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I WANNA WELCOME ANYONE TUNING IN ON THE LIVE STREAMER
[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH HARTSDALE CONTEXTUAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AGENDA Monday, September 20, 2021 3:15 P.M.]
ON TV, UH, TO THE EAST AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE TRANSPORTATION UPDATE.WE WILL START IN A FEW MINUTES, UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE TO LET YOU KNOW WE'RE CLOSE TO BEGINNING.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, INVITING ME.
UH, WE'LL START IN JUST A MOMENT.
I WANNA GIVE IT ONE OR TWO MORE MINUTES.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THIS EFFORT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS, IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY TERRIFIC WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO ENHANCE THE
UH, A LOT OF GOOD RESIDENT FEEDBACK, SO WE'LL KEEP, UH, PLUGGING AWAY HERE.
GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR, FINER COUNCILMAN JONES TOWN STAFF AND OUR TEAM FROM A K R F I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
GOOD EVENING TO ALL TOWN RESIDENTS TUNING IN LIVE AND TO THOSE POTENTIALLY SEEING THIS AT A LATER DATE ON RECORD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS DISCUSSION OF SOME VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS ALONG THE EAST AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE CORRIDOR.
I'M GARRETT DUQUE, COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.
IN ADDITION TO THE TOWN BOARD, WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS, MICHAEL BEATTY AND ELAINE DEW OF THE CONSULTANT TEAM, A K R F JOINING US TO PRESENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE TUNING IN THAT YOU ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO SEND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IN BY EMAIL DURING THIS PRESENTATION TO PUBLIC COMMENT@GREENBERGNY.COM.
I WILL MONITOR THIS EMAIL AND RELAY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT COME INTO THE PRESENTERS.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT TONIGHT IS NOT THE END OF THIS CONVERSATION.
FOLLOWING THE MEETING, IF THERE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP, CIVIC ASSOCIATION, OR OTHER THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE, I'M AVAILABLE TO COORDINATE ADDITIONAL OUTREACH, WHETHER IT IS A PHONE CALL, UH, ZOOM CONFERENCE OR OTHER.
THE TOWN'S PLANNING EFFORTS ULTIMATELY ARE, ARE A PARTNERSHIP WITH RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY, AND ALL COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO GET TO EVERY, IF WE ARE UNABLE TO GET TO EVERY QUESTION TONIGHT, I CAN FOLLOW WITH RESPONSES IN WRITING.
WHILE THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT WILL FOCUS ON THREE SPECIFIC TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS ALONG EAST AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE CORRIDOR.
THERE ARE MANY MORE UPDATES THAT ARE IN PLANNING THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS, WHICH I, I WILL GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ON.
MANY RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE TOWN BOARD PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC WITH THE SUPPORT OF RESIDENTS TO LAND USE, PLAN, AND RETHINK THE FOUR CORNERS AREA IN THE TOWN, WHICH IS IN THE VICINITY OF CENTRAL AVENUE AND EAST WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
TO BRIEFLY RECAP, IN 2019, THE TOWN BOARD APPROVED A SUPPLEMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SPECIFIC FOR FOUR CORNERS KNOWN AS THE FOUR CORNERS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
THIS PLAN, WHICH IS LINKED ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, HIGHLIGHTED MANY OF THE CHALLENGES FACED AT FOUR CORNERS.
THESE ARE CHALLENGES THAT UNFORTUNATELY RESULT IN HIGH VACANCY RATES AND THAT PROHIBIT SIGNIFICANT REINVESTMENT INTO THE AREA.
THE FOUR CORNERS PLAN IDENTIFIES THAT WITH TRANSPORTATION, STORMWATER, AND VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING, FOUR CORNERS COULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE TRANSFORMED TO A PLACE THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF SIGNIFICANT PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND BE A MIXED USE FOCAL POINT IN THE TOWN.
A K R F IS A PLANNING AND ENGINEERING CONSULTANT THAT WAS BROUGHT IN BY THE TOWN BOARD TO STUDY THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AREA AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD HAVE MORE IMMEDIATE SAFETY BENEFITS, BUT THAT WILL ALSO ASSIST THE TOWN IN LONG-TERM PLANNING.
ASSOCIATED WITH FOUR CORNERS RFS ENGINEERS ARE WORKING HARD TO PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK AND STORMWATER NETWORK, WHICH INCLUDES FLOODING AT FOUR CORNERS AS WELL AS DOWNTOWN EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
BUT AGAIN, THE FOCUS TONIGHT WILL BE THREE SPECIFIC TRANSPORTATION PEDESTRIAN PLANNING EFFORTS.
IN A MOMENT, A K F WILL PRESENT IMPROVEMENTS CONSIDERED FOR EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, WHICH INCLUDE WHAT IS KNOWN AS A T C S OR AN ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM, AND
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A K F WILL DISCUSS RELATED PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENTS AND VISION FOR EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.WE'LL THEN TAKE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON THESE CONCEPTS.
IN FOLLOWING THESE COMMENTS, I WILL GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON SIDEWALK PLANNING FOR WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, WHICH WE WILL ALSO SAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
AND I WANNA THANK AGAIN, OUR TOWN BOARD.
I KNOW SUPERVISOR FINER IS ON COUNCILWOMAN, GINA JACKSON, COUNCILMAN KEN JONES, AND COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHEEN HAS HAVE GIVEN US THEIR TIME TONIGHT AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS TURN IT OVER TO MICHAEL BEATTY OF A K R F.
AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN.
UM, LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE A FULL POWERPOINT.
I'M A VICE PRESIDENT AT A K F.
UM, HERE'S ELAINE DO, WHO IS THE LEAD PROJECT ENGINEER ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED THESE TYPE OF STUDIES THAT WE LOVE DOING OPPORTUNITIES TO BOTH IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER, AND HERE'S A CASE WHERE I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO DO BOTH.
UM, SO, UH, SO IN THIS CASE FOR EAST HARTSDALE, THE STUDY AREA SHOWN ON THE SCREEN IN YELLOW, GENERALLY IT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL PARK AVENUE DOWN TO, UM, AQUEDUCT ROAD, WHICH IS WHERE, WHERE METRO NORTH IS.
