Crown Point Supervisor continues to fight for intersection safety

CROWN POINT | The two-car collision this past summer at the intersection of State Route 9N and Bridge Road that left one killed and several injured was the final straw for Crown Point Town Supervisor Clayton Menser when it came to the well-being of residents and visitors. Following the accident, Menser and the town board requested the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a full safety investigation of the intersection. There was hope that a traffic light would be deemed the best solution, but as of now, that isn't looking overly promising. Menser received the first response from the DOT, and it was one that didn't leave him with a positive feeling. "The State DOT Engineer stated 'that there was not the volume of traffic necessary to warrant a three-color traffic light.' His response went on to say his investigation had not shown any deaths from 2020 until April of 2025, even though the State Police provided me with information of four deaths between January 2023 and May 2026," Menser shared. "My concern was never about volume; it has always been about safety." The DOT advised that brush be removed from the area to provide a line of sight towards Crown Point. Menser took it upon himself to remove an additional 50 to 60 feet of brush in an attempt to alleviate the danger. "The State DOT Engineer said the investigation was not complete but does not feel the need to do anything other than clear the brush that they had completed," said Menser. However, the supervisor felt this makeshift solution to be insufficient, and on Friday, Sept. 18 met with Sen. Dan Stec and Highway Superintendent Bruce Burns (who was trained by the United States Navy's Construction Battalion) as boots on the ground to walk the entirety of the intersection and visually demonstrate the reality of the safety shortfalls. "Bruce was able to explain to Senator Stec more about highway construction in detail why this intersection is so unsafe," revealed Menser. "That intersection is at the bottom of a bowl with both sides coming in curved and at higher elevations. A person sitting in their car can't see far enough in either direction to actually pull out safely. We also agreed that if you are a tractor trailer, you are going uphill in either direction to get out of there and are also going slower because you can't pick up speed as fast as a normal automobile; the same if you are pulling a boat or a camper or any kind of trailer. Bruce went into detail with Stec about what it would require to fix the intersection, and he also explained the least expensive way to fix this is a three-way traffic light." The supervisor shared that Sen. Stec admitted that when you actually walk the intersection and understand the full issue, this intersection is a problem that needs to be addressed. According to Menser, Sen. Stec advised him to gather the information on the other deaths and any major injuries. "He would like me to respond to the State DOT Engineer with all of that information and to copy both him and Assemblyman Matt Simpson directly in the response letter," said Menser. "In that manner they can put their support fully behind getting something done." Menser already had the information on the July 1, 2026, accident, but still needs information on any major accidents from January 2020 until the present. "I don't need the people's names, but I do need the date of the accident, any deaths, major injuries, hospital stays, and the condition of the vehicles involved to include year, type and so on," he said. "I will be using the information to demonstrate to the State DOT that the issue has nothing to do with the volume of traffic, it has everything to do with how safe the traffic we have is on the roads they are providing." Residents who have access to the requested accident information are encouraged to email their findings to Menser at supervisor@townofcrownpointny.gov, or mail physical documents to the Town of Crown Point, P.O. Box 43, Crown Point, NY 12928. "I intend to continue to fight for this until the State does something to make that intersection safe," Menser promised.

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Crown Point Supervisor continues to fight for intersection safety

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