Residents Get An Update On The Route 9 “Complete Streets” Project

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More than 100 rivertowns residents weigh the advantages and disadvantages of proposed rte. 9 revisions

September 13, 2024

By Barrett Seaman–

They’re back: the New York State Department of Transportation team, with the engineering and consulting firm WSP, are in the rivertowns to share with the public the progress they have made over the last year in reconceptualizing the Route 9 corridor from Sleepy Hollow through Hastings. The goal is to make Broadway “a safe, reliable and comfortable corridor for people of all ages, backgrounds—walking, biking, driving and using transit.”

The first of two sessions was held on Thursday, September 12^th at Mercy University, where project team members invited local residents to see renderings of how they might make a dozen of Broadway’s most problematic choke points safer and more efficient.

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A before and after view of the Broadway/Ashford Avenue intersection in Dobbs Ferry

The presenters made it clear that what they were proposing was still a work in progress. As they did last October in Tarrytown, team members are inviting the public to critique the plan. Armed with feedback from the various stakeholders, they will make further revisions and return before the end of the year with a draft proposal they hope will be close to final.

The instrument of choice in the project’s toolbox is the traffic circle. Ten of the 12 intersections on display rely on roundabouts to encourage a smooth flow of traffic. Also prominent in the renderings are clearly marked crosswalks, curb extensions and bike lanes. The plan envisions a continuous sidewalk from Hastings through Sleepy Hollow.

A look at how the intersection of rte. 119 and Broadway in Tarrytown would change

As they did last October in Tarrytown, the team invited attendees to break into smaller groups to examine the proposed changes from various perspectives: how they would affect drivers, pedestrians, bikers, local business owners and the environment. Each group was asked to articulate both the advantages and disadvantages. Each display board had a blank column on which attendees were invited to post green stickers if they liked the concept and red ones if they did not.

Examining the rendering of the proposed traffic circle at the intersection of Broadway and Ashford Avenue in Dobbs Ferry, a woman wondered how an eighteen-wheel semi could get around the circle without running onto the island. A team member explained that the center islands in each of the roundabouts were designed to accommodate minor incursions. In a breakout session exploring the pros and cons of a roundabout at the intersection of Broadway and route 119 in Tarrytown, it was noted that while the circle would improve traffic flow at that specific location, traditional traffic lights on Broadway both south and north of 119 would still cause backups during morning and evening rush hours.

While clearly marked lanes reserved for bicycles were a prominent feature in many of the renderings, Dan Convissor, leader of Bike Tarrytown, an active proponent of protected bike lanes, complained that “the convenience of people driving is prioritized over the safety and convenience of people walking, cycling, and using wheelchairs.” He further observed that “the cycling facilities are narrow, lack protection from motor vehicles, and vanish at many locations. That won’t help our neighbors who are too scared to bike.” From a different perspective, others noted that the conversion of lanes from motor vehicle to bike and pedestrian use would further slow traffic as well as remove parking spaces—a major concern of local business owners.

Where Broadway, Beekman Avenue and rte. 448 meet in Sleepy Hollow

Scott Geiger, WSP’s project manager for the Route 9 plan, acknowledged that reducing the number of vehicles using Broadway—through what he termed a “road diet”—was intentional. Fewer cars and trucks would be offset by more bikers, pedestrians and public transit riders, which would be safer for people and better for the environment.

The exercise will be repeated from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on September 19^th at the Tarrytown Senior Center adjacent to Pierson Park.

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