According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSA), there are approximately 1.5 million deer-related car accidents annually, leading to 175 to 200 fatalities each year. Of course, this number pales in comparison to the number of human pedestrians killed in traffic accidents each year (4,700), but in certain areas of the country, deer collisions are a real threat.
Rochester is one of those areas. In fact, according to a study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Rochester is the number one location in New York state outside of New York City — and the number five location in the U.S. — for car collisions with deer. The study reveals that between 2014 and 2017, Rochestarians filed 1,929 insurance claims because of vehicle damage caused by animals, and 91% of those animals were deer. And these collisions seem to be growing more common each year; 507 of those insurance claims were filed in 2017 alone. Only New York City recorded more car-animal collision claims than Rochester in the state of New York. Below you’ll find the top 10 list:
San Antonio, TX — 3,945
Austin, TX — 2,452
New York City, NY — 2,442
Pittsburgh, PA — 2,115
Rochester, NY — 1,929
Baltimore, MD — 1,896
Charlotte, NC — 1,816
Kansas City, MO — 1,780
Los Angeles, CA — 1,620
Houston, TX — 1,613
For Rochester residents, this data shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s painfully obvious as we make our daily commutes that deer collisions increase dramatically in October and peak in November, coinciding with the height of the deer mating season. And as the deer populations grow and urban environments encroach upon rural habitats, the animals become increasingly displaced. It’s projected that in the next 50 years, at least 17 million acres of forest land will be lost permanently to urbanization.
So, what can you do to avoid potentially fatal deer collisions? We’ve got a few tips:
Pay close attention during peak deer hours.
Deer are typically found roaming areas near the roads between sunset and midnight and during the hours just before and after sunrise. The low visibility during these times make driving especially dangerous. If possible, keep your high-beams on, and scan the grassy areas around the road for movement. Try to avoid driving during these hours if you suffer from visual impairment of any kind; the global population of people aged 60 and over is expected to double between 2015 and 2050, and driving at night becomes particularly risky as we age.
If you see one, keep an eye out for others.
It’s important to note that deer seldom roam alone. If you see one deer, practice caution in case others are following behind.
Do not swerve.
The leading cause of accidents from deer-related collisions are due to vehicles swerving to avoid hitting a deer. Swerving can drive vehicles into oncoming traffic, trees, and other objects, or could result in your car rolling over. Instead, slow down as much as possible, blow your horn in one long blast to scare the deer away, and if necessary, allow your car to strike the deer.
Deer-vehicle collisions can be highly dangerous and expensive. Even if an animal-car collision is covered under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance, it’s always better to avoid a collision in the first place.
Clearly, the coronavirus has changed the world. There isn’t a person in the United States that has not been drastically affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Thousands of people have lost their lives, millions of people have lost their jobs, and virtually every single person is riddled with severe anxiety over the last few months.
Hopefully things are starting to return to at least somewhat normal, especially as phases one through four begin opening. But it’s imperative that every Rochester citizen remains vigilant and focusing on preventing the spread of this deadly virus.
Here are some important aspects to pay attention to as we reach the later months of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Rochester Farmers Battling Back
The farming industry is struggling just like every other sector across Rochester and the rest of the country.
The Family Farmer Relief Act was signed into law in August 2019, which helped farmers all across the United States. Since COVID-19, though, additional relief has been requested. Thankfully, New York State Senator Chuck Schumer sent a release in early April pushing for federal emergency dollars to be allocated toward NYS Farmers representing the over 33,000 farms across the state. The bipartisian $2 trillion CARES ACT also included a Schumer-negotiated $9.5 billion in emergency funding for the agricultural sector.
“New York’s farmers and the New York agricultural industry is the lifeblood of the nation,” added Senator Schumer. “n good times, New York farmers work long hours on tight margins but in the midst of a global pandemic, they are losing revenue streams, suffering huge financial losses and being forced to discard their products during a time when we need a reliable food supply. I fought to make $9.5 billion accessible to help them out during this crisis, and it is imperative that we immediately put those dollars to use. I will not rest until New York farmers have the resources they need to help Americans get food on the table.”
New COVID-19-Related Changes to Workers’ Compensation Claims
In the past, if you were granted Temporary Disability (TD) benefits, you would be entitled to two-thirds of your average weekly earnings. During the last few months, however, due to the coronavirus, millions of Americans have been out of work. Many of those workers still relied on TD benefits and other workers’ compensation benefits.
Due to social-distancing requirements, the Workers’ Compensation Board relaxed the mandate that injured workers need to receive ongoing medical treatment every 90 days. Also, the Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board adopted an emergency amendment allowing telemedicine appointments instead of in-person visits for certain workers’ comp cases.
Though many Rochester workers have still been employed throughout the pandemic, a lot of construction jobs have halted. Since between 60% and 90% of prefabricated construction occurs inside of a warehouse or a factory, projects typically can be completed quickly — but not when these factories are deemed “unessential.” However, because many of these warehouses have been shut down over the last few months, there have been far less manufacturing-related injuries in Rochester.
