Mendon Center Road Rehabilitation: Calkins to Canfield

[](http://walkbikepittsford.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Mendon-Center-Road.png)The 2.5 miles stretch of Mendon Center Road from Calkins Road to Canfield Road will soon undergo rehabilitation by the Monroe County Department of Transportation.

It is a favorite route for long distance cyclists and runners who train in and around Mendon Ponds Park. And the Town of Pittsford has made it routine to check in on any proposed road project for opportunities to improve conditions for those outside of vehicles who also use the road. (See the Town of Pittsford’s efforts to encourage bike lanes as part of the East Ave/Rt. 96 road reconfiguration plans.)

What does the road look like currently?

• Fluctuates between 24′ & 25′ width

• 11′ travel lanes (one in each direction)

• 1′ – 2′ shoulders

• No sidewalks or paths along the road

Proposed changes:

• Width: 34′

• 11′ travel lanes (one in each direction)

• 6′ shoulder on each side

For more details, see MCDOT’s [Mendon Center Road Rehabilitation Project brochure.]

MCDOT and the Town held a public information meeting about the project on March 5th at the Library. The primary concern expressed by residents who live along or near there was that a wider road would encourage speeding.

We know the biggest factor influencing how fast a person drives is the design of the road. And wider roads definitely make people feel more comfortable driving fast.

The speed limit on that road is 40 mph. Most drivers (85%) drive 49-50 mph on it right now. MCDOT predicts the new design might encourage a 2-3 mph speed increase, since the road will be nice and smooth and new.

It is a rural road. There are about 2700 vehicles per day that use that stretch of road. For comparison, roughly 8200 per day use Clover Road between Calkins and Willard Rd (it drops down to 5400 between Willard and Canfield). Unlike Clover or Jefferson Road, there aren’t many homes lining the road. Developments & neighborhoods are off side streets. It’s rolling hills and open landscapes.

The Town’s biggest question was whether it made sense to consider bike lanes to start moving the needle toward a more bike-friendly town. It met with cycling advocates (those of us who use bikes as transportation and those super-fast cyclists who train on this stretch of road). The problem with bike lanes and the reason you don’t see them on many of these county-owned roads that also don’t have sidewalks or paths as an alternative: if you mark it as an official bike lane, by law, no one else can use it. That means a runner or someone out for a walk has nowhere to go.

In my ideal world, there would be a multi-use path alongside these rural roads near Barker Road Middle School, so kids could have some independence to get to school, the soccer field and their friends’ houses without their parents having to drive them. It would also give those more recreational, slow, timid bike riders an option to get out for a ride. That, of course, would take funding that we don’t have right now. As I learned from my super-fast long distance cyclists friends, they will not use a multi-use path. They will train in the road where it is fast and smooth and would use a bike lane (it helps remind drivers to share the road). So, the bigger shoulder will be much better than the 1′ crumbling shoulder that is there now. And runners and walkers can still use the shoulder.

To address speeding, the Town will employ speed radar signs (those electronic signs that tell you how fast you are driving) in strategic spots to remind drivers to slow their roll. It is also considering enforcement along the route.

If you have questions or concerns about this Mendon Center Road Rehabilitation Project, contact Karen Cox, the MCDOT project manager at kcox@monroecounty.gov

Also, feel free to contact us at Walk Bike Pittsford. We were not at the March 5th public meeting, but were at meetings with MCDOT and Town officials this week.