When Tracy Dailey put orange cones up along Maple Avenue to slow down Little League traffic, he instantly became a hero to his neighbors.
But it’s not a long-term solution, Mr. Dailey told the Middleburgh Village Board Monday, asking for a lower speed limit and better signage.
Little League families use Maple Avenue to get to their fields 3-4 nights a week, he said, and with no posted speed limit and no sidewalks, it’s a dangerous place.
The speed limit for village streets—including Main Street—is 30mph; legally, Mayor Tim Knight said, the lowest they can drop it anywhere is 25mph.
“Thirty on Maple Avenue is too fast,” Mr. Dailey said.
“I went to Little League three different times last year, asking them to tell people to slow down. I know they did, but it fell on deaf ears.
“I got to the point where I parked my vehicle in the road to slow them down. Then I put orange cones out there and everybody on the street loved me.”
The Village Board agreed to have Superintendent of Public Works Cole Keyser order the 25mph signs, but was unsure whether there needs to be a public hearing before lowering the speed limit.
There was also the discussion of adding “Children at Play” signs, lowering the game day speed limit like Cobleskill Little League does on South Grand Street, or even installing temporary speed bumps.
In Main Street safety issues, trustees again expressed their frustration with crosswalk warning lights they’ve been promised near the Elementary School.
Mayor Knight said he and Mr. Keyser met with MCS administrators, who he said were under the impression they were responsible for engineering studies and architectural reports, when all they have to do is buy the lights.
The village will install them, he said, and DOT will maintain them—an agreement, Mayor Knight said, that “was spelled out pretty clearly.
“It’s kind of disheartening that they haven’t even begun the process of getting quotes,” he said, adding administrators didn’t “take it seriously” until it was reported in the newspapers.
“We get a lot of words,” said Trustee Bob Tinker, “but very little action.”
Even now, Mr. Keyser said, he doesn’t foresee having the lights until fall.
Finally, after hearing from Bill Morton about his work to establish a Route 30 Scenic Byway, trustees voted to support the concept and named two members to a Scenic Byway Committee: Trustee Kevin Young, their representative to the Planning Board, and Mr. Morton.