Rochester Entertainment is Almost Back
Although there are plenty of fun activities that have yet to open, including movie theaters, malls, and festivals — there are plenty of entertainment options opening up! One of the most family-fun things to do in Rochester for years has been the Seneca Park Zoo — and it’s reopening this weekend!
“We are excited to announce that the Seneca Park Zoo is reopening just in time for the start of summer, bringing back a special place for so many people and families in our community,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. “While we know everyone is excited to come back to see all their favorite animals, my family included, there will be new policies and procedures in place to make sure all guests, employees, volunteers and animals are safe.”
As we head into a COVID-19 summer, hopefully, Rochester — and the rest of the U.S. and world — can start opening up everything and the economy will start bouncing back!
There is no getting around it: COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on local businesses. A great deal of uncertainty surrounds the virus, leaving many questions unanswered. What does the future look like for essential and non-essential businesses? When will things return to “normal?” Is it possible to fully return to the normal we once knew?
Several businesses are taking action into their own hands, not sitting idly by or waiting around for answers. Here are just a few things businesses are doing in a stirring show of perseverance, strength, and solidarity during these uncertain times.
Just a few short months ago, Wegmans made headlines for its willingness to lead the charge ahead of the statewide plastic bag ban. While annual polyethylene production clocks in at around 80 million tons worldwide, the popular grocery store chain was willing to be the first to tell its customers they’d need to make the switch to reusable or paper bags instead.
But now, Rochester’s hometown supermarket is being subjected to even more pressure to our rapidly changing world. As COVID-19 continues to impact thousands of Flower City residents, Wegmans is evolving almost as quickly as new cases are confirmed.
There is no doubt about it… the world will forever be different after the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has impacted virtually everyone’s life in every part of the world. Families are shattered with grief, entire cities are shut down, and uncertainty and worry are sweeping the globe.
Across the U.S., hundreds of businesses have already filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation bankruptcy) and owners are doing everything they can to keep their businesses afloat — but they’re running out of options. Unfortunately, small businesses are suffering just as much due to the nationwide quarantine, and Rochester is no exception.
Even though most people know Rochester for Kodak or its signature garbage plate, more people have started to take note of Rochester’s thriving arts scene. From new featured art at the Memorial Art Gallery to the local artists showcasing their skills at its countless festivals each year, folks from across the state have indulged in the local art for which Rochester is known.
Ankyloglossia is a condition present at birth that can lead to serious problems for both a child and mother. Ankyloglossia is a scary medical term that not too many people are familiar with. This condition is more commonly known, simply, as tongue-tie, which affects between 4% and 11% of newborn babies.
Aldi is the common brand of a German family-owned discount supermarket chain with over 10,000 stores in 20 countries. The grocery chain was founded by Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 when they took over their mother’s store in Essen, which had been in operation since 1913.
Many of you have noticed our extended hiatus and have begun asking if this is the end for RocSubway. I didn’t think it would be necessary to say anything about it. But for those of you who had followed this blog like religion for so long, you deserve some closure.
A little while ago I lost my job and decided to start my own web design business instead of going back to work for someone else. That was the best decision I ever made for myself. But it also means I now work pretty much nonstop with little time for anything else. What extra time I do have, I put into growing Reconnect Rochester . Reconnect is a nonprofit organization doing amazing work to change the way transportation is viewed in Monroe County. It’s something I’m very proud of. And it began with a seed planted right here.
So I’m not going away, really. I just won’t be posting much here for the foreseeable future. In the meantime you’re welcome to join me over at Reconnect . Or perhaps I’ll run into you somewhere else, helping to make our community better in your own way.
Before I sign off, I want to say thank you.
I’ve gained much more from every RocSubway reader I’ve met (virtually and in person) than what I’ve given on these pages. Always remember there are important lessons for the future buried deep within our past. Everywhere you look in this city—behind every wall and within every person—you will find a beautiful story. We’ve only scraped the surface.
On a recent trip to New York City (my previous home) I came across a poem in the subway by former U.S. Poet Laureate, Billy Collins. I cannot think of better words to close with…
As you fly swiftly underground
with a song in your ears
or lost in the maze of a book,
remember the ones who descended here
into the mire of bedrock
to bore a hole through this granite,
to clear a passage for you
where there was only darkness and stone.
Remember as you come up into the light.
Gilbert Hunt was a trolley and bus operator for Rochester Transit Corporation (the predecessor organization of RTS) from 1907 to 1948. When Gilbert retired in 1948 the Democrat & Chronicle published a story about him and his impressive collection of Rochester transit passes which he amassed over his long career. That collection is now up for grabs…
Rochester’s arts and entertainment community is in the final stages of preparation for the 2016 First Niagara Fringe Festival , which takes place Thursday, September 15 to Saturday, September 24, all across Rochester. There will be more than 500 performances at more than 25 venues in and around the city. And 170 of those performances are totally free!
