At Long Last, NY Starts Engineering Study Of Route 9A

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — More than 40,000 vehicles travel Route 9A — aka the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway — every day. That includes passenger cars, SUVs, emergency transports, concrete mixers, delivery vans, landscaping trucks with equipment trailers and large 12-wheelers.

Now work has commenced on a $3 million engineering study of part of Route 9A — from U.S. Route 9 to the Saw Mill River Parkway, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez announced Thursday. Money for the project was allotted more than a year ago. SEE: State Allots $3 Million To Study Improvements To Route 9A

"This study will plan major upgrades of the Route 9A corridor and have a lasting impact on our region for generations to come. The solutions derived from this analysis will resolve long standing safety issues, flooding, poor air quality and traffic flow that have plagued the roadway for decades," Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steven Vescio said in the announcement. Vescio has worked for years to get state officials to pay attention to the crumbling, outdated highway, the least-regarded in Westchester's century-old parkway system.

The portion of Route 9A to be studied poses a significant risk to motorists. It has narrow shoulders, low-clearance underpasses and general design deficiencies, all of which put a major strain on traffic, as well as on the first responders who answer emergencies and deal with the more than 120 crashes annually on that stretch of roadway. Not to mention the potholes.

"My office receives more complaints about the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway (Route 9A) than any other road in the district. As an Ossining resident myself, I agree with those callers," Assemblymember Dana Levenberg said in the announcement. "Route 9A is in dire straits and in need of a major overhaul. I am so glad that this study is getting underway, and I will continue pushing hard to get the funding we need to get this road fixed as soon as humanly possible."

The goal of the transportation engineering scoping report, DOT officials said, is to identify short-term and longer-term projects to improve safety and operations along the corridor.

The report is expected to take 10 months to complete. Included in its scope are a local steering committee and a series of public workshops to help evaluate and shape a vision for the whole corridor. The flow of traffic and operation will be studied, as well as mitigation of congestion and improvements to air quality.

Also, potential solutions will be recommended to prevent future flooding and improve resiliency for future generations. (Floods have been severe enough to float a Bee-Line bus at the Ryder Road overpass and strand dozens of motorists at Pleasantville Road in water up to their car windows.)

"Infrastructure plays a critical role in the well-being of communities and we must plan for the future while confronting the threat posed by climate change," Dominguez said. "By studying the needs of the community, we will look to enhance the transportation network along the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway in Westchester County, and will be able to recommend transportation alternatives that serve every part of the community — helping keep people and goods on the move in a sustainable manner."

So far, NYSDOT has begun the process of collecting existing conditions information in the corridor, including traffic count data using video technology. An existing conditions report and corridor vision will be developed this summer, officials said.

Alternatives to support the modernization of the corridor are expected later this year, and final study recommendations based on public comments, costs, impacts and recommendations are expected in 2024.

At a meeting with local officials March 28, the DOT provided an introduction and overview of the report’s objectives and goals, tentative public involvement process, and schedule.

"We are very excited to finally begin identifying all of the structural and safety issues associated with Route 9A in our area. Originally designed as a parkway 9A has become a major thoroughfare for the truck traffic in our region, especially the waste haulers heading for the incineration plant in Peekskill," Town of Ossining Supervisor Elizabeth Feldman said, saying 9A is a challenge to all who travel it.

Remember, slow down and drive responsibly in work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.