New York State DOT remembers fallen highway workers
KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – In the heart of road construction season, the New York State DOT paused to reflect on the lives lost to crashes in highway work zones in our area.
Officials from the Department of Transportation Region 9 gathered at the memorial located at the Southern Tier Welcome Center rest area along Interstate 81 in Kirkwood Monday morning.
A wreath-laying ceremony honored the eight men who have died in work zone crashes in the region, both DOT employees and workers from contractors doing construction on behalf of DOT.
Assistant Commissioner Jim Rusak says the fallen workers each left their homes fully expecting to return home to their families at the end of their shifts.
Rusak says despite the pleas to slow down and move over, crashes continue.
'Last year, we had 322 intrusions into work zones in New York State. Resulting in two motorist fatalities, and 138 injuries. Throughout the history of DOT, 58 workers have been killed in work zones. Every one of them are real people, deeply loved by their families who continue to feel the pain of their absence,' said Rusak.
This year's ceremony marks the 20th anniversary of a horrific crash on Interstate 81 in the Town of Chenango, near the Castle Creek exit, in which a speeding and inattentive tour bus crashed, causing a chain reaction that claimed the lives of three contractors.
Wayne Bonsell, Jason Pessoni, and Jonathon Randall were all employees of Economy Paving.
Bonsell's sisters were at today's event.
Holley Peterson says her brother was hard working, generous, and had a great sense of humor.
'There's no need for speed. Slow down, watch out for people, it's not worth it, it's not worth it. Take your time. Be patient,' said Peterson.
The Town of Chenango deaths spurred New York's Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, which increased the penalties for construction zone infractions.
Rusak says the state is also rolling out speed cameras in work zones. He says in the areas where the automated enforcement has been implemented, there have been 425,000 fines mailed to drivers, but, so far, no injuries from crashes.
New York State DOT remembers fallen highway workers
Willow Point appoints new administrator, increases wages for workers
Audit alleges NYSEG violations
JCC makes reading fun with Literacy Day
TCO's annual Opera and Beer event returning this week
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sidney man charged with vehicle arson
DELHI, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – A Sidney man was arraigned in Delaware County Court on a sealed indictment on Wednesday. District Attorney Shawn Smith announced that when the indictment was unsealed, Steven Baker, 43, was charged with Arson in the Third Degree, a Class C Felony. According to the indictment, on or about May 19, Baker and another individual stole a motor vehicle in the Town of Sidney and proceeded to intentionally set fire to it, causing the vehicle to be destroyed. Baker pleaded not guilty. The Honorable John Hubbard remanded Baker to the Delaware County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail. Two minors charged for incident with Waverly School Resource Officer Sidney man charged with vehicle arson Attorney General releases body camera footage of trooper-involved shooting in Malta Truth Pharm to unveil mural during First Friday event Scattered showers and storms continue heading into the weekend Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
FMCSA Modernizing Complaint System to Fight Freight Fraud, Coercion, Safety Gaps
For years, drivers, brokers and carriers have voiced the same complaint: Filing reports with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration often feels like yelling into the void. The National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB), designed initially to collect reports on bad actors in the supply chain, has been criticized for being clunky, outdated and ineffective. Now, in a low-profile move buried in the Federal Register, the FMCSA is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the NCCDB. The goal? To turn it into a fully modernized system for flagging broker fraud, motor carrier violations, shipper coercion and questionable conduct from substance abuse professionals, medical review officers and others operating under DOT compliance rules. It's not a new regulation, but it might be one of the agency's most important modernization efforts in years. The proposed changes stem from a 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that slammed the FMCSA's existing complaint system for lacking transparency, accountability and enforcement power. The new framework aims to change that by streamlining how complaints are filed, tracked and resolved and it aims to bring clarity to a marketplace defined by ghost carriers and untraceable the proposal, the NCCDB would get a complete overhaul, making it easier to file complaints, allowing users to track the status of their submissions, and improving data collection methods so that trends, patterns and serial offenders don't fall through the cracks. There's even language allowing carriers and brokers to challenge inaccurate or duplicate data, a nod toward due process in a system that's long lacked it. (This sounds ridiculously familiar to fleets' issues with the lack of due process in the antiquated Data Q system.) At the root, this change is about enforcement, not usability. The FMCSA has stated that the goal is to make complaint data more