Residents petition officials to
halt West Ridge Road construction plan

More than 10,000 signatures were collected and presented to Town of Greece officials at a recent meeting urging them to halt reconstruction of West Ridge Road. The citizen’s group, Change West Ridge Road Plan (CWRRP), has been opposed to the Department of Transportation’s plans for the five-mile section of road that runs between Dewey Avenue in the City of Rochester and North Greece Road in the Town of Greece.

"This is the Taj Mahal of road projects," CWRRP member John Rynne said. "The high cost of taxes will have a devastating effect on the economy and the taxpayers."

Rynne and his group also say the median that is proposed to be installed as part of the reconstruction project will be a detriment to business owners, an impediment for residents and will cause more rear-end car accidents. "We’ve talked to consultants who specialize in real estate and they said raised medians hurt sales because of the lack of accessibility to businesses … the medians are proven, over time to hurt businesses," Rynne said.

As part of the proposed $50 million reconstruction project, a raised permanent median will be constructed for most of the roadway, Rynne said. Some lanes and roadway will be increased and general infrastructure will be replaced.

CWRRP has requested the Greece Town Board pass a resolution against the present reconstruction plan. The group wants the board to consider eliminating the median, reduce the super-adequacy and expense of the project and use the savings to reduce taxes and to reduce the five-year construction disruption to merchants, service providers, customers and the general public who use West Ridge Road.

Kathryn Firkins, director of constituent services for the Town of Greece said the project has been a long time in the making. "The DOT has worked with the town during the course of the planning stages," she said. "The public has been given a great deal of opportunity to comment on the plan and the board and the DOT have listened to concerns that have been raised."

Firkins said the board received the petition presented by Rynne and his group but town officials didn’t pass a resolution addressing their concerns. "The project is needed to address safety concerns, the road is in poor shape and the project will address repaving, water, electric and drainage issues," she said.

The project will address safety and accessibility and Firkins said the Greece Town Board supports the project from a safety standpoint.

"This is a grassroots campaign to stop this project," Rynne said. "The project just isn’t warranted and five years is far too long for any construction project to drag on."

Rynne said he and his group and the more than 10,000 people who signed the petition will become a voting block to show support for qualified candidates that actively support the change in the construction.