October 10, 2025 Update

Route 9: Comment on Draft Final Report

The New York State Department of Transportation released the Draft of the final Design Report for the Route 9 project. We reviewed the drawings and put together a summary of how people cycling would travel the length of the corridor, along with suggestions on how to enhance the proposals.

https://biketarrytown.org/broadway-for-everybody/2025-09-19-draft-apdx-a-plans_bike-treatments.php

That page also includes the DOT's email address (submit your comments by 5:00 pm on October 17, 2025) and links to all of the relevant documents.

In addition to the cycling related issues, above, there are many absurd things about other aspects put forth by the DOT...

• It envisions ripping out curbs, lights, and sidewalks in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown (many of which were recently installed).
• This area would also see several sidewalks narrowed and most street trees eliminated.
• No crosswalks of Broadway at Beekman Ave in Sleepy Hollow.
• Needlessly keeps Broadway 4 lanes wide from 303 South Broadway to Route 119.
• Most side streets would not get crosswalks.
• Makes the motor vehicle lanes straight instead of introducing occasional horizontal deflections. (Straight lanes mean people driving can zone out and go faster, rather than focusing and driving carefully.)
• Most driveways would be at street level, and many would have sweeping curves. That means people can drive fast across pedestrian spaces, and people walking have to repeatedly go up and down to street level.
• We are impressed to see some speed tables in the drawings. (Speed tables are kind of like long speed humps.) But some of the speed tables are in the middle of nowhere, and should be moved to intersections, where they can help make complex interactions safer.

Another perspective on this process can be found in the feedback memo from the Route 9 project's official advisory committee. https://route9active.org/doc/route-9-complete-streets-feedback-tpc-2025-09-18.pdf

Next Steps

The best thing about the project's current ("Preliminary Engineering") phase is the DOT has done all of the reviews (environmental, historical, etc) needed to build anything. That means "all" we need to do is secure funding for the final design and construction. (But be warned, the Trump administration won't support this kind of work, so we have to wait for a new government to get Federal funds; or we can rely fully on State and local money.)

Even better, we don't have to build what the DOT proposed. The villages can take control of the process, and hire independent engineers who are skilled in international best practices. We just have to stick within the broad parameters defined by the current review process.

Bike Skills Classes Coming Up

Project MOVER is hosting two free bike skills classes in November.

November 8
10:00 am - 1:30 pm
Joseph Caputo Community Center
95 Broadway, Ossining, NY
https://bikeleague.org/class-registration/?event=a3dQl00000132zB

November 22
10:00 am - 1:30 pm
Municipal Building
1 Van Wyck St, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
https://bikeleague.org/class-registration/?event=a3dQl000000xm2D