Mohawk Valley Times

Assemblyman Robert Smullen has called for urgent measures to improve traffic safety on New York Route 7 in Niskayuna following a second pedestrian fatality in just over a year. The recent incident occurred near the Bellevue Woman’s Center on February 25, 2025, only hours after Smullen introduced Assembly Bill A.3938 at a press conference in Albany. This bill, named the “Alexander John Smullen Traffic Safety Memorial Law,” honors his late son AJ, who died in a vehicle collision on the same road stretch on February 22, 2024.

Smullen plans to hold an event outside the Bellevue Woman’s Center on March 3, 2025, where he will unveil a highway sign memorializing his son and urging drivers statewide to reduce speed to prevent further fatalities.

“After seeing an accident like this happen again on Route 7, I’m at a loss for words,” stated Smullen. “How many more lives must be taken on Route 7 before action is taken? I am calling on the New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner to address the public’s concerns and take action immediately to keep New York pedestrians and drivers safe."

He emphasized his commitment: “In honor of my son and all the other victims of fatal vehicle collisions in our state over the years, I will not rest until the dangerous conditions on these roadways are taken seriously and are corrected. I have heard there may be a petition started soon calling for a traffic light to be installed in this area on Route 7—I will certainly take that petition and make sure it gets to the highest levels of the state government.”