The process of effecting change in Tompkins County policy decisions is like the law of diminishing returns – the more effort you make to move forward; the less real progress you make. The “best” results are achieved by doing nothing, and believing their conscience stultifying patter — and since unabashed self-praise is so au courant; there are less and less people who “walk the walk.”
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TRUCK ROUTE
There’s an old saying: “Where there’s smoke there’s fire”; but when you can see flames over the treetops; you don’t need a cautionary phrase to tell you there’s a conflagration – The only question is: Will anybody come to put it out?
The roads in and around the hamlet of Lansingville were quiet rural roads; named after the families that lived on them. What were once backwater roads to nowhere; have become major routes through nowhere; to everywhere – a series of intransigently unregulated short-cuts through a community that doesn’t matter to Tompkins County authorities.
In looking over the timeline narrative I’ve written for this chapter; I realize how tedious reading the repeated negative results may be for the reader — but I wanted readers to understand the frustration, effort, and lack of result that are the hallmarks of citizen-government interaction in Tompkins County. This chapter recounts only part of the efforts, and it’s only the first chapter in the story . . .
This is a good a place to start as any:
10/01/2019 – Email to a candidate running for the Lansing Town Board – Dear Ms. B**:
“I received your ‘Who do you want for your neighbor’ card in the mail and want to reach out to you — to rephrase your campaign slogan: Your representation can preserve rural Lansing . . . or not.
In this letter I would like to focus on something that you can do to help preserve the safety and quality of life in Lansing’s rural community — have the Lansing Town board request that Tompkins County exclude big trucks from Lansingville Road (CR155).”
The email continued with several pages of documented arguments explaining why these through-cutting trucks are destructive to the roadways and environment, and detrimental to the safety and quality of life of the rural community.
10/08/2019 – Email from County Legislator M** S**:
“A** sent me your email. I read over it, but need to again as there was a lot there. I also forwarded on to our county roads superintendent. His email is below:”
“M**-
Couple of quick thoughts:
Trucks using this road are likely Agriculture or local and there would be no way of limiting either.
If they are Through Haul Trucks I don’t understand why they would be using this road? Do you know of any reason?”
10/09/2019 – Email to County Legislator M** S**:
“Thank you for looking into this issue.
Here are a few of my quick thoughts on Mr. S**’s comments:
‘Trucks using this road are likely Agriculture or local and there would be no way of limiting either.’
As far as I can see, he has no basis either in fact or through observation of Lansingville Road for making that statement. I work at home in my studio, and I only have to turn my head [and the noise they make is definitely head turning] to have an unobstructed view of Lansingville Road. These are definitely not agricultural trucks. I can see the mounds of gravel in the back, and when traveling down Lansingville they have all three of the back axels down to carry the maximum weight these trucks are capable of.
‘If they are Through Haul Trucks I don’t understand why they would be using this road? Do you know of any reason?’
Once again, a puzzling reaction from Mr. S**. Why should the reason matter? Maybe it saves five seconds.
Maybe it would annoy people in Genoa if the trucks used Route 90. It could be, as the Cornell report finds, because of safety and weight issues.
Following these trucks through Lansingville Road, and other rural roads, to and from the job sites will quickly substantiate the facts.”
10/26/2019 – From County Legislator M** S**:
“J** S** tells me:
“I have researched the area and talked to highway officials in Lansing and they report there are no large through haul trucks utilizing Lansingville Road. What is using the road is as I thought, Agriculture Vehicles.”
11/13/2019 – Email to County Legislator M** S**:
“The attached shows seven different thru haul trucks [clearly none of these trucks are agricultural.] Note that in bottom right hand truck you can actually see the uncovered gravel.”
No response or acknowledgement of this email was ever received.
Throughout the winter, spring, and summer; a number of emails were sent to both Town and County authorities: detailing and documenting the deteriorating conditions, and the pressing need for implementing traffic management on the roads around and through Lansingville — these communications were almost never responded to; and never in any meaningful way.
In the fall of 2020; a new attempt was made to bring traffic management to our rural roads and establish a weight limit for non-agricultural through-cutting trucks. We reached out to our County Legislature representative, M** S**, to request that the County Highway Department place a 4-ton weight limit on non-local, through-cutting trucks.
