coalition 