In October, the villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow together with the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns were awarded a grant through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program. The program is divided into two granting periods, a “planning and demonstration” stage and an “implementation” stage. The first granting period, for planning and demonstration, will begin in January.
According to Tarrytown trustee David Kim, the amount of the grant will enable attracting a top-tier traffic consultant to identify and address problem areas in pedestrian, bicycle, and car traffic safety across the two villages.
The Safe Streets and Roads for all grant, with its particular focus on accessibility to pedestrians and bicyclists, is intended to supplement work being done by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in its Route 9 action plan, especially since the consultant hired for that project, WSP, will likely focus on car traffic issues.
“There will be some conflict” between the two projects, Kim acknowledges. But he hopes the Safe Streets and Roads grant can be leveraged to ensure NYSDOT follows through on making Route 9 safely traversable by all, regardless of age, income, or ability.
The planning stage is expected to take one year from January 2024, with re-application and implementation to follow.
–Elizabeth Tucker
Livable Tarrytowns 