DOT Announces Start of Safety, Mobility Improvement Project

ONEONTA—On Wednesday, June 24, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez officially announced the start of the $7 million Southside Oneonta Safety and Mobility Improvement Project, which will reduce traffic congestion and enhance pedestrian access along the State Route 23 (James F. Lettis Highway) and State Route 28 corridor, in the Town of Oneonta. The project includes modern features that will create safer connections for residents, students, visitors, and businesses throughout this busy commercial corridor near SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College, officials said.

“A safer street does more than move traffic—it connects people to opportunity,” Commissioner Dominguez said. “Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, we continue to make strategic investments along this corridor to enhance safety for all users of our transportation systems—bike, pedestrian, road and transit. We started with the installation of the Lettis Highway and Main Street roundabout and, together with our partners in Oneonta, we are now advancing safety upgrades along State Routes 23 and 28, which will expand pedestrian access and help improve the flow of people and traffic along this critical Oneonta gateway.”

According to a press release, the project is designed to significantly enhance safety, traffic flow, and pedestrian access on State Route 23 (James F. Lettis Highway) and State Route 28, a busy commercial and residential corridor, and was awarded Statewide Highway Safety Improvement Program funding after an analysis found that the corridor experienced vehicle crashes at rates higher than the statewide average.

Planned improvements will make the corridor safer, more accessible, and easier to navigate for motorists, pedestrians, and transit users alike, officials said. The project includes extended turning lanes, a new sidewalk along the northern edge of the corridor and an additional pedestrian crosswalk at the north side of the State Route 23 and State Route 28 intersection. ADA-compliant curb ramps will also improve connectivity throughout the area.

“This project means a parent walking to the Southside, or a student heading to a shift, finally has a safe way to get there,” said Town of Oneonta Supervisor Will Rivera. “It makes one of our busiest commercial corridors safer for everyone who walks, bikes, or drives it, and easier to reach for residents and visitors. I want to thank Governor Hochul and the State Department of Transportation for backing this project and putting $7 million behind the safety of our community.”

Two new bus stops for Oneonta Public Transit users will expand access to jobs, shopping and essential services. The project will also deliver a full pavement resurfacing, upgraded pavement markings, and modernized traffic signals, including new signals at the McDonald’s and Aldi intersections and upgraded signals at the Southside Mall and Hannaford entrances—“helping traffic move more efficiently while enhancing safety for everyone who travels the corridor,” according to officials.

“NYSDOT appreciates the public’s patience as crews undertake this significant highway and pedestrian safety project, with construction continuing through the fall of 2027,” the press release reads. “Motorists should expect temporary pattern changes, congestion, and delays during construction and as work progresses. To help improve travel conditions, the department has already adjusted traffic signal timing at key intersections to better manage the flow of traffic and reduce backups.”

DOT says this project builds on other recent investments in the area, including a recently installed roundabout, which replaced a congested intersection at the north end of Lettis Highway (Route 23) and Main Street (Route 7). Development of the Southside project also was designed in coordination with the City of Oneonta’s Transportation Alternatives Program project on Lettis Highway, which is providing a new sidewalk along Lettis Highway that will connect with the DOT’s Southside Oneonta Safety and Mobility Improvement Project.

In April, Governor Hochul announced the completion of the City of Oneonta’s final Downtown Revitalization Initiative project. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the new Transit Center project, which marked the conclusion of all seven public and private projects funded under the State’s highly successful DRI program.

“I am thankful to see the improvements underway across State Routes 23 and 28 in the Town of Oneonta,” said City of Oneonta Mayor Daniel Buttermann. “Southside Oneonta is an important part of our region’s economic vitality, and it is the busiest traffic area in the county.

“The improvements will enhance safety and mobility, which will in turn increase the ease of accessing Oneonta, enjoying the wonderful host-community that we are, and all that we have to offer,” Buttermann said.