The “road diet” reconfiguration, from West Second Street to Fluvanna Avenue, comes as Washington accounted for about a third of the top accident locations and intersections in Jamestown last year.

As part of its 2022 annual report, the Jamestown Police Department documented a range of citywide crash data. Among them: most common locations for reported vehicle crashes, which include vehicle/deer, personal injury and property damage.

Of the top 24 locations and intersections, Washington Street appeared seven times — West Sixth and Washington; West Third and Washington; West Fifth and Washington; West Fourth and Washington; West Eighth and Washington; 2000 Washington St.; and West Second and Washington.

Jamestown police in its annual report did not release specific information on the number of accidents at each location; the department did release citywide accident data, including that there were 811 such crashes in 2022 that required an accident report.

An overturned sport utility vehicle is pictured in September 2022 on Washington Street in Jamestown.

Regarding Washington Street, a state road, Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson noted a common theme — each of the locations identified has a traffic light.

“Washington Street is one of the most busiest streets in the city, with multiple traffic control devices,” Jackson said. “A large number of the accidents are a result of a driver not obeying a traffic control device or distracted driving.”

ROAD DIET

Wide-ranging work on Jamestown’s Washington Street kicked off last March and currently remains ongoing.

Susan Surdej, state Department of Transportation Region 5 public information officer, said drainage and traffic signal foundation work for new traffic signals began last year.

Conversion of the road from four lanes to three lanes will begin after the surface is first milled and then paved. Surdej noted a contract completion date of June 30.

When first announced, the project had an estimated price tag of about $4.2 million through use of federal funds. The highlight of the project is the redesign of the road, which will create a middle lane for left turns and new 5-foot bike lanes with 2-foot buffer areas along both sides of Washington Street.

City officials for years had discussed an overhaul of the road. Then-Mayor Sam Teresi in 2017 met with state DOT officials about launching a comprehensive effort to analyze, rethink and possibly redesign the entire Washington/Fluvanna arterial corridor from West Second Street downtown to the city line near Clifton Avenue.

EXTRA PATROLS

Jackson said a state grant is helping the police department focus on Washington Street. JPD receives funding from the Police Traffic Services Grant Program that aides police departments to facilitate traffic enforcement initiatives. The grant is considered the “primary funding vehicle” through New York’s Traffic Safety Enforcement Program.

In Jamestown, Jackson said the department is using the grant to provide “extra patrols for distracted driving and failure to obey traffic control devices in that area.”

JPD’s annual report also notes the following:

¯ There were 24 accidents in 2022 involving pedestrians that required an accident report from the Jamestown Police Department. Nineteen injuries were reported, none fatal.

Statistics have largely been stagnant regarding vehicle-pedestrian incidents in Jamestown. In addition to the 24 noted last year, there were 17 in 2021, 23 in 2020, 20 in 2019, 25 in 2018, and 25 in 2017.

¯ Officers stopped 2,949 vehicles last year resulting in 1,920 tickets being issued by officers. The most common ticket issued in 2022: third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle at 218. For the next closest, operating a motor vehicle without an inspection, resulted in 116 tickets being issued by officers.

¯ There were 29 vehicle accidents last year in schools zones, identified by JPD as occurring between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, from January to June and September to December. There were nine such crashes at Love Elementary School along with six at Jamestown High School.