SO THE GOAL FOR THIS STUDY WAS TO IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW, UM, AND THEN ACCOMMODATE SURGES IN TRAFFIC, UM, TO AND FROM METRO NORTH.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NEXT SITUATION WHERE IN THE TRAFFIC WORLD WE TALK ABOUT A PEAK OCCURRING AND USUALLY IT'S A 15 MINUTE PEAK, BUT WHEN YOU DEAL WITH A A TRAIN STATION, YOU HAVE ALL THESE MICROBURSTS, FIVE MINUTES, A TRAIN COMES, IT LETS OUT PEOPLE LEAVE, IT CALMS DOWN, NEXT TRAIN COMES MICROBURST.
SO IT REQUIRES A LITTLE MORE OF AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO HANDLE THAT.
UM, SO AGAIN, SOMETHING ELSE WITH THIS CORRIDOR WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, YOU ALSO HAVE THIS METRO NORTH SURGE OCCURRING, UM, EVERY SO OFTEN.
SO FOR THE INITIAL STEPS, UM, WE COLLECTED DATA AND OBSERVATIONS IN FALL OF 2019, UM, WITH ALSO A SITE VISIT IN 2021.
WE ARE OBVIOUSLY LIVING DURING COVID TIME, SO EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE, WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT OTHER SOURCES TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
UH, THIS INCLUDED, UH, WE RECEIVED FROM THE HAREL NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION, UM, A LIST OF COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS THEY HAD, WHICH WE GOT THROUGH THE TOWN.
WE'VE COORDINATED WITH GREENBERG POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO THEY'RE OUT THERE EVERY DAY.
UM, AND THROUGH OUR WALKTHROUGH, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THESE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC DEFICIENCIES THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH.
UM, NOT INTERSECTION SPECIFIC, BUT JUST GENERAL THEMES WE SEE ON THE CORRIDOR.
UM, WE SEE A LOT OF LONG CROSSWALKS.
HERE'S A CASE IN CO BY COLUMBIA.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH THESE LONG CROSSWALKS ARE, UM, FOR PEDESTRIANS, YOU'RE EXPOSED TO VEHICLE TRAFFIC, UM, FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
UH, FOR VEHICLES, SOMETIMES THESE LONG CROSSWALKS TEND TO BE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT THAT TENDS TO HAVE, UM, HIGH SPEED TURNS.
VEHICLES MOVE AT A FASTER PACE, UM, AND NOT ONLY LONG CROSSWALKS, NOT SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS, BUT FOR THE TRAFFIC.
IF A PE CROSSWALK IS LONGER, IT MEANS MORE TIMING TO BE ALLOCATED FOR PEDESTRIAN TO CROSS.
YOU SHORTEN THAT CROSSWALK, THAT MEANS PEDESTRIAN LESS EXPOSED, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE YOUR SIGNAL TIMING BE MORE ADAPTIVE TO TRAFFIC.
UM, THERE ARE CASES WHERE WE'VE NOTICED THERE ARE LACK OF CROSSWALKS, SO PEOPLE WANT TO CROSS.
HERE'S A CASE WHERE HERE'S ROCKLEDGE.
IN EAST HARTSDALE, THERE'S NO CROSSWALK ON THIS NORTH SIDE.
AND SO DUE TO THAT, WE'VE SEEN PEDESTRIANS CROSS WHERE THERE IS NO CROSSWALK.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE CASES WHERE VEHICLES BLOCK SITE DISTANCE.
AGAIN, HERE'S A CASE AT ROCKLEDGE.
THE PARKED VEHICLES EXTEND BEYOND WHERE THE CROSSWALK IS.
SO AS A PEDESTRIAN BEGIN TO CROSS, THEY'RE HIDDEN BY THE VEHICLE.
SO YOU DO NOT SEE A VEHICLE APPROACHING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE METRO NORTH SURGES BOTH FOR PEDESTRIANS AND TRAFFIC.
UM, YOU HAVE OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HOPE FOR A, A, UH, CORRIDOR IS TO HAVE SIGNALS THAT ARE IN SYNC.
THEY'RE IN COORDINATION IN THIS CASE, 'CAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY'S OUTDATED.
WHAT WE HAVE IS SOMETHING CALLED DRIFT, AS IN WHILE THERE'S COATING IN THERE THAT THE SIGNALS WANNA BE COORDINATED, THEY'RE WORKING ON DIFFERENT CLOCKS, AND THESE CLOCKS TEND TO GO OFF SYNC WITH EACH OTHER.
WHEN THEY GO SYNC WITH EACH OTHER, THEY'RE NO LONGER IN COORDINATION.
SO WHEN THEY HIT AT A GREEN LIGHT AND ONE LIGHT, THEN YOU HIT A RED LIGHT WHEN YOU STILL HIT A GREEN LIGHT.
AND SO THIS LEADS TO A LOT OF CONGESTION AND ALSO LEADS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HAVE TO GO OUT THERE TO OVERRIDE THE SIGNAL SYSTEM.
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UM, SO YOU HAVE AN OUTDATED SYSTEM.THE SIGNAL SYSTEM TODAY IS SPACED OUT, UM, WITH A LOT OF VARIABILITY.
UM, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE SCREEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU KIND OF HAVE FIVE SIGNALS FROM AQUEDUCT ROAD ALL THE WAY TO CENTRAL PARK AVENUE.
UM, THEY'RE NOT EQUALLY DISTANCE SPACING.
AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EQU DISTANCE SPACING, YOU DON'T HAVE THIS PLATOON OF CARS THAT CAN GO FROM ONE SIGNAL TO THE NEXT.
INSTEAD, YOU HAVE AN ACCORDION.
CARS BUNCH UP AT A SIGNAL, THEY GET THE GREEN LIGHT, THE FARTHER THE NEXT SIGNAL IS.
THE THE CARS THEMSELVES BEGIN TO HAVE AN ACCORDION EFFECT AND SPREAD OUT.
SO BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE NEXT SIGNAL, THEY ALL CAN'T BE PROCESSED EFFICIENTLY.
SO YOU REALLY WANT TO HAVE SOME SORT OF EQUALLY DISTANT SYSTEM.
