by Kathy Savolt -
Two vastly different approaches to issues were on display during the October 15, 2024, Board of Trustees (BOT) Work Session. But the conflicting styles are as old as time.
Continuing their concern about pedestrian safety and traffic, the BOT considered two ideas introduced by Trustee Lou Young. The first would be to declare that Mamaroneck is “not a cut through” and the second, accompanied by a draft resolution, was to direct Village staff to contact the New York State Department of Transportation and request an additional access/egress ramp off I-95. Young first presented these ideas at the September 23rd Work Session where they were met with a less than enthusiastic reception.
At the September 23rd meeting, Young, referencing the closure and eventual reopening of the Waverly Avenue bridge, suggested various methods to discourage traffic from returning to use the Washingtonville neighborhood “as a cut through.” He pushed for policies to discourage traffic including one-way streets, signage for No Thru Traffic and possibly speed b/humps. Interim Village Manager Chuck Strome and Police Chief Sandra Diruzza responded that any such policies would be unenforceable, but Young continued to push the idea at this most recent Work Session.
Young repeated the same ideas and said that the Village should just tell the Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont elected officials that we were going to enact these measures, and their residents would have to find alternate routes.
Trustee Nora Lucas and Strome took a different approach suggesting discussions with our neighboring municipalities about our concerns and also undertaking a traffic study to determine if any of the ideas are feasible. The traffic would have to be rerouted somewhere, and decisions should be made with pertinent information. The last traffic study of the neighborhood was done in 2016 See HERE.
Strome will request AKRF, the Village traffic consultant, to submit a proposal for an updated study for the BOT’s consideration.
Young also introduced a draft resolution regarding an additional access/egress ramp on I-95 which, presumably, would be located in the Town of Mamaroneck. See HERE. Mayor Sharon Torres suggested that she and Strome meet with their counterparts in the Town and Larchmont to discuss the issue before moving forward since the NYS Department of Transportation would be unwilling to act if there was an objection from another municipality. Lucas pointed out that researching the cost of a traffic study that provided suggestions to improve traffic and safety in Washingtonville would move the process along quicker. Torres promised to reach out to her counterparts in the Town and Village of Larchmont to begin to work collaboratively.
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