Improvements are planned for a Tarrytown intersection that has become a focus among advocates for upgrading pedestrian safety in the busy Broadway/Route 9 corridor that stretches into Sleepy Hollow.
After meetings between Tarrytown officials and the state Department of Transportation, plans are being designed to add flashing beacons, curb ramps and updated signage and road striping at the McKeel Avenue crossing at Broadway.
The DOT, which is responsible for Route 9, will keep the community informed as plans move forward, according to department spokeswoman Heather Pillsworth.
Nelida Distante of Tarrytown died after being struck by a vehicle in November 2023 at McKeel and Broadway. Not far from that spot, Anthony Napoli, also of Tarrytown, was fatally struck by a pickup truck as he crossed McKeel between Broadway and the Croton Aqueduct in August 2022.
McKeel Avenue was one of the top concerns among residents responding to a survey highlighting the dangers faced by pedestrians in the two river villages.
The survey by Livable Tarrytowns and Bike Tarrytown led to the creation of a map with more than 100 areas of concern, especially along the heavily traveled Broadway/Route 9 corridor between Route 119 to Philipse Manor.
The intersection of Broadway and Route 119, also known as White Plains Road, was the site of another pedestrian fatality when a driver struck Patrick Kennedy in December 2023.
No summonses were issued following the three pedestrian fatalities, according to Tarrytown Police Chief John Barbelet, whose department investigated the incidents.
Barbelet’s officers recently handed out hundreds of fliers to pedestrians and motorists related to crosswalk safety, crossing a street and yielding to pedestrians. The fliers were provided through a partnership with the DOT.
Joe Nevins of Livable Tarrytowns said he’d experienced many close calls while trying to cross Broadway.
“It’s dangerous for drivers but it’s certainly much more dangerous for pedestrians or people who are trying to bicycle,” Nevins said. “It’s particularly dangerous for the most vulnerable members of our community: people who are elderly, children, people who are disabled in various ways.”
Nevins, a Tarrytown resident and geography professor at Vassar College, said it was “hardly a coincidence that we’ve seen two tragic deaths in a small stretch in just a few months.”
Two areas that drew the greatest concerns along Broadway in the survey were:
- The five-way intersection where Bedford Road, Beekman Avenue, Hudson Terrace, and New Broadway converge with Broadway/Route 9 in Sleepy Hollow. Respondents suggested various traffic-calming measures, ranging from raised crosswalks to pedestrian-activated strobe lights. Bike Tarrytown has recommended curb extensions to cut the distance between corners.
- The intersection of McKeel Avenue and Broadway, where recommended improvements include adding a median, removing parking spots closest to the crosswalk, and narrowing the road to slow down vehicles.
Four other areas that survey respondents highlighted were:
- Neperan Avenue and the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail in Tarrytown;
- Bedford Road, Webber Avenue, and the Old Croton Aqueduct in Sleepy Hollow;
- Depot Plaza and West Main Street at Railroad Avenue in Tarrytown;
- and Franklin Street and Broadway in Tarrytown.
A similar effort is taking place in the City of Peekskill, where the nonprofit Peekskill Walks has lobbied for more crosswalks, safer walk/bike routes to school for kids, and closing a one-block street to vehicles.
Livable Tarrytown volunteers have formed committees focusing on these areas, as well as a group working to create school safety zones in both villages. They aim to develop safety proposals and pressuring local and state officials to make changes.
Visit livabletarrytowns.org to read the report and view the map.
SH officials and the Board of Ed have not acted on repeated requests for a crossing guard at Mickey’s Automotive, 285 North Broadway. That’s where vehicles threaten pedestrians crossing to the Open Door healthcare center.