12/03/2020 – From County Legislator M** S** – “This is what I got back from county highway”:
“You are correct the State decides on Reduced Speed Zones. The County places weight restrictions and can change centerline road striping.
Large truck wise. This issue has been going on for a while. The weight restrictions will only effect through traffic. Any agricultural or delivery activity will still have the ability to use the road. When we looked into this before on a complaint from Mr. Baird it was found to be Agriculture Trucks cutting the fields. Although they can make a mess of the road with mud, they would not be effected by a road posting
We can look at what exists as far a passing zones, etc and change accordingly next season. That said we are reluctant to change passing zones if we don’t see or are aware of some change in the area, ie. New Homes or businesses that change traffic flow or density in some way.
Please let me know if you have any questions.”
12/03/2020 – To County Legislator M** S** and Town Board member A** B**:
“That is a ludicrous assertion from J** S**; as anybody on Lansingville Road can tell you.
Lansingville Road continues to be a thru-cut route for commercial and industrial dump trucks, flatbeds and tractor trailers on a daily basis.
I sent you a montage of some of the dump trucks using Lansingville Road [taken on with an old digital camera], after J** made the last ‘agriculture only’ statement – and will reattach it.”
12/16/2020 – To County Legislator M** S** [to further address the “misidentification” explanation by County Highway Director J** S**]:
“I am well aware of which trucks are ‘Agriculture Trucks cutting the fields’; and which are not.
1. They are built different – made for carrying harvest crops, not stones. Gravel, etc. The sides are noticeably higher and different in conformation. [The very few old dump trucks used have plywood added to one side to allow them to be loaded with more by the combine harvester.] Their wheels/tires are made for heavy loads over softer fields.
2. I am familiar with most of the trucks that carry crops on Lansingville Road, and see them parked in the farmyards. Others have “W** Dairy” on the doors.
3. These “Ag Trucks” are only used at intervals to harvest crops; and can be seen and heard on neighboring fields at that time.
4. The most obvious reason: crop trucks are mounded/loaded well above the sides and are not tarped, so it’s plain which trucks are carrying crops, and which are not – you can’t miss seeing it.”
Just before the end of 2020: the Tompkins County Highway Department posted a number of through-truck weight limit signs around Lansingville — for “20 TONS”!
12/31/2020 – To County Legislator M** S**:
“Attached is my brother’s photo of the signage on Burdick Hill Road. [Speed limit 40 – Weight limit 4 tons; except local delivery – double yellow line/no passing]
We want nothing that Burdick Hill Road residents [and others] don’t already have — and with less reason.”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
01/06/2021 – To County Legislator M** S**:
“The O’T**, A** C**, and other dump trucks have been roaring up and down Lansingville Road at speed all day – every day this week [untarped], along with flatbeds and other industrial traffic. Crazy, reckless drivers fill the road.
Have you made any progress in getting our traffic concerns addressed?”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
01/11/2021 – To County Legislator M** S**:
“Farm tractors towing equipment pass by my window, slowly traveling up and down Lansingville Road; and O’T** and A** C** dump trucks roar by up and down Lansingville Road every weekday at more than twice the speed of these tractors . . . Blatant disregard for any traffic laws by thru-cutters is endemic in our hamlet — everyone now knows there is no law in Lansingville.
Can you please let us know what’s being done?”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
01/21/2021 – To County Legislator M** S**:
“I was wondering; have you anything in process to help us in managing traffic on Lansingville Road?
It’s been over three weeks [since our December 29th meeting] and we haven’t heard anything.
My brother has been checking; and every other road with a posted weight limit specifies ‘4 TONS’ and a 2 ton axel weight.
My research shows that ‘20 TON’ weight limit signs are reserved for bridges, not roads.”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
03/25/2021 – To County Legislator M** S**:
“Nothing has happened with the requested weight restrictions on thru-cutting trucks; the 20 TON sign is still up . . . and my recent emails to the Town and County have not even been acknowledged.”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
03/30/2021 – Complaint Letter to: L** H**, Deputy County Administrator – Department of County Administration:
“Re: Tompkins County Highway Department
Dear Ms. H**:
I wish to complain in the strongest terms about the response of the Tompkins County Highway Department to our request for a weight limit restriction on non-local trucks.
