Having lived near the intersection in question for 6 years I‘ve witnessed accidents and many near-misses and I also worry about school children crossing the street or anyone else--even with the extra sign warning to stop for pedestrians in the intersection. I signed the petition for a traffic light around three years ago and it’s time for our politicians to do more than walk and talk about the problem before another mishap occurs.
Last week I was the first driver at the intersection and I stopped fully with my left blinker on coming up Lucas to turn left onto Lafayette. I was partway over the crosswalk stripes when a driver in a big grey Cadillac started to pull out so I slammed on the brakes to avoid more damage sensing that it was the best course of action since it would have stopped him from slamming into the driver’s side door. By nothing short of a miracle he did manage to stop and avoid an accident by inches. He then slammed it into reverse and sped off into Joys Lane before I could say or point out anything with an appropriate hand gesture at least.
Many drivers use Lucas as a speedway going up toward the park and many more race through the intersection to make the light at Washington Avenue. Coincidentally the line separating Wards one and two dissects Lafayette Avenue, so this is something both common council representatives should resolve quickly since an accident could happen in such a way that one vehicle would be in ward one and the other in ward two with a pedestrian squashed in the middle of them both.

I live near this intersection as well. I agree with both posters and Ms. Levin. People fly through the 4-way stop, rarely using directional signals. The worst offenders are those coming from Joy's Lane. They either don't stop, don't use a directional signal, or both (I once saw a Kingston cop blow through the stop sign with no signal talking on his cell phone). All they do is slow down (barely), look to their left, and go. It's nearly impossible to take a left out of Emerson St. because people don't stop at the 4-way stop. Once again, it comes down to enforcement. I have repeatedly complained to the KPD about speeders on Lucas Ave., and I can't tell you the last time I saw a cop. Andi Turco-Levin is correct - there are no sidewalks on upper Lucas Avenue, and there are kids walking to and from school (and there is a bus stop by the synagogue). It shouldn't take a fatality to do something. Many years ago, a KPD officer told me that the average speed on Lucas Avenue is 38 mph. That means for every person who's compliant and doing 30 mph, there's someone doing 46 mph. Why isn't anyone doing anything about it? A stop light at Voorhees Avenue would be helpful too. Not just to slow people down, but to allow others to exit onto Lucas.

I believe this intersection is a 4 way stop? How much safer could it be. It is not the signs or the laws its the people.

I think a lot has to do with flow of traffic. I have been research what other countries are doing and there are some great ideas. One way roads are most helpful. Sidewalks were mandatory in many.

Did you see the crazy parking people did to get the closest space to the funeral home on Friday night, July 9th around 7:00 pm? Driveways were partially blocked, cars parked too close to the street corners- vision was extremely impaired. It took me over 8 minutes to safely pull out of my driveway, pulling forward (not backing out)! Is there someone to contact about the parking and writing tickets?

Do you see how crazy drivers are passing the construction areas on Joys Lane?!?!? Come on folks- if you have construction blocking your side of the street- YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL ONCOMING TRAFFIC IS CLEAR BEFORE YOU CROSS OVER INTO THE OTHER LANE!

so next time you observe someone doing something bad enough, take their plates and call the police. They are friendly and helpful, and if it warrants it, will pursue it, I suspect. Driving is a cooperative venture, and you all aren't willing to pay enough taxes so as to station a hall monitor at each intersection to tell you what you can and can't do.

Good point- hopefully, folks will driver more attentively, especially with the construction going on.

Please change this before someone gets seriously hurt!

please!

I have requested that crosswalks be painted at the intersection of Lucas/Joys Lane/Lafayette.
We discussed this intersection at length at our Complete Streets meeting recently. I am drafting a letter to present to the Public Saftey Committee to look at making Joys Lane (and perhaps Lafayette) a one way street (open to Southbound traffic only) Part of this process will include removing the stop sign on Joys Lane and painting crosswalks between the old Friendly's and Joys' Lane in order to allow for pedestrians to leave the Stadium safely.
Crosswalks have also been requested for Washington Ave/Grandma Brown Lane/North Front Street. There is a traffic signal improvement project now underway but will take some time to complete.

I witnessed a car accident this past Saturday at the Lafayette/ Lucas Ave intersection. I was also with my 2 boys in a stroller and 2 cars ran the stop sign recently . We would have been seriously hurt or killed. What we need is a light!!!!

There are crosswalks clearly painted there now. I'm an advocate for the yellow standing crosswalk signs in the middle of every crosswalk in uptown.

Other than that, I think this post is ready to be closed. I do not agree with the need for a light - I think better crosswalk signage and enforcement might be needed. But since the post has had no responses for nearly a year - someone needs to carry the torch on this or it will be closed.

One year to paint crosswalk lines... hmmmm. You got right on it City of Kingston- in the meantime how many accidents reported and not reported occurred? (yes, this is sarcasm). It is a bandaid for a serious problem- one of the most heavily walked, biked, jogged corner in uptown. Please think about it some more.

What do you suggest, Mike? I don't disagree with your thoughts - but the city must prioritize. There are limited funds and many other problems. One year to paint crosswalks - that's not bad in my book. Get real - they are dealing with growing needs with a budget that has shrunk for multiple years.

So are there other specific improvements you suggest that are practical? Do you want to see the crosswalk signs? More less?

Let's keep this constructive. Just thinking about it is not really helpful. Do you think it deserves a traffic study? Have you looked into the traffic studies that may include this intersection (not sure if it is included in the multiple studies that have occurred in the Uptown area over the last few years). Check out the county planning dept website. http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/planning/tdoc.html

I did as you suggested and went to the county link you provided. All I found were outdated reports on projects that never came to fruition. Forget about wasting my time reading the reports to find this out, but look at all the tax dollars wasted on studies and proposed projects that did not happen and quite frankly will never happen. Oh, of course, none of them included this intersection. And by the way, when walking toward this intersection last week, and kids were walking to school and folks were exercising, I saw three rolls through the stop sign and one that did not even slow down and ran through the stop sign.
I KNOW it deserves a traffic study... and all the suggestions above are practical. And in 2007 (September 5th to be exact), 47 people signed a petition to get this intersection fixed- either by a light and crosswalk signals or to change some of the roads to one way traffic and on side of the street parking to increase visibility. The petition was presented to the Mayor and the Safety Board. It has once again been presented, this time to Megan Weiss with Kingston Cares this August.