TZB Needs Tarrytown Crosswalk

(PDF of this letter and the cover letter mailed to the Governor. The DOT replied on 6/22.)

June 15, 2018

Paul Karas
Commissioner
New York State Department of Transportation

Dear Commissioner Karas:

We appreciate the Department supporting the Route 9 Active Transportation study (route9active.org) and the Shared Use Path (SUP) on the Governor Mario M Cuomo Bridge [aka Tappan Zee Bridge]. These are important steps toward safe infrastructure that will invite people to begin cycling and walking for transportation. We are writing to ensure the Governor's signature project is not blemished by injuries in Tarrytown.

Your help is needed to take proactive steps to reduce crash potential where these two projects intersect. Route 9 is Tarrytown's access point for the SUP. People crossing this busy 5-lane street in cars, on cycles and on foot within 200' of this point will include:

• The more than 5,000 people that will likely cycle the SUP on Sundays A significant flow of Rockland County residents that will cycle to Tarrytown's train station
• Employees at the Thruway's maintenance building
• People who will drive to and from the SUP's parking lot by the maintenance building
• Employees at 303 South Broadway, a sizable office building next to the Bridge
• Over 300 residents driving and walking from 300, 320 & 330 S Broadway across from the Bridge
• Passengers at the existing bus stop and the new Lower Hudson Transit Link stop next to the SUP
• People using the Route 9 Active Transportation plan's bike lane. The plan envisions a crosswalk at the SUP as a transition point between the east and west sides of Broadway.

The intensity of uses at this site indicates eligibility for an Enhanced Treatment Package B per the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan -- crosswalk, curb extensions, median refuge, signals. Improved lighting will be beneficial as well. The design should be made in collaboration with the Route 9 Active Transportation study. Requests along these lines were expressed by representatives in a March 3, 2017 meeting at Tarrytown Village Hall, where George Paschalis showed two SUP crosswalk options. (Drawings 2 and 3, attached. Drawing 4 was added subsequently.)

It is good that Region 8 DOT staff are planning a new crosswalk at the CVS driveway, 380' south of the SUP (drawing 4). At the same time, the SUP crosswalk is still necessary. While adjustments will likely be needed in response real world utilization, it is important to start with a solid base of proven safety measures, then increment from there.

Please let us know how we can help the DOT with initial and subsequent engineering for this area to avoid needless injuries and liability (Brown vs State of New York and Turturro v. City of New York).

Sincerely,

Daniel Convissor
Director