September 12, 2024 Update

Do you want Route 9 to be safe for walking and cycling? If so, it's now or never. Read this whole email. (Reading to the end gets you the party details. :))

(This email is going to my friends and colleagues in Hastings, Dobbs, and Irvington. I'm in the middle of writing a very detailed email, but that's taking too long, and the meeting at Mercy University is tonight. So this email riffs off of that one. I didn't get a close look at the drawings for your village, but the general principles in this email apply to all locations.)

9/12 & 9/19: Route 9 Meetings + Parties!

Designs that can make Broadway for Everybody a reality are within reach! The State Department of Transportation created drawings that make things a little bit better. But we don't need a little bit better... WE NEED GREAT! Because whatever gets finalized in this process, is pretty much what is going to get built (eventually).

Let's leverage this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by showing up to push the DOT to come up with GREAT plans!

Bonus: showing up will be fun. We're doing a group ride to the first meeting (if you want to get to Dobbs that way). There are parties after both meetings. And, if this meeting is like the prior one, the positive energy in the room will be inspiring.

(FYI, there are two public workshops -- one Today and one next Thursday. Both events are the same. There are two of them so you can pick the one easiest for you to get to.)

What's Being Proposed

The project runs from the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow to the south end of Hastings-on-Hudson.

• Roundabouts on Route 9 at the Dutch Church, Pocantico St, 448, Beekman Ave, Route 119, Sunnyside Ln, Irvington's Main St, Mercy University, Ashford Ave, and Main/Farragut in Hastings.
• Sidewalks added in (most?) places they are missing now
• Adds some crosswalks, but takes some away
• Bike lanes added in many locations
• In theory, a lot of that sounds good. But the devil is in the details. (We'll explain those details in the Key Points section, below.)
• At the DOT's public input session on March 7th, the 200 participants clearly stated they wanted Route 9 to be completely reworked so everyone could feel safe walking, cycling and using wheelchairs. Sadly, that's not what the DOT delivered.

Meeting Format

The DOT will show drawings of their proposals, and hand out an "Evaluation Sheet" for each of the four modes of transportation (pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles, and transit). Each sheet asks you to rate how well the proposals meet 7 goals, plus there are big boxes to write in advantages and disadvantages.

Here is a draft version of an Evaluation Sheets: https://biketarrytown.org/img/route-9-evaluation-sheet.jpg

Below are suggestions of things to look out for and write on the sheets. Of course, put everything in your own words and order:

Key Points to Make

Pedestrians Sheet

Circle the "low" (or "medium") ranking for the 7 goal categories.

Possible things to put in the disadvantages box.

• Some crosswalks removed at roundabouts. Must have crosswalks in all directions. [This may not be an issue in your village, so check the drawings first.]
• Not all side streets have painted crosswalks on Route 9. All crosswalks need to be painted, raised and have median refuges. Side street crosswalks need to be raised too.
• Good lighting is needed at all crosswalks
• If you went to the March 7th meeting, say something about the designs shown tonight not meeting the goals you submitted back in March

Bicycles Sheet

Circle "low" as the ranking for all 7 goal categories.

Some prompts for filling out the disadvantages box:

• These bike lanes are narrow and right next to moving cars
• This layout can allow parking cars and trucks in the bike lane
• Some sections of the bike lane are in the car door zone
• Bike lanes end before roundabouts. [Express how you feel about having to navigate the roundabout by either riding in traffic or walking your bike on the sidewalk.]
• Bike lane is missing around Clinton St in Irvington. [Look at the diagram on the table for details.]
• Overall, this is not safe enough... for kids... to get me biking... etc
• Narrow bike lanes mean I can't ride next to friends/family or pass other bikers
• I want a wide 2-way bike lane on one side of the street that has a strong barrier
• If you went to the March 7th meeting, say something about the designs shown tonight not meeting the goals you submitted back in March

Vehicles Sheet

The rankings for this are more intricate, and you may have different a perspective, but here's how we see it:

1. Safety: medium
2. Efficiency: high
3. Multi-modal: low
4. Innovative: medium
5. Access: high
6. Convenience: high
7. Environment: low

Hey, some advantages:

• Roundabouts reduce crashes and eliminate waiting at traffic signals
• Thoughts for the disadvantages box:
• Make it one through lane per direction in all locations. [This may already be the case on the drawings for your village.]
• There are many long straight stretches, which allows speeding
• The wide medians between intersections are a waste. Use the space for wider sidewalks, bike lanes, bus shelters, trees between traffic and sidewalk/bike lane, etc.

Transit Sheet

Check the drawings to see if they're proposing shelters at all of the bus stops.

Send Us Pictures of Your Sheets

Before handing in your Evaluation Sheets, send us photos of what you wrote (info@biketarrytown.org). (We will keep them anonymous.) These will help the coalition lobby our elected officials to push the State DOT.

Thursday, September 12, in Dobbs Ferry

Meeting Details

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Mercy Hall Rotunda, Mercy University
555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Map

Bike to it from Sleepy Hollow

We are hosting a group ride to the Dobbs Ferry meeting (via the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail). They will also go to the after-party, then bike home. (Of course, you can go home at any point on your own via bike or train.)

Meet at 5:00 pm
Washington St entrance of Patriots Park
Must have front and back lights if biking home with the group

Transit Directions

Train: Take Metro North (Hudson Line) to the Ardsley-on-Hudson station. Upon getting out of the station, turn right, walk up the hill and enter the campus path via the gate on the right.

Bus: Ride the Bee-Line bus 1T or 1W to the Mercy University stop on Broadway. BUT, these bus lines shut down before the meeting is over.

After-party!

Piccola
23 Cedar St, Dobbs Ferry, NY
8:15-ish pm to 9:30-ish pm
(Everyone welcome)

Thursday, September 19, in Tarrytown

Meeting Details

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Tarrytown Recreation Center
240 W. Main Street, Tarrytown, NY
Map

Transit Directions

Take Metro North (Hudson Line) or the bus (Bee-Line 1T* or 13; or Hudson Link H07) to the Tarrytown train station. Then cross the tracks via the station's overpasses. Continue walking west toward the river. (* 1T service shuts down before the meeting is over.)

After-party!

Beekman Ale House
92 Beekman Ave, Sleepy Hollow
8:15-ish pm to 9:30-ish pm
(Everyone welcome)

Flyers

English: https://route9active.org/doc/route-9-complete-streets-workshop-2-flyer-en.pdf