Commercial and industrial trucks have been using Lansingville Road and the Hamlet of Lansingville as a thru-cut for development projects from BJs to the new Cargill Mine Shaft and the Salmon Creek Bridge work.
These trucks race through, sometimes hundreds of times a day; driving aggressively down the middle of the road, and routinely passing agricultural traffic on the double-yellow lines — creating a serious safety issue.
The repeated heavy-truck traffic is breaking down the narrow [20 wide] paved surface of the road relied upon by local farmers.
They also scour down the dirt and gravel shoulders to as much as several inches below the road surface; creating a dangerous lip for small cars and bicycles.
There is no hardship to the trucking companies; since Lansingville Road is paralleled by state highways on either side.
The County Highway Department Supervisor has the power to set weight limits on local roads; so we asked our County representative, M** S**, to forward our request to have a 4-TON weight limit set on non-local traffic for Lansingville Road.
He received the following response from County Highway Supervisor J** S**:
“I have researched the area and talked to highway officials in Lansing and they report there are no large through haul trucks utilizing Lansingville Road. What is using the road is as I thought, Agriculture Vehicles.”
This statement was so at odds with reality that it took us aback. We sent photos of just a few of the many large non-agricultural trucks that are “utilizing Lansingville Road,” and sent them to M** S**.
There was no response from the County to our documentation; and at the end of December 2020; signs suddenly appeared on Lansingville Road setting a 20-TON limit on non-local traffic — this is 5 times the weight limit that the County has posted on any other local road. And it’s a sign that is usually reserved for bridges, not roads.
Residents are frustrated and angry at the County’s dismissive treatment of their request, and the apparent disregard shown for their safety; as well as restricting agricultural activity in a proposed agricultural zone located within a NYS Agricultural District.
How can you fix this?
We want nothing that the residents of many other local roads, like Burdick Hill Road, haven’t already have received without demur; and for far less cause.”
Enclosures (1): Photo of weight limit sign
04/14/2021 – Reply Letter from: L** H**, Deputy County Administrator – Department of County Administration:
“Dear Mr. Baird:
I received your complaint about the Tompkins County Highway Department and your request for a weight limit restriction on non-local trucks traveling on Lansingville Road.
I spoke with Highway Director J** S** about your concerns. The Highway Director is prohibited from posting roads based solely on citizens’ requests; rather there needs to be data indicating that damage to the road has occurred because of heavier loads.
In regard to Lasingville Road, Mr. S** posted the road at 20 tons to limit through traffic of large trucks. This came in part from your previous request for a weight restriction because the data did indicate that road is in poor shape, and the weight limit would help to prevent it from deteriorating faster. It’s important to note that agriculture vehicles and local deliveries are exempt from the posting. This exemption for agricultural vehicles and local deliveries would also be true of a 4 ton weight restriction.
In response to your concerns, and in an effort to better understand the situation, the Highway Department will conduct another traffic count on Lansingville Road in the coming weeks and will utilize this data for related decisions.”
04/18/2021 – Email from County Legislator M** S**:
“I know the administration is now looped into the issue on your road. I’m not sure there’s a solution. I’ll call J** again tomorrow on it.”
04/19/2021 – Follow-up letter to L** H**, Deputy County Administrator – Department of County Administration:
Re: Tompkins County Highway Department
“Dear Ms. H**:
Your letter of April 14, 2021 neither responds to, nor accounts for, the actions and assertions of Tompkins County Highway Department Director J** S**; which are the substance of our complaint:
1. It does not account for his denial of any non-agricultural large truck traffic on Lansingville Road in an email to County Legislator M** S**; in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
2. It does not substantiate his claim of research, or give the name of the Lansing Highway Department personnel this assertion is based on.
3. It does not account for the posting of a 20 TON weight limit without informing County Legislator M** S**; who was inquiring into this issue as an official County representative.