UM, YOU HAVE LEWIS AVENUE, WHICH IS A UNIQUE SIGNAL.
IT'S A SIGNAL THAT, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE TRAFFIC WORLD REALLY ISN'T WARRANTED.
IT ONLY STOPS WHAT I'M GONNA CALL THE NORTHBOUND MOVEMENT WHILE SOUTHBOUND CAN STILL GO.
UM, AND LEWIS AVENUE IS A LOW VOLUME STREET, SO IT'S A SIGNAL THAT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE THERE.
UM, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE CASES WHERE YOU HAVE PARKED TRUCKS THAT TRIGGER THE SIGNAL.
A GOOD, UM, EXAMPLE IS AT THE RITE AID.
THERE'LL BE TRUCKS THAT ARE PARKED AT THE RITE AID DRIVEWAY WHERE THEY'RE PARKED.
THEY'RE TRIGGERING THE DETECTOR FOR THAT SIGNAL.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GETTING A CALL TO GIVE IT A GREEN LIGHT EVEN WHEN THERE'S NO CARS THERE FOR A GREEN LIGHT.
SO IT'S TRICKING THE SYSTEM BY BEING IN THE WRONG SPOT AND HAVING TECHNOLOGY TO REALIZE IT'S A TRUCK.
UM, AND THEN SIMILAR TO VAST PEDESTRIANS YOU HAVE THEN THE METRO NORTH SURGES TRAIN COMES IN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVE, A LOT OF PEOPLE GET PICKED UP, IT CALMS DOWN, BUT THEN REPEATS AGAIN.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD TOOLBOX TO KIND OF DEAL WITH THESE, UM, ISSUES.
UM, I'LL GO THROUGH 'EM QUICKLY AND THEN YOU'LL SEE HOW WE, UM, IMPLEMENT THEM IN THIS FIELD.
UM, BUT ONE, WE TALKED ABOUT SHORTER CROSSWALKS FOR TRAFFIC.
THAT MEANS THERE'S LESS TIME FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS THE ROAD.
IT MEANS THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO ACCOMMODATE VEHICLES.
UM, AND FOR THE PEDESTRIAN, IT'S A, IT'S A LOWER EXPOSURE.
UM, WHEN YOU ADD CROSSWALK, UM, IT MEANS VEHICLES NOW EXPECT THE PEDESTRIAN TO CROSS AND THEN YOU REDUCING JAYWALKING.
UM, WHEN YOU REMOVE OR RELOCATE PARKED VEHICLES AT THE INTERSECTION, YOU'RE REDUCING FRICTION.
SOMEONE PULL UP THE INTERSECTION THEY WANT TO PARK, SOMEONE'S TRYING TO PASS BY THEM, CAUSE LOT OF FRICTION.
AND THEN FOR THE PEDESTRIAN, IT REMOVES AN OBSTACLE FOR THEM TO SEE ONCOMING VEHICLES.
UM, YOU COULD REDUCE THE INTERSECTION RADI, SO IT MEANS IT MAKES A TIGHTER TURN, SLOWER VEHICLE SPEED.
UM, AND IMPROVE SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS.
YOU COULD PROHIBIT TURNS, UM, WHICH MEANS TRAFFIC MIGHT BE REASSIGNED, BUT YOU DON'T EXPOSE PEDESTRIANS TO TRAFFIC.
AND THEN LASTLY, YOU COULD UPGRADE THE SIGNAL SYSTEM SO YOU'RE IMPROVING THE TRAFFIC FLOW, UH, UH, YOUR ACCOMPANYING THESE SURGES IN TRAFFIC.
AND THEN IN TURN, WE'LL HELP PEDESTRIANS WITH NEW SIGNALS.
SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC FIRST AND THEN PEDESTRIAN SECOND.
UM, A LOT OF THIS ACTUALLY INTERTWINED.
SO YOU MAY SEE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE TRAFFIC.
IT'S BECAUSE WE DO SOMETHING WITH PEDESTRIANS LATER ON.
BUT TO KIND OF KEEP IT SIMPLE, I SPLIT IT UP.
SO FOR TRAFFIC, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS REMOVING THIS LEWIS AVE INTERSECTION AND MOVING IT TO ROCKLEDGE.
SO THERE'D BE A NEW SIGNAL AT ROCKLEDGE.
I'LL CALL ROCKLEDGE NORTH AND NO MORE SIGNAL LEWIS AVENUE.
AND WHAT YOU HAVE IS NOW A MORE EQUALLY DISTANCE SPACE SYSTEM TO HELP KEEP THAT VEHICLE PLATOON.
UM, WITH THAT WE'D BE UPGRADING THE SYSTEM, WHAT'S CALLED AN A T C S.
IT'S ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE CALL SMART TECHNOLOGY.
REALLY, UM, THIS SYSTEM IS CONSTANTLY MONITORING TRAFFIC.
SO WHERE TODAY, IF YOU WERE TO PUT A SIGNAL OUT THERE, YOU GIVE IT A TIME OF DAY PLAN AND NO MATTER WHAT IT FOLLOWS THAT PLAN, EVEN IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF CRAZY SURGE FROM METRO NORTH OR SOMETHING HAPPENS, IT'S IT'S KEPT IN THE CONFINES OF THEIR PLAN.
THIS SYSTEM, IT ADAPTS TO THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT.
SO IF YOU HAVE A SURGE IN TRAFFIC, IT WILL INSTANTANEOUSLY SWITCH TO SERVE THAT TRAFFIC AND THEN GO BACK TO NORMAL OPERATION ONCE IT'S BEEN SERVED.
UM, THE STATE LOVES THE SYSTEM IT'S BEEN EMPLOYED IN IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
I BELIEVE BEACON JUST PUT ONE IN, IN BY THEIR METRO NORTH TO KIND OF DEAL WITH SOME A SITUATION.
AND SO IT'S A SYSTEM THAT'S CONSTANTLY UPDATING ITSELF.
DOESN'T NEED TO BE RE TIMED EVERY TIME SOMETHING CHANGES.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE RAN A TEST TO SEE LIKE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU PUT THE SYSTEM IN, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS THIS TRAVEL SPEEDS IN, UH, DECREASE AND THERE'S THE NUMBER OF STOPS DECREASE.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT WHAT YOU HAVE OUT THERE TODAY.
