Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper the public turned out in force January 29, to discuss road safety with representatives from the state Department of Transportation. The meeting was held at the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building and included officials from the villages of Valatie and Kinderhook, and the town of Kinderhook, as well as many residents, some from Chatham. Several state troopers, local firefighters and Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett also attended. The concerns expressed by many speakers focused on state Route 203 where a 4-year-old was killed in a car accident and several people were injured in December. There was also a discussion about Route 9, where two fatal accidents took place in November. All three of the accidents happened on roads maintained by the state and located within the town of Kinderhook. Adam Levine, DOT regional traffic engineer, said he wanted to meet with village and town officials but that Kinderhook Town Supervisor Pat Grattan suggested the meeting be open to residents with concerns. Levine said the state is considering the installation of rumble strips in the middle of Route 203 and on the sides of the road to warn motorists when they are outside their lane. Those rumble strips would have to be put in when the road is repaved, which happens to be scheduled for the spring. And the state can look at speed limits again, Levine said, although he warned that resolving the problem is not necessarily as easy as changing a sign. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.