4. It does not account for the posted weight limit being five times the [4 TON] weight limit of every other sign posted locally to “limit through traffic of large trucks” — a 20 TON weight limit that would allow the continued high-volume through traffic of gravel trucks — truck traffic that Director J** S** asserts does not even exist.
The County’s actions and response do not in any way “maintain public confidence” or meet the needs of local residents. Your letter will be kept on file as documentation for future inquires.”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
05/06/2021 – Email to Tompkins County legislators:
“I wish to complain in the strongest terms about the response of the Tompkins County Highway Department to our request for a weight limit restriction on non-local, non-agricultural trucks, and the handling of our complaint by Deputy County Administrator L** H**.
[Attached are the ethics complaint to Ms. H**, her response, and my follow up letter.]
All we asked for is what many other local roads already have — how did Burdick Hill Road, Cherry Road and many other local roads get a “4 Ton” weight limit? And why can’t we get it the same way?
All we get are obstructions on top of obstructions, deliberate misunderstandings, and answers to requests we never made.
The roads around Lansingville already have considerable large and heavy traffic in the tractors, trucks and agricultural equipment used in today’s consolidated farming activities — traffic that none of these other roads have.”
“The lack of transparency and inappropriate responses by the Highway Department and the Deputy County Administrator have no place in ethical government.
We look forward, hopefully, to the posting [and enforcement] of 4 ton limits for all non-agricultural thru-cutting trucks on the agricultural roads of our historic hamlet: Lansingville Road, Lockerby Hill Road, and Jerry Smith Road.”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
05/11/2021 – Email to County Legislator M** S**:
“Do you know if the County Legislators are going to do anything about the thru-cutting trucks . . ?”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
05/18/2021 – Email to the Lansing Town Supervisor and the Lansing Town Board, with a request to take action and forward to all Lansing Ag Committee members, and to representative J** K** of NYS Dept. of Agriculture:
“Lansingville Road, Lockerby Hill Road, and Jerry Smith Road have been turned into some of the biggest unregulated high-speed shortcuts and industrial truck routes in Tompkins County [attached is a video of the everyday behavior of thru-cutting traffic on Lansingville, taking place on a curve with a double yellow line; this behavior is also common with dump trucks, tractor trailers, and even Lansing Town trucks.]
The ability to change this is up to you.
Some of us are trying to trying to make our roads a safe and lawful part of the rural community by establishing a 40 MPH speed limit, no passing, a 4-Ton weight limit on non-agricultural, non-local delivery trucks, and enforcement of these laws.
We approached M** S**, our County Representative, and asked him to request that the County Highway Dept. to put a 4-Ton weight limit for non-local deliveries on Lansingville Road. The troubling response by the County is documented in the attached.
County Legislators have, to this day, refused to investigate, explain, or even acknowledge any communication concerning the Highway Department’s and Deputy County Administrator’s actions, or admit that non-ag trucks use Lansingville Road.”
The email continued with additional arguments and points; and ended with a plea for them to get involved – “This is a chance to do good for everyone in the rural community.”
Attached were copies of the 3/30/21 complaint letter to the Deputy County Administrator, the 4/14/21 response from Deputy County Administrator, the 4/19/21 follow-up letter to the Deputy County Administrator, the text of the 5/6/21 email to the County Legislature, and a video clip of traffic on Lansingville Road from the previous day.
No response or acknowledgement was ever received from any of the parties.
05/20/2021 – Email to County Legislator M** S** and Town Board member A** B**:
“Could you find out what requirements the residents of Burdick Hill Road, Cherry Road, and the other local roads fulfilled to get approval for their “4 Ton” weight limit postings?
I’m sure we can do the same.”
05/25/2021 – Email from Town Board member A** B**:
“Doug…I think this is a positive step to take to reduce large truck traffic.
M** [County Legislator]…Do you know who should be contacted?
A**”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
05/29/2021 – Email to Town Board member A** B**:
“I have letters and emails on this issue going back to 2018; and not a single thing has been done to remediate the situation. Are we being stonewalled? If so, why?”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
06/01/2021 – Email to County Legislator M** S**:
“Do you have any information yet on what requirements the residents of Burdick Hill Road, Cherry Road, and the other local roads fulfilled to get approval for their “4 Ton” weight limit postings?”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
06/07/2021 – Email to County Legislator M** S**:
“Is there anything of substance happening with the request to post a 4-Ton limit on thru-cutting trucks . . ?”
