BY PAUL MITCHELL

North Country This Week

CANTON – In May, June or September, Canton residents will see things popping up along the Court Street corridor.

At Wednesday night’s (March 15) village board meeting, a Complete Street Committee report highlighted a Court Street Pop-Up project that will help identify key areas for improvement to enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and users of non-motorized vehicles.

Village Trustee Klaus Proemm said the project would feature temporary markers on Court Street between Judson and Power Streets including two new crosswalks on the north and south sides on Judson Street.

“We want to do it with maximum traffic,” stated Proemm. 

He stated county striping in that area will be done first before the temporary pop-up fixtures are put in place.

The pop-up project, endorsed by village leaders, will last 14 days.

“The Court Street Pop-Up Project is a chance for the community to see how roadway improvements identified by the Complete Streets Task Force would make for safer pedestrian, motorized vehicle, and non-motorized vehicle travel along a short but busy section of Court Street,” said Kara McLuckie, member of the Complete Streets Task Force. “One main concern Complete Streets wants to address is how the current on-street parking and proposed protected, non-motorized vehicle lanes might co-exist or not. Complete Streets is interested in garnering feedback from the community about the new traffic pattern the project would introduce. So, ongoing conversations with local stakeholders like residents on Court Street, Canton Police, St. Mary's Church, and St. Lawrence County are part of our communications plan.”

McLuckie said while not yet finalized, starting in early April, the Complete Streets Task Force would like to use community spaces like the Canton Free Library as a central point to distribute information about the pop-up project in advance of its implementation.

“Overall, the Complete Streets Task Force is interested in building a stronger presence in the Canton community and taking significant steps toward completing an intra-village pathway that will allow safer passage on foot or bicycle to Taylor Park and the Remington Recreational Trail,” she continued “A great example of what's already been done is the green-striped pathway on Miner Street Road extending from Clark Street to the bridge, and the community feedback has been positive.” 

In spring of 2022, Clarkson University C3G authored an engineering study of the feasibility for roadway improvements that would accommodate safer travel for pedestrians, bicycles, non-motorized vehicles, and small electric motorized vehicles (i.e., e-bikes and mobility scooters). As a follow-up to the design plan presented by C3G, the Complete Streets Task Force, as sanctioned by New York State law, and serving the Village and Town of Canton, recommends the Village Board of Trustees support the Court Street Bike Lane and Crosswalk Improvement Project by approving the pop-up project, the proposal reads.

Court Street is a key corridor for bike, pedestrian, and motorized vehicle traffic because it stands as part of a direct route from State Street to Main Street. School children and adults frequently travel Court Street by foot and by bike along with vehicles. Safer spaces for bikes and pedestrians to navigate Court Street in the midst of motorized vehicles is imperative for the travel safety of motorists and non-motorists, the proposal reads.

As a direct path through the Village, Court Street plays an integral role in an overall pathway plan to connect destinations within the Village that reach from Remington Recreational Trail on one end and to Taylor Park on the other.

Improved safety for bike and pedestrian travel along Court Street would also increase the frequency of these modes of transportation to businesses and recreational areas, which would have a positive effect on the physical wellness of our community.

St Lawrence County is scheduled this spring to paint yellow center-stripes and fog lines on Court Street. The Complete Streets Task Force asks that the county follow the Clarkson University C3G design for 9.5-foot-wide vehicle travel lanes, measured from the centerline, wherever possible. Once the fog lines are laid on the east and west sides of Court Street the pop-up bike lanes can be marked with temporary paint.

Five-foot-wide lanes painted on the east and west sides of Court Street extending from Judson Street to Powers Street. A hatched-stripe pattern would demarcate the area with the fog lines as the traffic-side boundary.