In regards to the tragic story this past winter (reported HERE on YW), when R’ Efrayim Langer Z”L was tragically killed in a car accident. His wife was unable to call for help due to no cell coverage in the area – and R’ Efrayim R”L froze to death. In addition, YW had reported (HERE) about a trucker who froze to death in the same area after walking through high snow – when his truck skidded of the road. The trucker needed help, but there was no cell coverage. Thousands of Jews travel this route from NY to Canada.

The Press Republican reports: There is no reason to be optimistic about seeing cell-phone service invigorated along what is now dead space on the Northway, and that can spell disaster. One ace in the hole remains, however: Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

State Sen. Betty Little (R-Queensbury) discussed the situation with the Press-Republican’s Editorial Board recently and conveyed frustration with the small amount of progress to date. “We can’t go through another winter without cell-phone coverage on the Northway. I don’t want to have to say again, We’re working on it.'”

It’s not for lack of effort on the part of our state representatives that the coverage is so spotty. Little and the Assembly delegation have made the cell capacity a personal crusade for at least five years. That delegation includes Teresa Sayward (R-Willsboro) and Janet Duprey (R-Peru), as well as Duprey’s predecessor, Plattsburgh Republican Chris Ortloff.

They have all spoken with the people in government and in industry who would have to be part of a solution to the problem. They have all driven along the Northway and tried making cell-phone calls to ascertain the extent of the gap in coverage.

Verizon has said it could install towers to transfer signals, but the Adirondack Park Agency has strict requirements on where the towers could go, how many could be installed and how high. If the agency’s rules don’t mesh with Verizon’s business needs, the company cannot, of course, be compelled to build.

COWS were thought to be a solution. They are the cell towers on wheels — aptly named for this heavily agricultural area — that could be placed either temporarily or permanently in three rest areas on the Northway and transmit adequate signals. The APA, however, ruled them out.

So, as we approach the end of August, prospects for cell phones by the first snowfall appear bleak. Last winter, two motorists died in the dead of winter and the dead of cell-phone coverage when they became disabled and were unable to summon help. (Cell phones may not have helped in one of the cases, which occurred in snow so deep and thick no one should have been driving in it.)

Nevertheless, chances of survival are seriously reduced without cell phones.

If all else fails, the last hope will be Spitzer, who, upon taking office, spoke encouragingly of seeing that cell phones were able to penetrate the 47-mile dead zone between exits 28 and 35 of the Northway.

The assumption is that he could be persuaded by either legislation or, more likely, by executive order to render APA requirements less stringent.

It’s easy in sunny, 75-degree weather to call for a solution and hope it happens. When the snow and ice prevail, however, the urgency will be more apparent.

Little has discussed this inevitable crisis with Spitzer and feels confident of corrective action. She is absolutely right: “We’re working on it” is no longer good enough, as we learned so painfully last winter.

(Source: PR)