Public Workshop On Route 9A Improvements Set For Wednesday

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — New York State Department of Transportation officials will hold the first of several planned public workshops Wednesday to hear from the public as they decide the scope of their study of that part of Route 9A known as the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway.

An engineering study of the road's many problems was funded in the FY2023 State Budget.

Residents, officials and commuters are invited to learn about the study, provide input on the corridor "vision" and contribute thoughts on needs, issues and goals, DOT officials said.

More than 40,000 vehicles travel the busy north-south artery daily, including passenger cars, SUVs, emergency transports, concrete mixers, delivery vans, landscaping trucks with equipment trailers and large 12-wheelers.

The portion of Route 9A to be studied poses a significant risk to motorists. It mixes highway speeds with traffic lights, intersections with short on and off ramps. 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 on the stretch of roadway each year.

• WHEN: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, 2023
• WHERE: Todd Elementary School45 Ingham Road, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510

The workshop is being held by the DOT in partnership with the study steering committee.

The cost for a study of Route 9A, much less improvements to the 100-year-old road, has long been considered prohibitive, local officials said.

The study is limited to the portion of Route 9A within the Towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining, so it includes the dangerous and pothole-ridden stretch through the village of Briarcliff Manor (which is in both towns).

The DOT will conduct the study, which has been announced to include the estimated total cost of new guardrail installation; estimated total cost of underpass renovations to accommodate commercial vehicles (some do not fit under the Pleasantville Road bridge); estimated duration of the project; the impact construction will have on local traffic patterns; and the environmental impact of the project.