Tuesday afternoon news roundup

Posted by Philip Anselmo on April 29, 2008 - 11:41am
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From the Daily News (Tuesday):

• Reporter Joanne Beck writes that "a pair of measures" passed by the City Council at last night's meeting "will save $78,000 this year." By replacing a traffic signal with stop signs instead of new signal lights, the city should save $75,000. Another $17,000 would be saved, we are told, by signing a lease agreement with Toshiba Business Solutions for "office equipment purchases." How are the savings measured? Was the city paying more before? Will the city purchase less? Also, I'm left scratching my head at the $78,000 figure — $78,000 + $17,000 = $95,000. Sure it's more than $78,000. But it's also more than $5. As for the big savings, I wouldn't mind finding out more about how a city decides to downgrade from a traffic signal to stop signs. If it means an easy savings of $75,000, why not do it more often?

• All 58 graduates of the Genesee Community College nursing program have already found employment thanks to high demand in the industry.

• Doug Hawley sold his family's dealership, Hawley's Motors at the corner of West Main and North Lyon streets, after 92 years of business. Clarence residents Gregory Strauss and Stephen Castilone will take over and rename the business Castilone Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep.

• A Batavia teen faces tresspassing charges for entering a home on Holland Avenue earlier this month, allegedly looking for a 17-year-old girl there, city police said. The same teen was charged with criminal trespass and second-degree sexual abuse last year, following a similar episode involving a 14-year-old girl.

• The town Planning Board met Monday.

• Batavia native Sean Comer was part of "the Rhythm & Hues visual effects team that won an Academy Award for the fantasy adventure The Golden Compass."

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

Posted by Charlie Mallow on April 29, 2008 - 12:08pm
$17,000 was the savings over the next 5 years with the new copier contract. That would be $3,500 a year in savings over what we had been paying for copier expenses. The copiers were also leased not purchased. This was also the third traffic light we have not replaced as well.
Posted by Philip Anselmo on April 29, 2008 - 1:30pm
Excellent. Thank you for the explanation. So the $78,000 is the $75,000 immediate savings for not replacing the traffic light plus the $3,500 for this year's savings from the copier contract ($78,500). We didnt know that reading the Daily News article, so the $78,000 seemed almost made up. But it makes sense now.


Is there a process for deciding which traffic lights are not required?
Posted by Charlie Mallow on April 29, 2008 - 2:44pm
Before a traffic light is replaced, here is a period of time that a temporary stop signs are installed. City staff looks for public reaction and the how the traffic patterns adjust. If the lights are on routes that school children walk home one, the principles are also asked for their opinions. The ones that were taken down have worked out pretty well so far. It has been hard to justify the cost of replacements, with the little benefit we have seen in the studies. It has only been done on secondary streets to this point and I would expect that to be carried on going forward.
Posted by Patrick D. Burk on April 30, 2008 - 9:45am
I must admit that as President of the City of Batavia Board of Education, I appreciate the research that has been done by the city prior to removing this signal completely. It is always better to have everyone stop at an intersection when crossing children are involved. I appreciate the dilligence and the involvement that was allowed the district in deciding the fate of this signal, plus we have the bonus of saving some money.