Rebuilding of Route 62 in Hamburg, NY

Route 62 in the Village of Hamburg, New York, was a typical state highway, with 12-foot travel lanes, 6 signalized intersections, about 20,000 cars a day and significant truck traffic. “It was noisy, ugly, and several of the signalized intersections had significant crash problems,” notes traffic engineer Michael Wallwork.

A remarkable transformation began in 2002 with a charrette led by Dan Burden of Walkable Communities. Wallwork, of Orange Park, Florida, was hired to redesign the roadway, which also had drainage problems.

The redesign includes four roundabouts that replace the traffic signals, midblock pedestrian crossings, more on-street parking, narrower travel lanes (measured by Burden at 9 feet), and 4-foot “safety lanes” between the travel lanes and the on-street parking. (The 4-foot lanes could not be called “bicycle lanes,” which have to be 6 feet wide). 

Burden notes that traffic flows better, yet the street has become a gathering spot for pedestrians and bicyclists, who share space with the now slower-moving traffic. “There is an abundance of new buildings, new activities,” Burden says. “The walk-up line at the ice cream store was 150 people deep.”

With regard to safety, Wallwork told New Urban News, “The police chief says there has been a huge reduction in crashes — about 70 percent — even mid-block crashes have gone down. He also says than the overall speeds are down and others are saying it is much quieter to eat outside.”

The reconstruction of 1.87 miles of road cost $23 million from federal, state, and local sources.