To the Editor:

In the Southern Tier, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) maintains more than 4,000 lane miles of highway. Every day, across those miles, our employees work inches away from harm with a singular purpose to keep our traveling public safe.

It is work that’s often unseen, but never unimportant. Whether it’s filling potholes or building bridges and roadways, our DOT workers and construction partners show up every day, and yet, too often, their safety is needlessly put at risk.

Speeding through work zones, ignoring signage and failing to move over have real consequences.

In 2025 alone, there were 366 crashes in work zones across New York State. Two lives were lost. And already in 2026, we have seen 40 work zone incidents statewide—two of them occurring in the Southern Tier - resulting in property damage, but thankfully, no injuries.

Behind every number is a story.

We remember Dennis “Matt” Howe of Owego, who died in 2019 after his DOT work truck was sideswiped in a work zone. He was a husband, a father, and a colleague. A man who never made it home. He’s not alone. 59 DOT workers have been killed in work zones. Here in our own region, we carry the memory of Richard Klinko, William Usher, Gordon Bartle, Charles Ballard, Wayne Bonsell, Jason Pessoni, and Jonathon “J” Randall—all lives cut short while doing their jobs.

We remain hopeful in progress. Programs like our Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program are proving effective—as there have been no worker injuries or fatalities in work zones where these cameras are active. In our region to date, we have issued 5,381 Notices of Liability for speeding in work zones—clocking the top speed of a motorist at 92 miles per hour in one of our work zones on State Route 17 in Hancock, Delaware County.

Unfortunately, driver responsibility cannot be automated.

The week of April 20th is National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, and as construction season ramps up, I urge every driver to take responsibility behind the wheel. SLOW DOWN. MOVE OVER. Give our workers the room and respect they deserve. The few moments you might save by speeding are not worth a life.

Our workers are out there for you—improving the roads you travel every day. Let’s make sure they all get home safely.

Andrew Stiles,

Regional Director for NYSDOT’s Region 9