AND SO BASED ON SOME OF THE MODELING, YOU'LL SEE ABOUT 4,000, 4, 9, 4 STOPS.
THAT MEANS A VEHICLE STOPPING WITHIN AN HOUR THAT MANY TIMES ALL THE VEHICLES IN THE NETWORK.
AND SO TO TRAVEL THIS CORRIDOR DURING THOSE PEAK TIMES, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM IN ONE DIRECTION, TWO AND A HALF MINUTES TO THREE AND A HALF MINUTES, WHICH FOR
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THAT DISTANCE IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME.WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE SYSTEM, YOU COULD SEE THE NUMBER OF STOPS WENT DOWN 'CAUSE YOU'RE HITTING RED LIGHTS LESS OFTEN AND YOUR TRAVEL TIME'S DECREASED FROM TWO AND A HALF MINUTES TO ALMOST UNDER TWO MINUTES.
AND FROM THREE AND A HALF TO UM, JUST OVER TWO AND A HALF MINUTES A MINUTE MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A LOT IN THE TRAFFIC WORLD.
THAT'S A HUGE NUMBER TO TAKE DOWN.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE THAT MINUTE AND YOU APPLY TO ALL THE CARDS THAT ARE OUT THERE, YOU END UP WITH THESE HUGE SAVINGS DELAY BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, BETTER FOR PEDESTRIANS.
SO THE SYSTEM ACTUALLY WORKS TO CATER TO THIS PEAKING IN TRAFFIC.
UM, SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA KIND OF AT LEAST ACCOMMODATE THE TRAFFIC SIDE.
AND THEN ALSO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING ON THE CORRIDOR.
SOMETHING WE JUST STARTED DOING IS, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO IN TERMS OF THE, THE CURB ITSELF TO HELP MANAGE TRAFFIC FLOW.
UM, THERE'S AN EXAMPLE THAT WAS GIVEN TO US WHERE I BELIEVE AT 50 EAST HARTSDALE, THE WAY THE PARKING IS SET UP.
THIS, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS TRUCK IS BLOCKING A VEHICLE TRYING TO GET OUT FROM SEEING A VEHICLE ONCOMING.
SO THERE'S SIMPLE THINGS YOU DO LIKE RETRIP IT TO MOVE THE PARKED VEHICLE BACK TO SPACE.
NOW YOU HAVE BETTER SIGHT DISTANCE.
SO THIS IS STUFF WHERE WE'RE COORDINATING WITH BOTH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND UM, UM, THE GREENBURG PARKING DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S THIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALSO LOOKING AT LOADING ZONES.
A LOT OF TIMES WE MIGHT SEE DOUBLE PARKED VEHICLES UNLOADING, UM, GOODS TO RESTAURANTS IN DOWNTOWN.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK TO SEE WHERE CAN YOU JUST PUT OUT POTENTIALLY LOADING ZONES TO GET THOSE TRUCKS OUT OF THE TRAVEL WAY.
SO WE'LL HOLD THAT THERE FOR A SECOND AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, HERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHERE PROTECTIONS ARE EXPOSED TO TRAFFIC, WHERE THERE'S LACK OF SIDEWALKS, WHERE THERE'S LACK OF CROSSWALKS.
SO THE FIRST ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WILSON STREET CONTACT, CENTRAL PARK AVENUE UP HERE, WILSON STREET, RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S A DRIVEWAY THAT COMES IN AND THEN YOU COULD SEE IN THE AREA THAT'S PARKED VEHICLES, IT'S ACTUALLY A DROP CURB RIGHT THERE, WHICH ALMOST MAKES IT LOOK LIKE A VEHICLE COULD EXIT THERE IF THEY WANTED TO.
UM, WE WOULD RAISE THAT CURB TO BE A STANDARD SIDEWALK AND TAKE THAT SIDEWALK AND WRAP IT AROUND THE CORNER TO EXTEND UP WILSON.
SO NOW WE FILLED IN THIS GAP RIGHT HERE, ADDED A STOP CROSSBAR TO MAKE SURE A VEHICLE AS THEY APPROACH STOPS DOESN'T, UM, IN FAIR CONDITIONS CROSSING AND TRY TO CREATE SOME SIDEWALK EXTENSIONS ON THE CORNERS.
UM, AT COLUMBIA, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE YOU HAVE AN EXTREMELY LONG INTERSECTION ALONG A CROSSWALK.
SO WE DO A COUPLE THINGS HERE.
ONE, WHAT WE DO IS PROVIDE WHAT'S CALLED CURB EXTENSIONS.
WHAT THE CURB EXTENSION DOES IS IT BRINGS IT OUT PAST THE PARKED VEHICLES AND SHORTENS THE CROSSING DISTANCE WHILE PROVIDING BETTER SITE DISTANCE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES TRAVELING ALONG EAST HARTSDALE.
IN ADDITION, DUE TO THIS LONG CROSSWALK, WE CREATE WHAT'S CALLED A PEDESTRIAN REFUGE, RIGHT IN THIS AREA WHERE A PEDESTRIAN WAS EXPOSED TO TRAFFIC, THEY'RE NOW IN A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE SAFE FROM TRAFFIC AND THEN THEY CROSS THE NEXT LEG.
ONE IS PROVIDING THE PEDESTRIAN REFUGE.
THE OTHER IS WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE TODAY, BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THIS, THESE TWO STOP BARS AND HOW BIG THIS INTERSECTION IS, WHEN THERE'S A GREEN LIGHT FOR VEHICLES, WE NOTICE IT'S A LOT OF VEHICLES WOULD TRY TO CUT THE CORNER TO BEAT THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC 'CAUSE THERE'S NOTHING PREVENTING THEM FROM COMING ACROSS.
DANGEROUS FOR PEDESTRIANS, DANGEROUS FOR VEHICLES ONCOMING.
SO NOW A VEHICLE MUST TRAVEL DOWN AND SLOW DOWN TO TAKE THAT LEFT.
AT LEWIS AVENUE, THIS IS ONE OF THE CASES, THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE REMOVING THE SIGNAL, AGAIN, THE SIGNAL THAT'S NOT WARRANTED.
