Front Street Gateway Work Takes Toll on Binghamton Diner

CLICK on the arrow above to hear Julianne Ludka's account of what happened to her Front Street business after the construction began.

Regular customers of Binghamton's Red Oak Diner have been having a tough time getting to the restaurant because of detours linked to a major road project.

Business at the family-owned diner has dropped off dramatically since work began on the Front Street Gateway Project.

Julianne Ludka - one of the restaurant's owners - said several customers told her and restaurant employees that construction workers had advised them the street was closed.

On a recent afternoon as she was driving to the diner, Ludka said a man driving a construction truck yelled at her and told her the road was closed.

Ludka said a long-time customer recounted an incident in which a construction worker raced after his car and swore at him.

Ludka said signs indicating that Front Street businesses were open had been poorly placed and were misleading. She said the signage issue improved after she met this week with councilman Giovanni Scaringi.

One Red Oak waitress said the decline in business is costing her a lot of money in tips. She estimates she is losing $150 to $200 a week because fewer customers are visiting the diner.