To the Editor:

Ms. [Christine] Duffy’s letter to editor comment, stating how could the town, consultants, and Comprehensive Plan Update Committee omit any reference to including persons with disabilities is factually incorrect [“No mention of the needs of disabled in comprehensive plan,” The Altamont Enterprise, Oct. 10, 2024]. 

Ms. Duffy’s comment, asking how can the Comprehensive Plan Update Committee and consultants be allowed to be so blatantly discriminatory by making no mention of needs and inclusion of disabled in the comprehensive plan is also factually incorrect.

The references below relate to where you can find accessibility comments and recommendations in the draft comprehensive plan.

Public Engagement Section:

— Page 17: increased accessibility during the comprehensive plan update process by livestreaming CPUC meetings;

— Page 20: challenges/opportunities section discussing the need for expanded services and accessibility infrastructure; and

— Page 99: public restroom installation at Fred Abele Park to increase accessibility.

Chapter 6 — Parks, Recreation, Open Space and History:

— Recommendation E-5: related to development of multi-use trails as this type of trail offers increased accessibility;

— Recommendation E-11: related to increasing accessibility in public spaces; and

— Recommendation E-12: strengthen accessibility to historic sites.

Transportation and Mobility Section:

— Recommendation F-2: Develop a Complete Streets Policy for Guilderland in recognition of the community’s desire for a broad range of transportation options.

Complete Streets policies are tools that municipalities can utilize to “encourage a safe, comfortable, integrated transportation network for all users, regardless of age, ability, income, ethnicity, or mode of transportation.”

Other Capital District communities have adopted Complete Streets policies in recent years, signaling a paradigm shift in how the available space within designated rights-of-way is allocated to various travel modes.

There has also been a growing desire to coordinate with NYSDOT [New York State Department of Transportation] to implement Complete Streets policies for state roads within the town, which would ensure a safer and more accessible transportation network across key corridors.

The addition of suitably engineered sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and safety infrastructure in strategic locations can assist in enhancing public health and wellness and can facilitate greater mobility for those without access to a personal vehicle.

I appreciate Ms. Duffy’s passion and advocacy for the disabled, but her comments and concerns do not reflect the fact that the town, consultants, and Comprehensive Plan Update Committee have acknowledged and incorporated recommendations to further increase accessibility.

Kenneth Kovalchik, AICP

Town Planner

Guilderland