I don’t know of anyone in the world who loves parking—except maybe Lorraine Baines—but that’s not exactly the kind of parking I’m talking about here…
I’m talking about the hassle of cruising up and down the rows of a Wegmans parking lot, trying to squeeze in next to the hummer who decided he needed an extra couple of spaces, fighting the nine other drivers who won’t even entertain the thought of walking an extra twenty feet to pay $5 for a bottle of water.
RG&E’s Beebee power plant was one of the most formidable structures in Rochester. For half a century, this cluster of buildings covered an 8 acre site along the floor of the High Falls gorge – climbing up the west rock wall and looming hundreds of feet in the air over Platt Street and the neighborhood below…
Welcome back, readers! In this edition of Filling In, let’s take another look at Parcel 5. Before we get started, quickly refresh by scouting the last time we discussed this site. I apologize in advance that this article probably isn’t going to cover much more about what I think should be done with the site, rather, what should probably not be done, and why…
Every once in a while we like to share fun stuff from the Rochester Subway mailbag. Here’s an email from a Rochester expatriate now living in New England. John Zicari is keeping tabs on his old home town by following sites like ours, while longing for some of the finer things in life. John writes…
Do me a favor. If you’re at home, step outside for a moment and take a good, long look at your driveway and garage (Don’t worry, the Internet will still be here when you get back). If you don’t have a driveway or garage, step outside and catch me a Charmander!
Did you do it? Did you stare intently at your driveway/garage situation? Great! Now, think about it for a moment and answer honestly: Does your car have a bigger bedroom than you do? Seriously. What percentage of the space that you own/rent/occupy is dedicated solely to vehicular storage? Your car isn’t paying rent. Why does it get the biggest room in the house?!
What else could you do with that space the garage sits on? A jam space for your band? Art studio? Game room? Greenhouse? The possibilities are many…
If realized, the Rochester River School would use the Genesee River as its classroom and curriculum. The school would offer “humane education” – teaching students compassion and respect for all living things and “to live ethically, sustainably, justly, and peacefully.” Recently, an online fundraising campaign was launched to help the school get off the ground. The following message was submitted by the school’s cofounder, Joel Helfrich…
Since I’ve lived downtown I’ve had my eyes on this building. Not for much good reason except that it was there, and waiting. But despite being so close, it always stayed locked up and out of reach. In fact, over the years it seemed to defy everyone’s best efforts to occupy it – including those of its many owners…
Rochester Makerspace is hosting a Sunday Artists and Makers Expo on May 22 from 2 PM to 5 PM. Bring your friends or family and enjoy live music, plenty of refreshments, and an eclectic collection of artwork, crafts, and maker projects on display…
Here’s a neat bit of Rochester sports history, even if we are forever on the losing end. 35 years ago this evening, the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings would begin the longest professional baseball game ever played to date; 33 innings spanning three calendar days…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
Industrial & Rapid Transit Railway (the “subway”) was built in
its place as a link between the five different railroads and interurban trolley
lines that served the Rochester area. As the industrial landscape of Rochester
changed, and highways replaced the railroads, the Rochester subway gradually
became a relic of a bygone era. In 1956 the subway was abandoned and much of
its route was converted into Interstate 490 — built to connect Rochester
with the New York State Thruway (I-90). Read more about the history of the Rochester Subway.
RochesterSubway.com exists to help spark
public dialogue around how we can better connect the neighborhoods of Rochester
NY, surrounding communities, and their cultural offerings. Rochester’s
future is written in her past. Let's rediscover it.
![Subway Poem [IMAGE: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/subway-poem.jpg)
![Gilbert Hunt was a trolley and bus operator with Rochester Transit Corporation for 40 years. His collection of transit passes is up for grabs. [IMAGE: From the collection of Gilbert Hunt]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/Gilbert-Hunt-1948-02-22_D&C.jpg)
![Cirque du Fringe: MIRACLE CURE & Other Wonders from the Vagabond Caravan. [IMAGE: Provide]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/miracle-cure.jpg)
![For Park(ing) Day is tomorrow. [IMAGE: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/parking-day-2016-01.jpg)
![RG&E Beebee power station prior to demolition. Rochester, NY. Summer 2016. [IMAGE: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-rge-beebee-station-00.jpg)
![2008 Conceptual plan for Midtown by the City of Rochester [PHOTO: City Hall Photo Lab Contemporary Collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Original_Conceptual_Plan.jpg)
![For Park(ing) Day this year, some folks want to turn a downtown parking lot into a public art gallery space. They are asking for submissions of visual art, in any form, showing how you would transform one unused place in the city of Rochester. [IMAGE: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/parking-day-2016-request-for-art-01.jpg)
![Old Richford hotel building at 65-67 S. Chestnut Street, Rochester. [IMAGE: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/richford-building-65-67-chestnut-rochester-00.jpg)
![Artwork by Alexandros Hatzigiannidis. [IMAGE: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-makerspace-expo-01.jpg)
![Dave Koza ending baseball's longest game with a bases-loaded single in the 33rd inning of a game that began on April 18 and ended on June 23, 1981. [IMAGE: Pawtucket Red Sox]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-vs-pawtucket-longest-baseball-game-01.jpg)
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