State Approves Jackson Avenue Improvement Legislation

A land-swap agreement involving Westchester County and the Town of Greenburgh will lead to improvements to a "dangerous" strip of roadway in Hastings, Westchester County Leg. MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson) said today.

The New York State Senate and Assembly have passed bills allowing Westchester to give a parcel of parkland, measuring approximately six-tenths of an acre, to the Town of Greenburgh. The land falls just north of Sprain Ridge Park off Jackson Avenue and will impact "The S curve from Sprain Ridge Park to the entrance to St. Andrew's, and of course the Y intersection at the corner of North Sprain Road," according to Shimsky.

In exchange, Westchester will receive 1.3 acres of parkland in the East Irvington portion of the Town of Greenburgh.

Shimsky thanked NYS Assemblyman Tom Abinanti (D-Greenburgh) and Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), who were on-hand for a press conference alongside Shimsky at Hastings' First Unitarian Society of Westchester Wednesday afternoon, for helping to push through the bills.

"The state legislation is the culmination of nine years of effort by the Town of Greenburgh, the villages of Ardsley and Hastings-on-Hudson and citizens groups to cope with the increased traffic anticipated and now experienced by the Ridge Hill development in Yonkers," Shimsky stated.

The legislator said "too many accidents" have taken place along the highlighted portion of Jackson Avenue, including two that have resulted in fatalities.

"We ended up with a road that has too many curves in it and we ended up with a lot of flooding in places where there shouldn't be water," commented Abinanti. 

But there are still some steps to be taken, Abinanti added.

"First, the Governor has to sign the legislation. That's the next step," he said, encouraging residents to write a letter in support of the legislation through himself or Stewart-Cousins. "By the weekend, please get your letters to us."

Town of Greenburgh Commissioner Thomas Madden said flooding and traffic studies, along with an environmental analysis, will take place as the road's eventual (straighter) design is finalized. He projects these steps will be completed by the fall.

"We are hoping to break ground in the spring of next year," he said.