The Town of Colonie and the Mohawk Towpath Byway Coalition with the assistance of Barton and Loguidice are performing an analysis of alternatives for improvements to the Cohoes Crescent Road.  This will provide design and construction guidance as funding becomes available for roadway improvements. The analysis includes a review of existing plans, site conditions, and opportunities which form the basis of  five alternative schemes for the corridor from the City of Cohoes line to Route 9 in the Town of Colonie.  Almost 7,000 vehicles per day use this segment of the Byway, and even more when construction on the I-87 Northway is underway.

The Cohoes Crescent Road is one of the more heavily used segments of the Mohawk Towpath Byway, but the one that needs the most attention. – Photo by Sarah Quandt

Five alternatives were evaluated, focused on rebuilding Cohoes Crescent Road utilizing a ‘complete streets’ approach to the redesign that will include:

• better pedestrian amenities;
• formalize areas that are used for parking and shoreline access;
• make general safety improvements for all users of the corridor;
• expand recreational opportunities;
• improve the aesthetics along the corridor;
• increase the visibility of the river; and
• provide new opportunities for heritage and historical interpretation.

Freddies Park serves as a model for improvements that could be made along the Cohoes Crescent Road. – photo by Sarah Quandt

As the study proceeds one alternative seems to stand out.  This alternative includes:

• locating an 8 to 10 foot wide multi-use path between the road the river shoreline;
• formalizing parking and pull-off areas;
• increasing shoreline access points; and
• upgrading the existing pocket parks.

Other alternatives being considered include a no action alternative; a shared highway alternative; an alternative locating the path on the landfill side of the road; and an alternative including creation of a parkway with a center boulevard.

Funding for this study is provided by the Federal Highway Administration through the New York State Scenic Byway Program.

The next step will be a public unveiling of a alternative analysis report as a part of a public forum to be scheduled later this fall.  The Byway and the Town will be seeking your opinions and ideas as a part of this forum.

The complete and unabridged history of the Cohoes Crescent Road is contained in an article by Town of Colonie Historian Kevin Franklin in The Colonie Historical Oracle, vol 9, no 2 published during the Summer of 2013.

– by Ted Kolankowski and Eric Hamilton