Elmira Promenade Project
The City of Elmira is working with the Elmira-Chemung Transportation Council to develop plans for a multi-use vehicular and pedestrian corridor. The location of the project is under and directly adjacent to the Norfolk Southern Railway viaduct extending from Water Street north to Second Street.
See the difference the Elmira Promenade will make in Downtown Elmira by hovering over each of the "before" pictures above to see an artist's rendering of the result after the project.
The main objectives of this project are to transform the viaduct into an attractive and unified welcoming corridor through the City of Elmira, improve pedestrian infrastructure in the urban core the downtown district, and improve facilities for both pedestrian and vehicular access
The Elmira Promenade will incorporate functional space and amenities. There will be space for artwork from local schools, displays from local museums, and other attractive features created by local organizations.
Funding is anticipated to come from a wide variety of sources. The largest share of the $2,000,000 project will come from Federal Enhancement Funding. A design team was selected by a community panel in November of 2005, with the final design to be complete in 2008. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2009 and should last for a year.
Traffic Signal Project The traffic signal project will upgrade all of the City's signal system in a 4-Corridor process. The goal of the project is to improve safety, provide synchronization of key signals, and increase the overall efficiency of the system. Both energy and time savings should be realized as a result of the project. Phases 1 and 2 of Corridor 1 will upgrade signals, poles, and controllers at 32 intersections in the downtown Elmira area. Fisher Associates has been collecting data and has also completed the framework for the Synchro model of the City of Elmira. Data for intersections in phases 1 and 2 have been input into the model. The model will be used to analyze traffic patterns and to optimize traffic signal timings. Phase 1 of Corridor 1 of the project, to include 19 intersections on Church and Water Streets, is now complete. Power Line Constructors of Clinton, New York, was the Phase I contractor. The signal installation portion of Phase 2 of Corridor 1 was completed in 2008, with communications improvements, including fiber optics, wireless, and Ethernet connections on-going.
Corridor 2 includes 14 intersections in the Northside of the City. The Design Report for Corridor 2 was completed in the spring of 2005. Three of these intersections, in the Elmira College Park Place corridor were completed early in 2006 as part of the Park Place Project. The remaining 11 intersections are currently under design and are scheduled for a late 2009 construction letting date.
Lackawanna Multi-Use Trail Project This project was funded in late 2003 with TEA-21 Enhancement Funds. Field survey is complete, and the final design report is being readied. The City of Elmira will design and construct a new multi-use trail along the City-owned Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western (Lackawanna) railroad corridor on the east side of Elmira. The trail will extend from the Chemung River north to Eldridge Park and east to Lake Street, largely making use of railroad corridors, City-owned Right-of-Way and property, and NYSDOT Right-of-Way. The project will convert an abandoned railroad corridor in the City of Elmira to bicycle and pedestrian use. An alternate transportation corridor free from the hazards of motorized vehicles will be created for commuters, stretching 3.5-miles through the northeast side of Elmira. The trail will be an all-season facility, able to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians, cross-country skiers, and snowshoe participants. As the trail will be paved with a 10' wide asphalt surface, it will be largely barrier free and will accommodate those with disabilities. Construction, delayed from last year, is now slated to begin in late 2008 with completion during the spring of 2009.
College Avenue Project
This 1.2 million dollar project is funded under the Elmira-Chemung Council's Transportation Improvement program. College Avenue will be reconstructed along its length from W. Thurston Street to the north City line. Improvements will be made to curbs and sidewalks, and will also incorporate traffic calming measures. Construction is slated for a July 2009 completion.
North Main Street Project This project was funded in 2005 with SafeTea-Lu High Priority funds. The 1.5 million dollar project aims to reduce congestion along the North Main Street corridor, from W. 2nd Street to W. Washington Avenue. Improvements will include public off-street parking, traffic calming measures, and a complete roadway reconstruction. Emphasis will be placed on improving safety for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. In a partnership with Elmira College, the College has agreed to pay the complete local share of the project. Construction on Phase 1 (W. 5th Street to Washington Avenue) is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2009.
Phases 2 and 3 are anticipated for completion within a few years, and will include a modern roundabout at the intersection of N. Main Street, W. 3rd Street, and Park Place. The roundabout will help to channelize traffic, while making pedestrian travel through the area safer and more convenient. The simulations below show how traffic will flow through the roundabout travelling North through the intersection and South through the intersection. The rendering shows the entire project. »View the roundabout simulation (high resolution, 4.3mb) »View the roundabout simulation (low resolution, 0.9mb) »View the rendering of the proposed project
Completed Projects
Link Road: Clemens Center Parkway Extension
The Link Road Project is now complete and the road has been formally dedicated as the Clemens Center Parkway Extension; Chemung Contracting of Elmira, the lowest responsible bidder, was the contractor. Design was completed by Bergmann Associates of Elmira, with Hunt Engineers and Watts Engineering providing sub-consulting services. One interesting aspect of the project is the use of "Geo-Foam" to help stabilize the peat found in the project area. A limited amount of peat was removed and replaced with foam, followed by construction of the roadway overtop of the foam itself. The intent is to remove some weight from the Right-of-Way to prevent the roadway from settling.
The Clemens Center Parkway Extension provides an east-west connection between Grand Central Avenue and Lake Street on the City of Elmira's Eastside. This has improved the traffic flow in the city by removing truck routes from residential neighborhoods and improving flood control measures along Diven Creek. The wetlands portion of the Lackawanna Multi-user Trail was built as part of this project. Additionally, Sullivan Street from Lake Street to the US Postal Service facility was reconstructed. Parts of Grand Central Avenue and Lake Street were raised and reconstructed to help alleviate flooding risks.