Video clips of dump trucks filled with crushed stone using the road that morning were attached.
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
06/09/2021 – Email to Town Board member A** B** [owner of a thousand acre dairy farm with permanent easement]:
“I don’t know what luck you have had in obtaining any sort of traffic management on our rural roads, but I haven’t. More than 4 years of factual and reasoned attempts have gotten me nothing but runarounds, and when I persisted; a stone wall of silence.”
“There are three areas in which I see a possible solution, if you are willing to help:
1. You can act on this issue with the Ag Committee and Town Board – both the Town and County approved the Lansing Ag Protection Plan that lists in its “Goals and Strategies to Preserve Farmland and Promote Agriculture” a number of recommendations; from “giving priority to farming” to “review traffic/speed limits/signage in agriculture areas to improve safety” and the “maintenance of roads & bridges – for heavy ag vehicles.”
2. J** K** . . . I was told by the Counsel’s Office that he is the contact for NYS Ag in this matter.
3. Help with a petition – once again, you have connections, locally and through the Ag Committee, to get “door to door” and email signatures to a petition. Attached is a sample of what I thought might be wanted.”
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
06/17/2021 – A letter and enclosures were sent to Attorney General Letitia James:
“Re: Tompkins County Government Misconduct
Dear Attorney General James:
I am writing you to request an investigation into the conduct of Tompkins County Highway Director J** S**, as well as the conduct of L** H**, Deputy County Administrator in her handling of an ethics investigation of Director S**’s actions, and the Tompkins County Legislature’s subsequent refusal to take appropriate steps to insure ethics and transparency in County government.”
The letter contained a detailed account of the actions of the parties named; and enclosed copies of the email response from the County Highway Director, the letter to the Deputy County Administrator, the response from Deputy County Administrator, and a photo of weight limit sign.
The Certified Mail receipt was dated June 21, 2021.
No response or acknowledgement of the letter was ever received.
06/23/2021 – Email to a neighboring town Superintendent of Public Works:
“We want to stop the through-cutting of large trucks. Lansingville Road has become a major route for industrial and commercial traffic from Cayuga County. During projects like the Cargill mine shaft there were hundreds of trucks going back and forth in a day with crushed stone. There are also tractor trailers, heavy equipment flatbeds, and cement mixers that uses Lansingville on a regular basis. There are no law enforcement patrols on Lansingville Road; and these trucks drive aggressively down the middle of the road and routinely pass tractors and farm equipment on the double yellow lines. This narrow road with only gravel shoulders is really taking a pounding as well. There are state highways on either side (34 & 34B) and no hardship or need to use Lansingville Road.
We want to fulfill all the requirements that other residents did and get the same protections.”
06/23/2021 – Email reply from the Superintendent of Public Works – Re: Requirements for a “4-ton” weight limit on non-local traffic:
“Residents don’t decide where signs are placed. Petitions hold no merit.
Roads are posted for other reasons.
Good luck”
07/05/2021 – Email to County Legislator M** S**:
“I’m still trying every door on a thru-cutting weight limit on Lansingville’s roads” . . .
No response or acknowledgement was ever received.
07/07/2021 – Email to All Tompkins County Legislators:
“We are still trying a to get 4-Ton weight limit for thru-cutting trucks on Lansingville’s roads; and want to find out how the residents of many other local roads were able to do this. We got this response from one government authority:
‘Residents don’t decide where signs are placed. Petitions hold no merit.
Roads are posted for other reasons.’
There cannot be a set policy; because there has never been any mention of a policy to date, so it must be decided by a group — who are the people who make this decision?
Even a minimal government transparency should allow citizens to find that out.”
Two months later – there was still no response from any Tompkins County Legislator.
Throughout the entire process, and in the face of irrefutable documentary evidence; the County has never changed their claim that these trucks do not even exist.
Once again; the County has given the cold-shoulder runaround to the real needs of the rural community – and they’re so comfortable in their power – they don’t even try to hide it.
The story continues in Part 2.