BUT WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IS PROVIDING A CURB EXTENSION AND PUTTING IN THESE RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASHING BEACON.
SO WHAT THAT IS, IS PEDESTRIAN COMES UP, THEY PUSH THE BUTTON, THERE'S LIGHT THAT FLASHED, INDICATE A PEDESTRIAN'S CROSSING.
THERE IS NO SIGNAL, RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT, IT'S JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW PEDESTRIAN'S CROSSING THERE.
BUT THE SIGNAL HERE WOULD BE REMOVED.
UM, AT ROCKLAND ROAD, WHAT I'LL CALL NORTH.
THIS IS WHERE THERE'S A NEW SIGNAL BEING PLACED.
WE WOULD HAVE NEW CROSSWALKS AND A CURB EXTENSION TO SHORTEN THE CROSSWALK.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE A SIGNAL, THE PEDESTRIAN NOW HAS, UM, PEDESTRIAN, UH, SYMBOLED CROSSWALKS ON ALL THREE APPROACHES.
AND WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TO THIS INTERSECTION IN A SECOND.
NOW, IN ROCKRIDGE SOUTH, THIS IS WHERE HE DID MORE OF A DRASTIC CHANGE.
UM, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE TODAY,
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A VERY LONG CROSS CROSSING, A DESIRE LINE FOR PROTECTIONS TO CROSS FROM THIS SIDE OVER HIS HEART, THAT WHILE THERE'S NO CROSSWALK STOP BARS ARE PUSHED BACK EXTREMELY FAR BECAUSE OF WHERE THE ROAD COMES IN AND OUT AT A HIGH SPEED TURN.SO WHAT WE PROPOSE TO DO HERE IS THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY CONVERT ROCKLEDGE ROAD TO ONE WAY AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION.
WHAT THIS DOES IS ONE ALLOWS US TO TIGHTEN UP THIS CROSSING SO IT'S A SHORTER CROSS DISTANCE.
WHEN YOU COULD BRING OUT THE LANDSCAPING TO THIS AREA, YOU CAN NOW TAKE THIS STOP BAR, MOVE IT CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION, ADD A NEW CROSSWALK, ADD ADDITIONAL CURB EXTENSIONS.
WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS YOU'VE TIGHTENED THIS INTERSECTION TO SLOW VEHICLE SPEEDS, HAVE SHORT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AND CROSSINGS IN ALL FOUR LEGS.
AND BY NOT ALLOWING VEHICLES TO COME OUT, IT'S ONE LESS APPROACH YOU HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR A SIGNAL.
THIS SIGNAL'S SO CLOSE TO THE TRAIN STATION, THAT'S ONE LESS APPROACH I NEED TO GIVE GREEN TIME THAT COULD FOCUS ON EAST HARTSDALE TO MOVE THAT TRAFFIC.
AND THEN LASTLY, WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THAT EXITING LANE FROM ROCKLEDGE, YOU'LL SEE IT SOME COME PICTURES THERE TODAY IS LIKE THIS FIRE PAST SIDEWALK THAT KIND OF DEAD ENDS AND THERE IS NO PEDESTRIAN FACILITY DOWN THIS ROAD.
YOU WOULD THEN REPURPOSE THE, THE EXISTING LANE TO BE A SIDEWALK.
NOW THE REASON WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK IS WHEN WE LOOK AT ROCKLEDGE AS A WHOLE, TODAY IT'S A TWO LANE SEGMENT FROM HARTSDALE TO ROCKLEDGE CIRCLE IN THE PRIVATE DRIVEWAY.
AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE TODAY HAS A ONE WAY AROUND ROCKLEDGE TO EXIT EAST HARTSDALE.
SO MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY OR EARLIER IN THIS ONE WAY SYSTEM.
SO IF YOU WERE TO CONVERT THIS SECTION TO ONE WAY, THERE ARE SOME PARKED VEHICLES AND THERE ARE SOME LOCATIONS WHERE YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN A LEFT OUT WOULD NOT TO GO AROUND ROCKLEDGE, BUT THEY WOULD NOW ALL FILTER UP.
COULD SEE HERE THAT SECTION OF THAT OF THE SIDEWALK THAT KIND OF JUST DIES DOWN.
WE WOULD PRO TAKE THIS WHOLE AREA AND MAKE IT A SIDEWALK TO THEN ATTACH TO HARTSDALE.
ALL TRAFFIC WOULD FLOW AROUND ROCKLEDGE TO THE BRAND NEW SIGNAL WE JUST INSTALLED BY SPACING THE SIGNALS.
SO NEW SIGNAL HERE, ALL TRAFFIC GOES AROUND ROCKLEDGE.
THIS SYSTEM RIGHT HERE OPERATES A LOT BETTER FOR PEDESTRIANS.
AND THEN LASTLY WE HAVE AQUA DUCK ROAD.
UM, A COUPLE THINGS WE'VE DONE HERE.
IF YOU'RE OUT THERE TODAY, THERE'S AN ISLAND THAT STOPS RIGHT WHERE THE D WHERE THE D IS RIGHT HERE.
AND YOU HAVE THIS DEAD ZONE WHERE MOVING VEHICLES ARE HUGGING THIS INSIDE LANE AND NOTHING HAPPENS RIGHT WHERE THIS AREA IS.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO, 'CAUSE ALL THE PEDESTRIANS CONGREGATING THE CROSS, WE WOULD EXTEND THAT ISLAND TO BE IN LINE WITH THE TRAVEL LANE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE INVISIBLE LINE COMING UP BEING PART OF THAT.
SO NOW HERE'S YOUR BRAND NEW LARGER ISLAND FOR, FOR PEDESTRIANS, SOME WHICH WERE DONE BEFORE, AN EXTENSION ON THIS SIDE TO HAVE A SHORTER CROSSING, SHORTER CROSSING, SHORTER PEDESTRIAN TIME, COULD SERVICE OTHER VEHICLES QUICKER.
AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE THE ISLAND ACTUALLY EXTEND IT BACK FURTHER ONTO AQUEDUCT ROAD.
THE REASON IS TODAY IS JUST STRIKING AND YOU SEE A LOT OF VEHICLES CRISSCROSSING AND WEAVING, EVEN VEHICLES EXITING OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE THAT TRY TO CUT ACROSS.
