Oneonta residents will have a chance next week to lean about proposed traffic and pedestrian access changes to Southside.
The state Department of Transportation will host a public information meeting from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, pertaining to a proposed highway safety and mobility improvement project along state Route 23 and state Route 28 in the town of Oneonta, tentatively scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026.
The project “will enhance safety, traffic flow and pedestrian accommodations along a stretch of state Route 23 from the Southside Mall shopping center to the intersection with state Route 28 and state Route 28 from the intersection with state Route 23 to the Hannaford shopping center entrance,” according to a NYSDOT news release.
The informal open house meeting will be held at the Southside Mall Community Room, 5006 state Highway 23 in Oneonta. The community room is across from the Shoe Dept., near JCPenney.
The session will feature displays about the project and provide an opportunity for discussion with NYSDOT representatives, who will be available to receive comments and answer individual questions. No formal presentation will be made, according to the release.
The project proposes to add sidewalks and additional turning lanes at various locations in the construction area. The entire area will be repaved, and new pavement markings will be installed. To minimize the construction impact in the busy commercial area, nighttime work is being considered between about 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The open house “is part of NYSDOT’s continuing effort to encourage public participation in the development of transportation projects,” the release stated. For more information or to request a sign language interpreter or assistive listening system, contact Susan Pitely at 607-721-8258 or by email at susan.pitely@dot.ny.gov.