Cooperstown ‘Gateway’ Gets Facelift Compliments of NYSDOT
By JOSHUA YOUNGQUIST
COOPERSTOWN
A $5.5 million pedestrian‑safety project in Cooperstown is now underway as part of New York State’s broader $635 million transportation investment, bringing new sidewalks, lighting and roadway improvements to one of Otsego County’s busiest corridors.
The Cooperstown Gateway Project focuses on State Route 28 between Linden Avenue and Walnut Street, a heavily traveled entrance to the village that sees hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The work will add a continuous sidewalk and new pedestrian lighting along the eastern side of the roadway, creating a safer connection for residents and tourists. The project also includes drainage upgrades, clearer driveway entrances for local businesses, and landscaping to create a more welcoming approach into the village.
Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh emphasized that although the project affects the southern entrance to the village, it is entirely a New York State Department of Transportation initiative, not a village‑funded undertaking.
“Before answering specifics, it is important to know that the work at the southern entrance of the village on Route 28 is a NYS DOT funded project…The village did not write a grant securing this work; village taxpayers are not paying for it,” she said.
Tillapaugh also noted that “the majority of the proposed project area lies in the Town of Otsego.”
Concerns about safety along this stretch of Route 28 have been longstanding.
“Concerns about pedestrian and vehicular safety in that area have been apparent to the village for over eight years,” Tillapaugh said, citing the lack of sidewalks, multiple uncontrolled driveway entrances, and numerous serious incidents requiring response from village police, fire, and EMS.
Construction is planned over two seasons, with most major work scheduled at night to reduce disruptions. Utility relocation is underway and will continue through the summer. Once that phase is complete, crews will begin installing the new sidewalk and lighting, followed by milling, paving and permanent striping on Route 28.
Tillapaugh said the village worked closely with the state to ensure the project would not interfere with Cooperstown’s peak tourism months.
“The village did work with NYSDOT to ensure that the project…would begin after Labor Day, so as not to impact the busy tourist season,” she said. Some utility work had to occur earlier, but DOT completed “as much as was possible…at night.”
Planning for the project has been underway for years.
According to Tillapaugh, “Planning for this project has occurred over the past five years,” with DOT hosting multiple public meetings, including an in‑person open house at Cooperstown Central School on November 8, 2023, and a virtual session on November 13, 2023.
To avoid interfering with Cooperstown’s peak tourism months, the state will pause construction between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Work will resume in fall 2026 and continue in spring 2027, with completion expected later that year.
The mayor also clarified the local financial commitment: “The only cost locally for this project will be a ‘lighting cost’—the Town of Otsego is responsible for the electricity costs for 15 lampposts and the village is responsible for 5.”
She added that the village opted to fund a more attractive lamppost style through a “Betterment Proposal,” matching the aesthetic of Main and Pioneer streets to visually signal to drivers that they are approaching the village.
Drivers are advised to watch for posted detours and temporary closures as work progresses.