I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE A LEFT.
THIS WOULD FORCE VEHICLES TO STAY IN THEIR LANE AS THEY LEAVE THE TRAIN STATION, INCLUDING THOSE LEAVING THE GARAGE WOULD HAVE TO THEN GO TOWARDS, HAVE TO TAKE A RIGHT AND GO UP DALE.
THIS WOULD CREATE, REMOVE A LOT OF THAT FRICTION WHEN PEOPLE PICK UP DROPPING OFF THAT TRAIN STATION, THEY NOW TO STAY IN THEIR OWN LANES.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEN AS LIKE THIS CORRIDOR FROM WILSON STREET ALL THE WAY DOWN, WE HAVE PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS THAT SHOW ON CROSSWALKS REDUCE THEIR PEDESTRIAN EXPOSURE.
UM, WE HAVE NEW SIGNAL SYSTEMS, WE HAVE NOW A NEW ONE-WAY SYSTEM AT ROCKLEDGE.
SO ALL THIS TOGETHER PROVIDES A SAFER SYSTEM FOR PEDESTRIANS TO WALK IN AND A MORE EFFICIENT SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES TO TRAVEL IN.
UM, SO I'LL LEAVE THIS UP TO KINDA GIVE THE OVERVIEW OF THE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO AT THIS POINT GARY, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU IF YOU WANNA STOP THERE FOR QUESTIONS AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD BREAK POINT.
UM, I THINK I HAVE ONE OR TWO COMMENTS, BUT UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ASK, UH, TOWN BOARD MEMBERS IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE
[00:25:01]
SEEN THUS FAR.YOUR HONOR, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, PLEASE, I'M WONDERING, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY ESTIMATED COSTS, UM, FOR, UM, FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS? YES, I HAVE THAT INFORMATION HANDY.
UM, OUR PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES ARE FOR THE EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, UM, CURB EXTENSIONS AND AND HARDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND FOR THE A T C S TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM, UH, AN APPROXIMATE CONSTRUCTION COST OF $525,000.
DOES THAT CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THE, UH, THE A C T SS SYSTEM INCLUDE THE EQUIPMENT? YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
DO YOU THINK THERE COULD BE ANY, COULD THERE BE STIMULUS FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THIS? YES.
AND WE, WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT, UH, BUDGETING FOR, FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
UM, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY, UH, AND AGGRESSIVELY SEEK FUNDING, PUBLIC FUNDING.
AND AT THE MOMENT, UM, VERY MUCH ON OUR RADAR IS THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM, UH, GRANT THROUGH NEW YORK STATE.
IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH NEW YORK STATE.
AND, UM, WE HAVE PRELIMINARILY IDENTIFIED THESE IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS, UH, WHAT I'M GOING TO WALK US THROUGH IN A FEW MOMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, UH, SIDEWALK PLANNING A AS A CORRIDOR PACKAGE FOR THAT TAP GRANT.
UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S THE ONLY FUNDING OUT THERE.
AND, AND, AND WE ABSOLUTELY AND AGGRESSIVELY ARE, ARE SEEKING OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THE SMART TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT AS LONG AS IT REMAINS SMART, THEN THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A, A GLITCH.
IS THERE A DEFAULT, UH, IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG OR HOW DOES IT HANDLE A HOLIDAY THAT'S THAT'S A TYPICAL MONDAY CRASH TIME, YOU KNOW, CRUNCH TIME, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S A HOLIDAY ON MONDAY.
HOW, HOW DOES IT ADDRESS THOSE KIND OF THINGS? IS THEIR ABILITY TO OVERRIDE IT AND WHO CAN DO THAT? YEAH.
UM, THERE, THE SYSTEM ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE PROGRAMS FOR CERTAIN TIMES IF NEEDED OR IF SOMETHING WERE TO FAIL, IT COULD DEFAULT TO, UM, A TYPICAL, UH, SITUATION.
ONE THING THE SYSTEM DOES IS YOU HAVE A COUPLE OPTIONS.
YOU CAN MANUALLY OVERRIDE IT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONTROLLED BY THE TOWN.
IT'S EITHER IT GETS IN MORE DETAIL, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH D O T STATE O OT, SEE WHO WOULD HELP RUN THE SYSTEM SINCE THE SYSTEM WOULD INCLUDE CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, WHICH IS A STATE O OT SIGNAL.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH D O T TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT WORKS AS A MAINTENANCE.
BUT LET'S JUST SAY SOMETHING, THE SOFTWARE GLITCHED AND IT CRASHED, IT RETAINS ALL THE INFORMATION IT'S LEARNED OVER THE PAST YEAR AND FINDS A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS IT TO WORK FOR TYPICAL TIMES AND FOR, FOR SOME REASON, IF THAT'S NOT WORKING, THEN DEFAULTS TO HARD CODED TIME OF DAY PLANS.
AND YOU, SO THEY HAVE THESE, THESE FAIL SAFES THAT LOOK AT HISTORICAL DATA.
AND THEN WE COULD ALSO PROVIDE METRICS TO MAKE SURE THE SYSTEM STAYS WITHIN A CERTAIN REALM IF SOMETHING WERE TO WERE TO HAPPEN.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IS THAT FOR THESE HOLIDAY SURGES, IT'S SUPPOSED TO AUTOMATICALLY ADAPT TO IT IN A CASE OF A FAILURE, THEY HAVE THOSE FAIL SAFES IN PLACE.
AND IT'S A SYSTEM THAT IS APPROVED BY STATE OT.
UM, AGAIN, THEY'VE USED IT AT THE BEACON TRAIN STATION.
THEY'VE JUST DEPLOYED IT ON ROUTE SIX IN CORLAND AND ACTUALLY EXPANDING IT BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
UM, I CAN TRY TO FIND SOME MORE EXAMPLES.
SO I KNOW THIS, OF THOSE TWO THAT THEY'VE, UM, DEPLOYED THIS SYSTEM.
ALRIGHT, FROM THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT I'VE ATTENDED REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS, THE TOWN HAS TO MAKE A CHOICE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO CONTROL THIS SYSTEM OR THE STATE.
