On September 14, Mayor Steven Vescio of Briarcliff Manor sent the letter below to Governor Kathy Hochul as well as leadership at NY DOT, Congressmen George Latimer and Mike Lawler as well as a host of other state, county and local leaders. The letter included several documents outlining the severity of the roadway conditions, including an article about a recent death of a motorist on the roadway on March 16.
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Dear Governor Hochul,
I write today to implore New York State to take immediate and significant actions regarding the deplorable roadway conditions of NYS Route 9A through Briarcliff Manor and Ossining. As I have outlined in prior correspondences to NYS, this roadway has all the features of a 1930s parkway, yet is expected to function as a modern-day commercial corridor with significant heavy commercial traffic.
The recent numerous significant incidents caused by the insufficient infrastructure, are exacerbated by the severely neglected maintenance of this important thoroughfare, resulting in dangerous and at times deadly consequences. I am hopeful that you will take a personal and active role in remedying the severe negative consequences of this situation.
One such recent incident occurred on March 16, 2026, a dry and sunny day, when a motorist traveling to work lost his life avoiding a tree that had fallen in the roadway while traveling Southbound on Route 9A, South of Route 117 in the Town of Mount Pleasant.
Since the date of this fatal incident, there have been no apparent efforts by NYS to remove the numerous dead, dying and dangerous trees along this roadway, including in the immediate vicinity of this accident. It is even more disturbing that NYS has not addressed the obvious hazard these dead trees pose adjacent to the busy roadway and those traversing it.
I personally provided written notification on August 15, 2024 identifying the most obvious and significant hazards to the traveling public and even included a map and photos (see attached). However, 2 years later, these same dead trees remain, poised to cause another major incident on Route 9A. I urge you to take immediate and decisive action to ensure these dangerous conditions are timely corrected.
The center median guiderail throughout this stretch remains in a constant state of disrepair as a result of the barrage of near daily accidents and the lack of any meaningful repairs by NYS DOT. When the guiderail is damaged and left unrepaired it does not serve its intended purpose – to ensure vehicles, including heavy commercial trucks, do not cross into oncoming traffic during an accident which greatly reduces the chances of a fatal incident. It is of important note that this guiderail was installed in 1972 after a series of fatal head on car accidents in Briarcliff Manor. Timely repairs not being performed on this critical safety feature by NYS DOT are simply unacceptable.
The larger issues of insufficient bridge heights, no breakdown lanes, undersized drainage and outdated intersections remain as a daily hazards. While I appreciate NYS funding $20 Million toward the preliminary engineering of the modernization of Route 9A (Briarcliff Peekskill Parkway), I respectfully request that this work be expedited and that a plan be developed and implemented to obtain full construction funding for these upgrades. Time is of the essence to modernize this corridor and provide the proper, safe infrastructure to handle the significant regional commercial traffic currently utilizing it as well as for future growth of the region. These heavy vehicles include Westchester County refuse trucks, concrete trucks, dump trucks, tractor trailers and military vehicles. These vehicles, while allowed under the law to travel this roadway, do not fit under 3 of the bridges in the corridor while in the right lane. Should a driver be unaware, or not paying attention and attempts to pass under these bridges in the right lane, they will strike these nearly 100-year-old bridges. While I appreciate the process NYS must undertake to design projects, I respectfully urge you to take any an all measures to expedite these improvements.
These physical limitations of the bridge heights at Pleasantville Road and two others in the corridor create a dangerous situation which has been the cause of many incidents, a few of the recent ones are outlined below:
- 6/10/2026 – Box Truck Strikes Pleasantville Road Bridge traveling Northbound
- 6/1/2026 – Tractor Trailer Strikes Pleasantville Road Bridge traveling Southbound
- 5/30/2026 – Tractor Trailer Strikes Pleasantville Road Bridge traveling Southbound
- 5/5/2026 – Tractor Trailer Strikes Pleasantville Road Bridge traveling Southbound
- 11/26/2025 – Tractor Trailer Strikes Pleasantville Road Bridge traveling Northbound
In the past 9 months there have been 5 bridge strikes at the Pleasantville Road Bridge, with an untold number of close calls. It is critical the remedy to this dangerous condition is fast-tracked.
This past spring, a Briarcliff Manor Police Officer was rear ended and injured while providing traffic control for a disabled vehicle in the travel lane, since there is no breakdown lane.
On July 26, 2023, one of the vehicles in a military convoy struck the Pleasantville Road bridge heading northbound, presumably to Camp Smith, dislodging the cargo from the truck and striking a passenger vehicle in the left lane. Miraculously, no injuries were reported.
It’s unbelievable that just 25 miles north of New York City the traveling public would be dealing with such deplorable and dangerous conditions. Note that as of 2024 the area of Route 9A just north of the Taconic saw more than 45,000 daily vehicles. The infrastructure of this nearly 100-year-old parkway is unable to safety handle today’s needs. It’s critical for both the safety and economic vitality of our region to have roadway infrastructure that can safely and appropriately accommodate the needs of the area, not a 100-year-old parkway expected to function as a major commercial thoroughfare.
I respectfully request the following actions be immediately undertaken:
- Coordinate and commence a full and complete removal of dead, dying and dangerous trees and branches throughout the corridor, working with Westchester County as necessary.
- Repair all damaged guiderail throughout the corridor and develop a plan to ensure that any sections damaged in the future will be repaired in a timely manner.
- Fast Track the design of the modernization of Route 9A, ensuring the needs of local municipalities are integrated.
- Allocate funding for the Modernization of the Briarcliff Peekskill Parkway in the NYS Budget and Capital Plans for the full upgrade of this corridor.
- Work with our Federal partners familiar with this project to obtain additional funding.
I am available anytime to discuss this critical corridor and assist as needed to fast-track the design of these important safety upgrades and provide information to obtain the construction funding.
Please let me know when the above items are expected to be undertaken.
Thank you in advance for your assistance in resolving these long-standing challenges.
Steven Vescio
Mayor
Cc: Marie Therese Dominguez – NYS DOT Commissioner
Julianne Fuda, P.E., NYS DOT Regional Director
George Paralemos, Chief of Staff, NYSDOT
Charles Schumer, US Senate Majority Leader
Mike Lawler, US Congressman
George Latimer, US Congressman
Tim Kennedy, US Congressman
Dana Levenberg, NYS Assemblywoman
Mary Jane Shimsky, NYS Assemblywoman
Andrea Stewart-Cousins, NYS Senate Majority Leader
Peter Harckham, NYS Senator
Ken Jenkins, Westchester County Executive
Emiljpana Ulaj, Westchester County Legislator
Liz Feldman, Supervisor, Town of Ossining
Rika Levin, Mayor, Village of Ossining
Carl Fulgenzi, Supervisor, Town of Mount Pleasant
Residents & Business Owners of the Village of Briarcliff Manor
Board of Trustees Village of Briarcliff Manor
Josh Ringel, Briarcliff Manor Village Manager (file)
Encl:
- June 6, 2026 – Photographs of hazardous trees with comparison to August 15, 2024
- March 18, 2026 – Mahopac News Article Regarding Fatal Accident
- May 5, 2026 Tractor – Trailer Pleasantville Road Bridge Strike Photograph
- November 26, 2025 – Tractor Trailer Pleasantville Road Bridge Strike Photograph
- July 26, 2023 – Military Vehicle Pleasantville Road Bridge Strike Photographs
- August 15, 2024 – Correspondence with NYS DOT identifying hazardous trees