actionable, linking it directly to safety violations, broker noncompliance and the kinds of coercive behavior that regulators often miss in the field. While many complaints have historically vanished into limbo, the revamped system would increase the chance that they trigger investigations or enforcement when the trucking industry, this could be a quiet turning point. Carriers dealing with coercive shippers or unlicensed brokers may finally have a meaningful place to submit evidence. Drivers who've faced harassment, withheld pay or unsafe working conditions could gain a traceable channel to elevate their concerns. Brokers who play by the rules may benefit from a system that starts calling out the ones who don't. Freight fraud and cargo theft have gotten so bad that private businesses like Freight Validate and the Freight Fraud Task Force have been developed to fight fraud on the front end. In many ways, this feels like a 'clearinghouse' moment for complaints, especially fraud. While it doesn't have the regulatory teeth of the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, the concept is similar: aggregating data, flagging repeat offenders and giving industry players a tool to verify legitimacy before they engage. Still, execution is everything. A digital form means little if it leads to no meaningful action. The FMCSA has opened the door to a smarter system, but it will need real infrastructure and enforcement commitment behind it to succeed. The agency is gathering public comment and refining the proposal based on feedback, with implementation likely to begin in 2026. Given the freight market's growing vulnerability to fraud, ghost operations and regulatory loopholes, many hope this won't just be a paper fix. The post FMCSA Modernizing Complaint System to Fight Freight Fraud, Coercion, Safety Gaps appeared first on FreightWaves.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
New York City's needed e-bike crackdown: Letters to the Editor — June 6, 2025
The Issue: The lack of serious repercussions for dangerous e-biking in New York City. I'm curious to know how many injuries must occur before the Department of Transportation focuses on pedestrian safety, rather than the convenience of cyclists ('Progs' E-Bike Insanity,' Editorial, May 31). In my neighborhood, a two-way bicycle lane was installed on Plaza Street East — a one-way street. Advertisement Now pedestrians must also remember to watch for e-bike cyclists coming from the opposite direction of the automobile traffic flow. I wrote to the DOT about this and got a response saying, 'We don't typically add additional signage because the more signage you add, the easier it is for people to ignore them. So, we try to minimize safety signage.' At this point, I've given up requesting assistance with this hazardous situation. Advertisement Perhaps The Post's articles will result in getting someone's attention. Neil Berman Brooklyn This is part of a giant hypocrisy of the left: When someone is doing something that comports with their leftist ideology — like law-flouting bikers, fare beaters or illegal immigrants — the left is fine with it. Advertisement But when it comes to driving a car or carrying a gun in the city — two innately constitutional activities — the left prohibits it or taxes it and tolls it to death. D.M. Markowitz Schenectady I was nearly hit by an e-bike while walking on a Queens sidewalk and narrowly escaped injury. Advertisement To bolster public safety, the Legislature must pass 'Priscilla's Law,' named after a pedestrian killed by an e-bike in Manhattan in 2023. It would require all e-bikes and e-scooters to be registered and display license plates for legal accountability. (I would add an insurance requirement.) That's responsible law enforcement, not racist targeting, as claimed by City Council member Lincoln Restler. Those who violate traffic laws must be prosecuted, regardless of their immigration status. Richard Reif Queens Thank you, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Advertisement Someone finally has seen bikes as a tremendous problem. I remember the blind gentleman I once helped cross First Avenue. He told me he is not afraid of cars, but that he fears the bikes. J.J. Levine Advertisement Miami Beach, Fla It is miraculous that the 3-year-old girl survived the recent bike incident in Brooklyn. Eight months ago, I was hit by an electric CitiBike going the wrong way at West 60 Street and Broadway. I had the green light — yet the cyclist, a 14-year-old male, was let go without a summons. Advertisement The safety of pedestrians should supersede the rights of motor vehicles, all types of bicycles and motorized scooters. Karen O'Brien Manhattan Advertisement The Issue: Zohran Mamdani's campaign to become the next mayor of New York City. Ken Girardin listed many valid reasons why Zohran Mamdani should not be the next mayor of New York (' 'Free' Fallacy,' May 2). Unfortunately, those reasons are some people's arguments for why he should be the next mayor. It is sad that New York City is just not 'bad enough yet' for the voters to realize they can't keep voting for any person who has a D after their name. Warren Stuart New City The city of my birth is on the path of no return with socialist Mamdani in the race for mayor. If it weren't for my grandkids, I would transplant to the free red state of South Carolina. No one can save this city; the self-hating Jews will vote for an antisemite simply because of the D after his name. Mike Santavicca Yonkers Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
