To the Editor:

I feel compelled to write this letter after another severe car vs. pedestrian accident occurred on Western Avenue and Crossgates Mall Road/Johnston Road in front of the Capital City Diner on Feb. 12 at approximately 8 p.m.

I have lived on Westmere Terrace for the last 22-and-a-half years and, as each year passes, the traffic has increased tremendously and so have the accidents. While there are plenty of car crashes at this intersection, it seems to me that the car vs. pedestrians are also increasing.

Besides the accident that just occurred, my neighbor was struck by an ambulance (not on a call) at this same intersection in September 2020. He was on his way home from his job that he walked to and from for 40 years as he does not drive.

He was very familiar with the traffic pattern in this area and knew to take extreme caution. This accident happened at 3 p.m. Even if the light changed while he was in the crosswalk (which is unknown) the ambulance driver should have been more observant and used caution while going into that intersection.

After spending eight days in an intensive-care unit, thankfully, he recovered, but not without emotional and physical scars. He will not walk that area anymore and could not continue in his job. He is now retired.

A few years prior to this, another neighbor was struck by a vehicle in front of Price Chopper at approximately 5 a.m. She was also severely injured, but thankfully, after many weeks of hospitalization and months of rehabilitation, she recovered.

One of these accidents made the news, the other two did not.

With all the proposed development in this area, car vs. pedestrian accidents are going to become more frequent along with car accidents. When will the town of Guilderland and the state’s Department of Transportation start doing something about this?

Telling us that their traffic studies show only 16 cars accessing Western Avenue from the proposed 312 apartments of the Rapp Road complex at Site 1 and that the traffic that Costco will bring in won’t add much more traffic to Western Avenue is utterly ridiculous!

Now there is a proposal for a 24-unit apartment project to be built next to the hotel that will add an allotment for 64 cars and more traffic to the mix. Site 3 of the Rapp Road project has yet to be officially put forward, but it is suggested as 48 more apartments plus retail and office establishments. Obviously, this will also generate more traffic.

Anyone who lives in the town of Guilderland knows that Western Avenue/Route 20 is a dangerous road. How much more traffic will be crammed down our throats? Do people have to die before something actually gets done about this? Something has got to be done and it needs to be addressed now.  

Lisa Hart

Westmere

Editor's note: Lisa Hart is one of the Westmere residents who sued to stop Pyramid from building a massive apartment complex and Costco Wholesale store near their homes. An appeals court last year overturned the lower court’s ruling so the projects can proceed.