BFJ Planning was retained by the Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC) to develop a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the portion of the Route 9W from the Hamlet of Marlboro north to Blue Point Road in the Town of Lloyd. The purpose of the CMP is to develop short and long-range recommendations to improve vehicular and non-vehicular access, safety and mobility along the Route 9W corridor. The plan contains an examination of existing conditions, a corridor safety assessment, and an evaluation of future impacts of development proposals and land use policies. The concluding recommendations and implementation plan outline actions to be taken to improve corridor access, operations, safety, and aesthetics and mitigate future impacts. The plan addresses all modes, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit.

One of the key issues that emerged from the public engagement process, from the safety audit, and from the consultant team’s assessment is the inconsistent character and configuration of Route 9W and the speeding issues created by a two mile four-lane section within the six mile corridor. BFJ developed a conceptual Lane Reconfiguration Plan to create a consistent and standard design along Route 9W that would reduce operating speeds without causing a significant impact to total travel times. The lane reconfiguration plan included detailed drawings and a level of service analysis designed to provide NYSDOT the information it needed to move forward with these plans during the corridor’s next scheduled repaving. 

To optimize the safety and efficiency along the Route 9W corridor, BFJ developed a detailed Access Management Plan. The plan aims to give local planning boards guidance in addressing the growing number of driveways and street con-nections along Route 9W that add conflict points, impede the fluidity of the highway, and have a negative impact on the visual quality of the corridor.