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In a joint release, Mayor Svante Myrick, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton and the New York State Department of Transportation Region 3 Director Carl Ford announced the formation of a joint working group Monday with their three offices to evaluate every possible improvement to safety on the state highways leading into Ithaca.

The effort to improve safety comes after the tragic accident on June 20th, in which a tractor trailer truck lost its brakes on Route 79 in the City of Ithaca and careened into Simeon’s restaurant on the corner of 79 and North Aurora Street, taking the life of the 27-year-old bartender, Amanda Bush.  Lifton and Myrick spoke soon after the accident that evening and agreed to ask for a meeting with DOT and work together to see what might be done to augment safety measures on the steep hills around Ithaca in order to try to prevent such an accident from happening again.

“Our entire community was grief-stricken at the loss of this young mother, and the Mayor and I immediately decided we would meet with state DOT to see what more might be done to increase the safety of state roads in the city,” Lifton said.  “That initial meeting, with Region 3 Director Carl Ford and his staff, took place on July 25th in my Ithaca office. After a lengthy discussion, we were very pleased that the DOT suggested a joint Work Group with DOT and our two offices, where any and all possible improvements would be considered and immediately implemented as soon as they are deemed effective,” explained Lifton.

“The crash took the young life of Amanda Bush, a successful and beloved business, and our sense of security.  We are committed to taking every reasonable measure to improve safety on our streets, on our sidewalks, and in our buildings,” said Mayor Myrick.

“Safety is our top priority,” New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald said.  “We look forward to working with Assemblywoman Lifton, Mayor Myrick and the local community in a collaborative effort to examine measures that will improve safety for everyone on the state roadways in and around Ithaca.”

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