MCKOWNVILLE — The McKownville Improvement Association has begun a letter-writing campaign, opposing a possible Thruway flyover.

The association has fiercely opposed a flyover through its community. The New York State Thruway Authority originally proposed the McKownville flyover, one of four plans narrowed down from 15, to link the Thruway and the Northway to alleviate ever-increasing traffic problems. The flyover would be only for E-Z Pass customers, according to the Thruway’s proposal.

The flyover design is not a part of the Capital Plan, according to Thruway Authority spokesperson, Sarah Kampf. The Capital Plan is the overriding transportation improvement program for the state Thruway system.
"We don’t even know if it’s a concept that’s going to be considered at this time," said Kampf, who continued, saying, a barrier-system study will be completed at the end of the year.
The barrier proposal would essentially eliminate the Exit 24 tolls by having "roundtrip tolls" collected at other nearby exits. In order to cut down on waits at tollbooths, other similar alternatives include allowing northbound traffic on the Thruway go directly onto the Northway.

Volmer Associates, an engineering firm contracted by the Thruway Authority, is conducting a study to improve the exit 23 and 24 interchange and will release a final impact statement later this year. After the study is released, Kampf told The Enterprise, a hearing will be held for public comment.

The Thruway Authority has been contacted by members of McKownville’s association, says Kampf.

The association’s president, Don Reeb, created a model letter which residents can send to the governor’s office or the Thruway Authority.
"It is true that Exit 24 needs to be de-congested. It is also true that there are far too many accidents at and near Exit 24," Reeb wrote in the model letter. "But a Western Avenue flyover is not needed to address this problem — the Albany Corridor Study identified other viable alternatives."

The McKownville association was formed in 1924, long before the Thruway or Northway were built.

Reeb contends that the flyover would negatively impact Stuyvesant Plaza’s commercial buildings and the homes in McKownville with increased noise and falling dirt.

Reeb told The Enterprise this week that alternatives like the barrier proposal are much more practical than constructing an "ugly and noisy" flyover across Western Avenue. Continuing, Reeb said that the Thruway is not only used for people traveling back and fourth to New York City, but that much of the traffic between exits 23 and 24 is from local commuters.
"With the flyover, you only save some confusion for E-Z Pass customers," Reeb said, calling it a "highway-in-the-sky kind of thing."

E-Z Pass is a system where drivers buy tags and place them in their cars to register Thruway use, billed later, rather than having to stop and pay tolls.
When asked if the Thruway Authority was listening to the association’s concerns and working to find the best solutions for traffic congestion, Reeb responded, "yes," stating the association has met with Thruway officials several times about the matter.

Reeb said the McKownville Improvement Association has received the support of many local and state officials in its opposition of the Western Avenue Flyover. Among them, said Reeb, are state Senator Neil Breslin, Assemblyman John McEneny, Guilderland Supervisor Kenneth Runion, all of Guilderland’s town board members, and many county legislators.
"They’ve been very proactive on these issues. It means a lot to their quality of life," said Runion about the association. "[The flyover] will significantly impact the McKownville neighborhood if it is constructed."

Runion told The Enterprise that he has been in contact with the state’s Department of Transportation about the flyover’s opposition, saying, "I don’t think it’s needed."

The Thruway Authority is planning to add an extra lane between exits 23 and 24, and is expected to come out with a decision on the flyover by the first of the year, according to Reeb.

Reeb said he does not believe the flyover will be constructed.