AND BECAUSE THERE IS CENTRAL AVENUE THAT'S INVOLVED, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE PROS AND CONS OF US EITHER KEEPING IT WITH THE TOWN OR HAVING CONTROL, LOCAL CONTROL, OR HAVING THE STATE TAKE IT OVER? I THINK IT'S, IT COMES DOWN TO COST.
IF YOU CONTROL IT, YOU NEED TO BUY.
THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THE THOUGHT THAT GREENBERG WOULD PUT THE HARD SIGNALS IN PLACE, THE POLES, THE LIGHTS, ET CETERA.
THERE'S A SOFTWARE PACKAGE THAT GOES WITH THIS.
IF O T RUNS IT, IT'S ON THEIR SERVERS, WHICH MEANS YOU DON'T INCUR THAT COST TO RUN THE SOFTWARE.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT THE FIREWALL, YOU DON'T TOUCH IT SO PRO NO COST TO YOU ON THE SOFTWARE CON SOMETHING DONE.
IT'S THEM FLIP SIDE, IT'S YOUR SYSTEM.
YOU GET THE CALL IF SOMETHING'S WRONG,
[00:30:01]
BUT YOU GET TO CONTROL IT.BUT IT'D BE YOU PURCHASING IT AND HOSTING THAT SERVER.
UM, THE COMPANIES THAT DO THIS, THEY HELP YOU SET THAT UP.
SO I WOULDN'T SAY THAT AS A, AS A HINDRANCE.
LIKE THEY COULD HELP YOU SET IT UP, BUT IT'S ALMOST A COST OF YOU MAINTAIN THE SOFTWARE VERSUS HOW MUCH CONTROL DO YOU WANT ON IT VERSUS THE STAFF'S CONTROL.
YOU JUST PUT THE HARDWARE IN AND THEN LET IT RUN FROM THERE.
DO YOU KNOW OF MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY MAINTAINED LOCAL CONTROL? NO.
'CAUSE I THINK THE ONE IN COURTLAND STATE, D O T CONTROLS IT.
THEY HAVE THE SYSTEM IN PLACE, THEY HAVE THE SERVER IN PLACE.
UM, WE COULD TALK WITH THE STATE.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN GARRETT, MYSELF AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH THE STATE.
I, WE COULD ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE EXAMPLES WHERE THEY'VE DONE THAT.
UM, AND IT'D BE SOME SORT OF LIKE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT.
UM, BUT AT LEAST THE ONE THAT'S IN COURTLAND THAT IS A STATE CONTROLLED, UM, SYSTEM THAT THE TOWN AND SOME OF THE DUMBEST THAT HAVE PERMITS TO ACCESS.
SO THEY COULD USE IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL STATE CONTROLLED.
UH, MICHAEL, I HAD A QUESTION.
UH, I KNOW WHEN YOU, WHEN I'VE HEARD THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE FIRST TIME AND YOU SHARED THE DATA WITH RESPECT TO THE TIMING IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE NEW SYSTEM, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU RELAYED TO US THAT IT'S RARE TO SEE, UM, PERCENTAGE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ORDER OF WHAT THIS PERSPECTIVE SYSTEM WOULD SHOW.
UM, DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO JUST, IS IT A COMBINATION OF THE, THE EXISTING SYSTEM IS JUST SO DATED AND AND THE NON SPACING? OR IS IT THAT, UM, JUST THE, THE NEWER SYSTEM IS JUST THAT MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE? UM, 'CAUSE YOU HAD INDICATED THAT YOU NEVER SEE THAT ORDER OF MAGNITUDE IMPROVEMENT WHEN YOU
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A COMBINATION.
WE TYPICALLY WOULD, WE WOULD SEE SOME OF MY SOMETIMES ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO 10% OF AN IMPROVEMENT, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE LOVE SEEING THAT THIS IS LARGER THAN THAT.
IT'S ATTRIBUTED MOSTLY TO THE SYSTEM YOU HAVE OUT THERE.
IF YOU HAD A NEWER SYSTEM THAT HAD AT LEAST COORDINATION AND BETTER DETECTION, PROBABLY THE IMPROVEMENT MIGHT BE MORE TOWARDS THAT MAGNITUDE OF THAT FIVE TO 10% THAT YOU'RE SQUEEZING OUT BECAUSE THE SYSTEM REALLY IS THAT POOR.
YOU'RE SEEING THAT LARGER JUMP.
SO THERE IS A REALM WHERE YOU COULD IMPROVE THE SIGNALS WITH JUST STANDARD TECHNOLOGY, NEW DETECTORS, NEW COMMUNICATION SO THEY DON'T DRIFT OUT FROM EACH OTHER.
AND YOU WOULD SEE AN IMPROVEMENT JUST WITH THAT AND PROBABLY A PRETTY SIZABLE ONE.
AND THEN THE A T C S WOULD GET YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, BUT WHAT'S GREAT IS THAT IF WE WEREN'T BY THE TRAIN STATION, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND A T C SS AS MUCH BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE OF A STANDARD FLOW BECAUSE YOU'RE BIOME METRO NORTH, YOU HAVE THESE SURGES.
THAT'S WHY EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT ONLY GET THAT 5% COMPARED TO JUST AN UPGRADED SYSTEM, THAT UPGRADE SYSTEM WILL STILL HAVE PROBLEMS HANDLING THAT FIVE MINUTE SURGE OF TRAFFIC.
AND THIS WILL DO A BETTER JOB THAN THAT.
UM, SO ANYTHING YOU DO WILL BE AN IMPROVEMENT.
UM, BUT WE THINK AT T C S WILL GIVE YOU THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF IMPROVEMENT.
I KNOW
SO THE HARDWARE THAT YOU'D BE PUTTING OUT THERE IS GOOD FOR YOUR NEW COORDINATED SYSTEM OR WITH THIS EVEN MORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE TO BE CONSTRUCTED UP THERE IN TERMS OF THE CONTROLLER CABINET, THE POLES, ET CETERA.
I I JUST HAVE A QUICK, QUICK COMMENT AND THEN, UH, A QUESTION CAME IN FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE'VE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS QUITE A BIT THAT EXPERIENCE ON EAST HARSDALE AVENUE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DRIVER FRUSTRATION BASED ON THE THE WAIT TIMES AND WHICH LEADS TO AGGRESSION.
