Dyke Street stretch from Rt. 19 to Trapping Brook is now a two-lane
By Andrew Harris
One of the busiest stretches of state highway running through the village of Wellsville has been resurfaced and repainted. As someone who drives up and down that highway multiple times per day, it is suddenly a very smooth ride, and much different.
Prior to the NYSDOT work this summer, this was a four lane highway, beginning and ending at Fair Street, or the East Dyke Depot, owned by our good friend Judy Cornelius.
Today, this section of Dyke Street/417 is mostly a two lane highway but with a generous center turning lane. As you can see from the picture below, a new bicycle lane has been added to both the westbound and eastbound lane.
We asked Judy what she thought about the changes:
“Well, so far, it’s nice not to feel like you are going to get rear-ended to turn left. Puts traffic closer to my sidewalk now, but it takes away the temptation some folks had to park in the white striped area that was there. Time will tell.”
This new traffic flow will definitely solve a major problem that has plagued Dyke Street/417 for years: Drag racing college kids and hot rod Lincolns.
While at any given point a Ford and a Chevy may meet and have an impromptu race, a NASCAR style event happens like clock work while school is in session. College students heading back to Alfred make this quarter mile stretch of road feel like Watkins Glen International Speedway at about three o’clock in the afternoon.
Reducing the traffic pattern down to two lanes will certainly make it more difficult to play Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. The added room for bicycles is a great improvement considering the rapid rise of the e-bike.
