By Staff

Sept. 13, 2023: On September 7, the village of Bronxville Board of Trustees held a special meeting to review the findings of Colliers Engineering & Design regarding the possibility of creating a mid-block crosswalk across Route 22, and to seek input from the community.

The proposed crosswalk would run across Route 22 to the intersection of Elm Rock Road and White Plains Road. 

The meeting was standing room only and included a presentation by an individual from Colliers Engineering and Design.

The presentation included information about the number of pedestrians crossing Route 22 at certain hours during the week and weekend at Paddington Road, Elm Rock Road, Dusenberry Road, South Road, and Woodland Avenue. It noted that the threshold for a marked crossing is 20 pedestrians (or 15 if elderly, disabled, or children) per hour and that, while the individual intersections do not meet the criteria, the combined traffic from Paddington, Elm Rock, and Dusenberry Roads does meet the criteria. Other work, including an engineering study, would be required to determine if the location "is suitable for a marked crosswalk." Click here to see the Colliers report.

The individual from Colliers who gave the presentation noted that the expected compliance for cars at a crosswalk would be 75%; that is, 75% stop and 25% do not. The consultant said that signage such as "Yield to Pedestrians" and a speed bump with stripes leading into the crosswalk would improve compliance.  

When considering this statistic, Mayor Mary Marvin asked the consultant, "Even with a crosswalk and mid-block signage, you are saying statistics say that 1 in 4 drivers don't comply?"

The consultant replied, "They will slow down, but they won't be in full compliance. They have the opportunity to stop."

Bronxville Police Chief Christopher Satriale expressed concern about the crosswalk because he felt that a child or other pedestrian might "feel too secure and step into traffic." He said that he looked closely at the analysis provided by the consultants and was left with the conclusion that it might not be safe.

Chief Satriale also noted that there had been "zero problems" with crossing over the past 30 years. He also said that the police department gets complaints about cars at every intersection not yielding to pedestrians. His view was that the safest way to cross was to wait for a gap in the traffic.

A number of individuals at the meeting commented on the crosswalk.  Below is a summary of the comments.

-A man noted that the Board voted to approve the crosswalk three years ago but decided to reconsider after some residents raised concerns. He wondered what had changed other than objections from property owners.

-A woman with three children supports a crosswalk with a beacon to stop cars. She noted that drivers are aggressive and that, currently, her husband stops drivers so they can cross Route 22. 

-Another woman worried that children don't have strong "spatial analysis" to figure out when to cross.

-Another woman raised concern about having a crosswalk on a truck route.

-Another man asked if it was "really safer" with a crosswalk. He noted that he "runs a lot" and that there are a lot of "gaps" in the traffic on Route 22. He was also concerned that a crosswalk wouldn't provide "the safety you expect."

The consultant noted that "safety is related to expectations." Crosswalks make drivers aware that "there is the potential for crossing ahead."

-Another woman wondered if more people would walk if you had a crosswalk. The consultant said they didn't have data on that.

-Another man expressed concern that there was only 75% compliance of cars stopping at crosswalks.

-Another woman noted that drivers on Route 22 are "fast and impatient" and "trucks are dangerous." She said, "It's a fast road. That is my concern."

-Another woman expressed concern about buses on Route 22 and that many emergency vehicles take Route 22 to get to accidents on the Cross County Parkway. This resident asked the Board not to approve the crosswalk.

-Another resident asked, "How many people does this serve?" and "How many accidents have we had over the decades?'

The answer was "zero over 35 years."'

New York State Senator Shelley Mayer also attended the meeting and explained that her role was to allocate money to projects in her district. She noted that several years ago, she allocated $175k for this project and, after hearing opposition, put the money "on hold" pending resolution. She noted that the funds are still there.