State DOT Makes Final Pitch For Route 9 Traffic Reform

By Elizabeth Tucker–

On Wednesday evening at Mercy University, the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT)and the engineering firm WSP hosted the last in a series of four public meetings to present the “Complete Streets” design for the Route 9 corridor from Tompkins Ave. in Hastings to Sleepy Hollow’s famed cemetery.

Significant features of the design include roundabouts at major intersections—there are four in Sleepy Hollow, two each in Irvington and Dobbs Ferry and one each in Tarrytown and Hastings. Plus, there are occasional speed tables and raised crosswalks—and a largely continuous bike lane. At the meeting, renderings and plots for each of the villages were exhibited and DOT representatives offered explanations and solicited feedback from residents, as they had done previously. Heather Pillsworth, DOT’s public information officer, emphasized that changes can still be made to the design and that community input is still being sought “so that we can make the best decisions possible.”

The roundabouts were the subject of much conversation. Pedestrian refuges are included for the wider roads radiating from each roundabout. However, Bronwyn Taggart, who lives near downtown Hastings and walks frequently for errands, worried that without the cars being brought to a stop, seniors like herself would find it difficult or even dangerous to cross. Arthur Riolo of Hastings predicted that roundabouts would pose no significant challenge for drivers: “They will slow traffic down but they will make it flow better. All we have to do is look to the left when we enter and look to the right when we come out of it.”

The mayor of Hastings, Nicola Armacost, confirmed that in the UK where she was born, roundabouts are common and are known to be safer for both pedestrians and vehicles because they slow traffic down; they also lower emissions. The mayor expressed that in its present condition, the major intersection at the center of Hastings known as “five corners”—where Route 9 intersects Farragut Avenue, Main Street and Chauncey Street near Reynolds Field, along with the Old Croton Aqueduct—is “incredibly dangerous.” Samantha Merton, a Hastings Village trustee, said that she shared detailed concerns with DOT about the juncture of Main Street with the roundabout. She believed her feedback was being taken into account.

Daniel Convissor, founder of Bike Tarrytown and a member of DOT’s Partnering Committee for Sleepy Hollow, explained that in that village, the plans include a “shared-use pathway,” which is shared by pedestrians and cyclists and raised above street level, from the Old Dutch Church to Wildey Street in Tarrytown. From that point south, pedestrians continue on sidewalks while bicyclists descend into a lane shared with car traffic, a condition that some other cyclists admitted made them nervous. Designated bike-only lanes occur in lighter-traffic areas away from village centers. Although the project aims to reduce traffic speed, hence dangerous accidents, by reducing the width of the roadway overall—a practice that is supported by a nationwide study published by Johns Hopkins University in 2023—in some downtown sections the roadway is widened.

Although this was the last planned public meeting, the presenters emphasized that the designs are not final. Some funding has been reserved through the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. No date has been set at this time for construction to begin.

The designs can be viewed here: https://www.dot.ny.gov/route9completestreets/reports

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