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More about NESTS

Folks interested in traffic and the vitality of downtown should be aware of the Northeast Subarea Transportation Study (NESTS; see the related article, above). The study is being sponsored by the NYS Department of Transportation, Tompkins County, the Towns of Ithaca and Dryden, the Villages of Lansing and Cayuga Heights, and Cornell University (note that the City of Ithaca is not on the list). The purpose is to determine the transportation future of the area immediately east of Ithaca, approximately from Slaterville Road to Peruville Road and from Pine Tree, Judd Falls, and Triphammer Roads to Sheldon, Pinckney, and Midline Roads.

 Although this study grew directly from calls for a new highway around the east side of Ithaca, sponsors say there is no commitment yet to any solution to the area’s current and projected transportation problems. As such, this current study could be either a chance to defuse or to
 facilitate such a project.

 It could also be a chance to approach transportation (and thereby land uses and the
 local economy) in a way that creates less car- dependence, pollution, urban decay, and the like, and thereby creates more healthy living opportunities and a sense of community.

 The study’s sponsors have committed to being multi-modal by supporting buses, bikes, and pedestrians—and not just motorized traffic. And they have impaneled a citizens’ committee to take input from the public and professionals, and to make official recommendations. Contact the Tompkins County Planning Department to learn about the monthly working meetings and the public-information meetings.

 You may send any comments or information to Dana Paul at: dpaul66@aol.com (533-7312) or to Lois Chaplin at: lec4@cornell.edu (255-2498 days and 844-3935 eves). Both Dana and Lois are members of the study group and active bicyclists.

Whatever is decided will change the entire area’s transportation patterns. It will be a reaction to past land uses, many of which sprang from the development of the Route 13 corridor from downtown Ithaca to Warren Road. (For example, consider that the Village of Lansing didn’t exist before Pyramid Mall was built, and the mall didn’t exist before Route 13 went through.) This study’s findings will affect future land use and the local economy, including areas outside the study area, most notably downtown Ithaca. Get involved!

 Dave Nutter