NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS AND NEW EQUIPMENT IN PREPARATION FOR THE WINTER SEASON

For Immediate Release: 11/25/24
Contact: Office of Media Relations and Communications | (518) 471-5300 | [email protected]

NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS AND NEW EQUIPMENT IN PREPARATION FOR THE WINTER SEASON

More Than 250 Heavy-Duty Snowplows Will Be Equipped with Green Hazard Lights to Improve Visibility and Enhance Safety for Both Plow Operators and Motorists

More Than 50 New Pieces of Snow Fighting Equipment Deployed to Thruway Maintenance Divisions Statewide and to State Police Troop T; Last Winter,
Thruway Crews Cleared 1.1 Million Lane Miles And 14 Feet of Snow

Launching Pilot Program with "iCone" with Installation of Devices That Feed Real-Time Data into Popular Vehicle Navigation Programs

Thruway Plows Travel at Approximately 35 Miles Per Hour When Engaged in Plowing and Treating the Road; Drivers Are Reminded to Use Caution When Traveling Past a Plow Truck

The New York State Thruway Authority today announced safety improvements and new equipment in preparation for the upcoming Winter season, further emphasizing the Authority's mission to deliver on the trademarks of Safety, Service and Reliability on its 570-mile superhighway.

Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare, Esq. said, "The Thruway's snow fighters are the best in the business when it comes to preparing for storms and clearing snow. Thanks to our teams of dedicated professionals, the Thruway continues to be recognized year after year as one of the safest and most dependable highways to travel during challenging weather conditions. These new safety improvements will further enhance the protection of our more than 700 plow operators and supervisors, along with the millions of drivers who depend on our system every day."

During the 2023 - 2024 snow and ice season, Thruway Authority operators cleared more than 1.1 million lane miles, removing roughly 172 inches, or more than 14 feet, of snow. New for the upcoming 2024-2025 snow and ice season, all the Thruway's more than 250 heavy-duty plow trucks will be equipped with green hazard lights, complementing the standard amber hazard lights. Green lights are intended to improve visibility and safety during winter operations, particularly in low-light conditions and poor weather.

Green lights on plow trucks were first approved in 2022 by amending the Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) paragraph 5 of subdivision 41 of VTL section 375. The lights will only be used for snow and ice removal.

NEW EQUIPMENT
In addition to the green hazard lights, the Thruway Authority will be deploying more than 50 new pieces of snow fighting equipment statewide including 19 new heavy-duty plow trucks which are scheduled to be in service by the end of the year, 25 medium-duty snowplows, loaders, skid steers with snowblowers and snow pushers, light-duty pickup trucks with plows and spreaders, new salt spreader bodies, as well as two snowmobiles and a UTV for the New York State Police Troop T. Overall, the Thruway Authority has more than 400 snow fighting vehicles and pieces of equipment ready to be deployed for the first snowfall.

Furthermore, this will be the first Winter for the new and improved Thruway Statewide Operations Center (TSOC) located inside the Thruway Authority's Administrative Headquarters in Albany, which opened in August. TSOC is a communications dispatch center that coordinates traffic incident response, is responsible for emergency management, and provides traveler information throughout the entire Thruway. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long.

iCONE PILOT PROGRAM
As part of the Thruway Authority's ongoing commitment to enhancing safety for both plow operators and the traveling public, the Authority is launching a pilot program in partnership with iCone. This initiative will involve equipping 50 heavy-duty plow trucks with devices that can provide real-time data to popular vehicle navigation applications such as Google Maps and Waze. During snow operations, the device connects with navigation systems to alert drivers about potential upcoming hazards, such as snowplow activities. This alerts motorists to be aware and to navigate the area safely, significantly enhancing driving efficiency and ensuring the safety of plow operators.

The devices will be installed and operational in select plows in each of the Thruway's four Maintenance Divisions where the highest number of plow crashes took place in the last five years. If successful, the Authority will look to installing iCone devices in all Thruway plow trucks.

During Winter 2023-2024, there were 16 crashes involving Thruway plows while engaged in snow operations. In the last five years, Thruway plows have been involved in more than 75 crashes.

WINTER DRIVING SAFETY
Drivers are reminded that Thruway snowplows travel at about 35 miles per hour - which in many cases is slower than the posted speed limit - in order to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. The safest place for motorists is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and salted.

For more information on the Thruway's Winter Maintenance Program, motorists are encouraged to visit thruway.ny.gov.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the Thruway's mobile app which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority's interactive Traveler Map which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

For more information, follow the Thruway on Facebook, X and Instagram, or visit our website.

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