1-way to 2-way Conversion Project
Bergmann Associates updated their 1997 work to convert Church and Water Streets to 2-way operation. This project has been combined with the traffic signal project, requiring close coordination between Fisher Associates and Bergmann. Church and Water Streets will become 2-way from their eastern most points to Hoffman Street (last signalized intersection on the west side of Elmira). Retail businesses in the downtown district will be more easily accessible and trips around the City are more convenient. Power Line Constructors was the contractor for this project. The project was completed in November of 2004. ğmore information on the conversion project
Woodlawn Avenue Project This project is the final step in moving State Route 14 from the narrow residential section of College Avenue to the four-lane commercially-friendly Clemens Center Parkway, completing the North-South Arterial through the City of Elmira. Funded by the Federal TEA-21 program, designed by Bergmann Associates, and constructed by J.F. and J.P Wenzel Contractors, Woodlawn Avenue opened to through traffic in late fall of 2003. The project included vertical and horizontal geometric improvements, and also involved the construction of new curbs and sidewalks, storm and sanitary sewers, landscaping, a new traffic signal at College Avenue, and a rebuilt roadway. Additionally, the Stormwater pumpstation at Diven Creek was upgraded, while a new pumpstation was built at the underpass to handle new flows. The single change order to the project replaced the foundations under the interior columns of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge. The footings were found to be in a serious state of disrepair, presenting a safety hazard to the public and the railroad alike. Successful negotiations between the City of Elmira and Norfolk Southern resulted in a 50-50 sharing of the cost of the additional work, providing a large savings to the State and Federal governments. The project was completed in the summer of 2003.
Sixth and Columbia Realignment Project
In the spring of 2004, the City of Elmira in cooperation with Elmira College completed an important street relocation project. It addressed traffic congestion; improved pedestrian safety for students and residents walking through the college campus; made access to college buildings and neighborhood amenities more convenient; and improved the operation of other streets abutting the project.
The Sixth and Columbia Realignment Project was made possible through the federal TEA-21 funding program with the support of Congressman Amo Houghton. The City of Elmira served as the qualified local sponsor for the project, and was responsible for the administration of the public monies awarded to fund the "public works" portion of the project. The final cost of the public portion of the project totaled $673,290.07, less than half the amount of the total project. However, the project included a substantial amount of "private" improvements funded by Elmira College in addition to the work within the public rights-of-way.
The traffic signal project will upgrade all of the City's signal system in a 4-Corridor process. The goal of the project is to improve safety, provide synchronization of key signals, and increase the overall efficiency of the system. Both energy and time savings should be realized as a result of the project. Phases 1 and 2 of Corridor 1 will upgrade signals, poles, and controllers at 32 intersections in the downtown Elmira area. Fisher Associates has been collecting data and has also completed the framework for the Synchro model of the City of Elmira. Data for intersections in phases 1 and 2 have been input into the model. The model will be used to analyze traffic patterns and to optimize traffic signal timings. Phase 1 of Corridor 1 of the project, to include 19 intersections on Church and Water Streets, is now complete. Power Line Constructors of Clinton, New York, was the Phase I contractor. The signal installation portion of Phase 2 of Corridor 1 was completed in 2008, with communications improvements, including fiber optics, wireless, and Ethernet connections on-going.
This project was funded in late 2003 with TEA-21 Enhancement Funds. Field survey is complete, and the final design report is being readied. The City of Elmira will design and construct a new multi-use trail along the City-owned Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western (Lackawanna) railroad corridor on the east side of Elmira. The trail will extend from the Chemung River north to Eldridge Park and east to Lake Street, largely making use of railroad corridors, City-owned Right-of-Way and property, and NYSDOT Right-of-Way. The project will convert an abandoned railroad corridor in the City of Elmira to bicycle and pedestrian use. An alternate transportation corridor free from the hazards of motorized vehicles will be created for commuters, stretching 3.5-miles through the northeast side of Elmira. The trail will be an all-season facility, able to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians, cross-country skiers, and snowshoe participants. As the trail will be paved with a 10' wide asphalt surface, it will be largely barrier free and will accommodate those with disabilities. Construction, delayed from last year, is now slated to begin in late 2008 with completion during the spring of 2009.
This project is the final step in moving State Route 14 from the narrow residential section of College Avenue to the four-lane commercially-friendly Clemens Center Parkway, completing the North-South Arterial through the City of Elmira. Funded by the Federal TEA-21 program, designed by Bergmann Associates, and constructed by J.F. and J.P Wenzel Contractors, Woodlawn Avenue opened to through traffic in late fall of 2003. The project included vertical and horizontal geometric improvements, and also involved the construction of new curbs and sidewalks, storm and sanitary sewers, landscaping, a new traffic signal at College Avenue, and a rebuilt roadway. Additionally, the Stormwater pumpstation at Diven Creek was upgraded, while a new pumpstation was built at the underpass to handle new flows. The single change order to the project replaced the foundations under the interior columns of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge. The footings were found to be in a serious state of disrepair, presenting a safety hazard to the public and the railroad alike. Successful negotiations between the City of Elmira and Norfolk Southern resulted in a 50-50 sharing of the cost of the additional work, providing a large savings to the State and Federal governments. The project was completed in the summer of 2003.