Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) held a press conference in Albany today, Sept. 22, 2025, to address the recent motorcycle accident that occurred along notorious New York Route 7 in Niskayuna on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. Smullen was joined by his wife, Megan, Sen. Patricia Fahy (D-Albany), the Senate sponsor for the Alexander John Smullen Traffic Safety Memorial Bill, Assemblyman Scott Bendett (R,C-Sand Lake), Niskayuna resident Joseph Yakel and members of the Niskayuna Police Department to voice their concerns and deliver a clear message: New York Route 7 remains unsafe, and immediate action must be taken to protect pedestrians and motorists alike.

Christopher Reith, a 25-year-old man from Colonie, was killed when his motorcycle was struck by an oncoming vehicle. This tragic accident is now the third fatal crash that has occurred along New York Route 7 within the last year and a half alone—59-year-old Angela Fisher-Reid was struck by a vehicle and killed on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, near the Bellevue Woman’s Center. And just one year earlier, Smullen’s son, 14-year-old Alexander John “AJ” Smullen, was also struck by a vehicle along the same notorious stretch of road on Feb. 22, 2024, passing away in the Pediatric ICU on March 6, 2024.

“The lack of traffic safety along New York Route 7 has claimed the lives of three individuals in the past 18 months alone, including my beloved son,” said Smullen. “This issue is not going to go away, and more deaths will inevitably follow unless we work together to implement common-sense solutions immediately.”

Smullen has been working with fellow assemblymembers, senators, local and state law enforcement as well as members of the community to help raise awareness of traffic safety and push forward necessary changes to New York Route 7. The Alexander John Smullen Traffic Safety Memorial Law, introduced earlier this year by Smullen and Fahy, unanimously passed in the New York State Assembly and Senate. Also known as Assembly Bill A.3938-B/S.5568-B, this proposal will establish a traffic safety memorial sign program to publicly memorialize the victims of fatal vehicle collisions. Smullen says this program will be an official, straightforward way for families to mourn their loved ones while also reminding drivers to slow down and drive responsibly.

“An accident on Route 7 in Niskayuna has claimed another life, making that three in just a year and a half,” said Fahy. “The legislation we introduced gives family or friends the chance to memorialize victims of fatal vehicle collisions with a roadside sign and raises awareness of the consequences of impaired or reckless driving, but it is not enough on its own to solve the problem we have on Route 7. It is time to take further action to ensure these fatal accidents don’t continue. I commend Assemblymember Smullen for his continued efforts to draw attention to traffic safety issues in the area, and I urge the Department of Transportation to take immediate action instilling traffic calming measures on this stretch of New York Route 7.”

Smullen also delivered a petition with nearly 1,300 signatures to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul on April 1, 2025, alongside the petition’s creator, Niskayuna resident Joseph Yakel, to improve traffic safety on New York Route 7, a petition the pair plan to bring to the governor’s desk once more. The petition was addressed to Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez and New York State Police Superintendent Steven James.

Despite these efforts and despite the clear and present need for improvements to be made along New York Route 7, discussions with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to address the pattern of fatal crashes and serious pedestrian injuries remain ongoing. While Smullen recently received a response letter from the NYSDOT claiming it is taking steps to make necessary changes along the road, the letter also pointed out that, according to a traffic study conducted by the NYSDOT, 90% of motorists regularly speed on New York Route 7—a percentage Smullen is shocked has not triggered a more immediate response.

“The time for talking is over,” continued Smullen. “We must take action now before more lives are lost. It is time to fix New York Route 7 to keep residents, drivers and pedestrians safe on the road.”