Click on the blue Participate button below to comment on the conceptual plans to improve safety and accessibility along the Center Street Corridor.

Village of Perry - Center Street Study (Conceptual Plans)

Thank you to everyone who submitted comments capturing existing transportation conditions and needs.  We compiled your comments and data we collected including condition ratings and previous...

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Village of Perry - Center Street Study (Public Outreach Phase 1 - Existing Conditions & Needs)

The first step in recommending worthwhile concepts for improvements to the transportation system is to identify and verify the existing conditions and needs. The technical project team will look at...

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Project Background

 
map of Perry
 
Center Street from Main Street to Sands Road is undergoing a study to identify improvements based on the community’s vision for this north-south corridor through the Village.  The study will first collect data and existing conditions along the corridor, and from there develop a needs and opportunities assessment.  Through this process, the community will be engaged to provide feedback on these needs and opportunities concerning future development.  Once the community vision has been realized, the project team will identify capital improvement projects, services and programs, and/or policy changes to turn the collective vision into viable projects.
 

Project Purpose

 
There are five thematic goals identified to improve Center Street, these goals include:
1) Connectivity: Provide connections to local attractions
  • Main Street Historic District
  • Letchworth State Park
  • Silver Lake Trail
  • Silver Lake Beach Access
  • Village Park
  • Perry Central School
 
2) Universal Access: Accommodate multiple modes of transportation.
  • Pedestrians
  • Mobility Impaired Persons
  • Bicyclists
 
3) Village Edges: Create a northern gateway into the Village.
 
4) Recreational Destination: Continue building upon Perry’s recreational facilities and close proximity to recreational attractions
  • Letchworth State Park
  • Genesee Valley Greenway
  • Silver Lake Trail
  • Perry Public Beach
  • Finger Lakes Trail
     
5) Safety and Traffic Calming: Provide safety and comfort to all users.
 

Study Outcome

This study will identify recommendations to improve Center Street based on the community vision while meeting the existing needs.  This outcome will take shape in a few different forms including ideas for capital construction projects such as addressing sidewalks, crosswalks, trails/tracks; services and programs such as education, signs, and art; and policy and planning such as designating alternate routes and sharing the road. 
 

Project Summary

Center Street is aptly named as it is centrally located in the center of the Village and acts as a spine that connects the majority of Perry's residential neighborhoods as well as two business areas. The approximate 3/4 mile stretch of roadway intersects with the Silver Lake Trail.  While Center Street provides north-south access, its intersection with the Silver Lake Trail will provide east-west connections to two State Parks (Silver Lake and Letchworth State Park).
 
Center Street is a two-lane State highway (Route 246)  in the Village with sidewalks on both sides of the street. There are no dedicated bike lanes and the many of the sidewalks are deteriorated, not ADA compliant, or non-existent. Several areas along Center Street present specific design challenges. These include areas that include stairs/steps to mitigate elevation changes; a block section that pushes the sidewalk immediately adjacent to traffic lanes leading to safety issues and snow removal challenges; another section where the Center Street was raised to a level approach yet the sidewalk continues down a gully in front of three houses that do not have direct street access; and a section where an abutment from a previous railroad trestle overpass resulted in an unsafe wooden stairwell as the only pedestrian access. These challenges require a concerted effort and approach beyond typical sidewalk replacement and improvement efforts.
 
Despite these challenges, Center Street provides access to two business areas, the school district, and the majority of Village neighborhoods. Special Populations impacted by the project include: 870 schoolchildren of which more than 420 walk to school; approximately 50 businesses; and a share of the 850,000 tourists that visit Letchworth State Park. The Village of Perry has adopted a Comprehensive Plan that emphasizes strengthening the Village core as a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use community. This study will continue this emphasis and will position the Village to appropriately budget resources and apply for grants that will enable projects to work to the stated goals.
 
This study will produce a final report that will provide specific direction for improving the accessibility and safety of pedestrians and bicycle connections along Center Street. Rendered plans of the final option and key perspective renderings will be included. The study will provide an analysis of the specific challenges and provide options for resolving such challenges along with potential project costs. This final report will be used for budgetary planning and specifically positioned to allow the Village to apply for grant opportunities to affect the proposed changes.

Ways to Participate

  • Call toll-free 1-855-925-2801 Code: 2122, to record a voice message, in any language, in the project voicemail box. 
     
  • Send an email message to the project team at Perry@publicinput.com.
     
  • Text keyword PERRY to 73224 to launch a text-based survey on your phone. 
     
  • Watch for opportunities to meet with the project team in person at a project open house or other events. 

Project Steering Committee

Village of Perry- Project Sponsor
Wyoming County
NYS Department of Transportation (R4)
Genesee Transportation Council
Tompkins Financial
Perry Market Place
Center Street Residents
Perry School District
JN White
McClurg
Basil’s Repair

Silver Lake Trail

In 2017, the Village of Perry and GTC partnered on the Silver Lake Trail Feasibility Study to explore options to create a safe and attractive connection between the  Perry Beach to the Village downtown hub. 

In November 2019, the Village of Perry progressed a project to bring the Trail Project into reality.  One of the improvements will be to provide a connection between the Silver Lake Outlet Trail and downtown. Options for getting downtown include sidewalks along South Federal Street, Lake Street, Center Street, Covington Street and Leicester Street. Get more details about the project at https://www.cscos.com/silverlaketrail/. 

As of August 4, the construction work for the first phase was put out to bid in June 2021 and is pending contract award.