UM, WELL THERE, I DON'T KNOW HOW SCIENTIFIC THE INFORMATION IS ABOUT THAT, BUT DO YOU FEEL THAT THE BETTER TRAFFIC FLOW, UM, WILL REALLY, YOU KNOW, CALM THE, THE DRIVER DOWN BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH THAT PERCENTAGE BETTER AND, AND, AND YOU WOULD SEE LESS AGGRESSION AND MAYBE MOVEMENTS THAT OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA SEE? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WE SEE A LOT OF DRIVER FRUSTRATION WHEN THEY'RE HITTING RED LIGHTS WHEN IT'S NOT TO SEE HITTING RED LIGHTS.
UM, SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO SHARE THE POWERPOINT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED TO IT.
UM, THAT FRUSTRATION OCCURS ANY TIME YOU HAVE SIGNAL THAT, THAT ARE NOT IN COORDINATION, THAT EVEN WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE CROSSING, WHEN NOT SUPPOSED TO BE CROSSING, THAT ALL, ALL STUFF THAT LEADS THE DRIVER FRUSTRATION LEADS TO HIGH SPEEDS AND THEN SLAM ON YOUR BRAKES.
THIS TAKES AWAY THAT FRUSTRATION OUT 'CAUSE IT PREVENTS MORE OF A CONSISTENT CORRIDOR AND DRIVER EXPERIENCE.
THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, THE SYSTEM WORKS 'CAUSE THEY CAN GET THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
[00:35:01]
OF THAT DRIVER AGGRESSION, UM, THAT YOU MAY SEE TIME TO TIME.ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT.
AT THE CORNER OF, UH, CENTRAL AVENUE AND WEST ON EAST ELLI AVENUE, UH, HEADING TOWARDS WEST ELLI AVENUE, A LOT OF CARS CROSS THE LINE, UM, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE, YOU KNOW, GO ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SOMETIMES BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU, THE, THE WAITING TIME AND THE SIGNAL.
HAVE YOU TAKEN A LOOK AT THAT AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE WITH THAT? YEP.
THE A T C S SYSTEM INCLUDES THAT INTERSECTION.
AND WHEN WE MODELED IT, THAT APPROACH WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CROSS THE LINE TO BYPASS ATLANTA CARS, THAT'S NOW ACCOMMODATED BY THIS NEW SYSTEM.
SO THEREFORE, BECAUSE NOW THE SYSTEM CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT TRAFFIC BETTER, YOU'D BE LESS LIKELY TO SEE THAT AGGRESSION OF CROSSING THE DOUBLE YELLOW TO GET AROUND THE QUEUE.
UM, THERE'S PART ONE OF THE ANSWER, PART TWO IS I THINK AT A LATER DATE WE ARE WORKING ON A, ON A STUDY FOR ACTUALLY THE FOUR CORNERS INTERSECTION, WHICH WILL LOOK FOR OTHER IMPROVEMENTS BEYOND JUST THE SIGNALS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND SO WE'LL SEE WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE FOR THAT APPROACH.
BUT AT LEAST JUST FOR THE SIGNAL SYSTEM ITSELF, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THIS LARGER SYSTEM AS TRAFFIC APPROACHES THAT YOU'RE NO LONGER IN THOSE LONGER QUEUES BECAUSE THE GREEN LIGHT'S GONNA OCCUR WHEN IT SHOULD OCCUR AS TRAFFIC APPROACHES AS OPPOSED TO EVERYONE HITTING A RED LIGHT.
UM, SO THE SIGNAL WOULD ACCOMMODATE THAT AGGRESSION YOU'RE SEEING OUT THERE.
ALSO, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THE TOWN PURCHASED, UM, AN ABANDONED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUSE.
UM, AND THE GOAL WAS EVENTUALLY TO MAKE THAT, UM, A TURNING LANE.
UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WE SHOULD BE TAKING STEPS TO MAKE A TURNING LANE, UM, POSSIBLE.
AND IF THAT'S A PRACTICAL, UM, SHORT TERM APPROACH THAT COULD ALLEVIATE REDUCE TRAFFIC ON WEST HART SALE? ABSOLUTELY PRACTICAL IS PART OF OUR STUDY FOR THE FOUR CORNERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST BRUSH WE SAY DON'T DO IT BECAUSE IT MEANS A LONGER PEDESTRIAN CROSSING.
HOWEVER, AT THAT INTERSECTION YOU HAVE ALL PEDESTRIAN PHASE, WHICH MEANS ALL TRAFFIC IS STOPPED FOR ALL PEDESTRIANS.
AND SO THE TIME TO CROSS, UH, CENTRAL PARK AVENUE WILL STILL BE LONGER THAN EVEN IF YOU EXTEND THAT APPROACH FOR THAT NEW RIGHT TURN LANE.
SO YOUR TIMING DOESN'T CHANGE.
SO ACTUALLY PROBABLY LEANING TOWARDS SUGGESTING THAT TO PROVIDE MORE VEHICLE CAPACITY, SINCE IT WON'T CHANGE HOW MUCH TIME IS BEING SPENT GIVEN TO THE PEDESTRIAN.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING GARY IDENTIFIED A WHILE WAS OFF FOR US.
UM, AND SO FOR OUR STUDY FOR THAT FOUR CORNERS, THAT RIGHT TURN LANE IS DEFINITELY IN THE REAL POSSIBILITY FOR OUR, FOR US ADDING THAT INTO THE IMPROVEMENT.
AND THEN THE FINAL QUESTION I HAVE, I'M SORRY THAT I'M, I THINK YOU, THIS IS A REALLY INTERESTING, UM, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR A YEAR, A COUPLE YEARS ABOUT, UM, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT AT THE, YOU KNOW, AT THE FOUR CORNERS AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SEEMS TO WANT IT, BUT THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NUMBERS OF UNITS, THEN PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE WOULD RE AT SOME POINT REZONE FOR, UM, MIXED USE COULD, UM, THE AREA HANDLE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE, UM, MULTI MIXED USE, UM, COMMERCIAL AND, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENTS.
AND HAVE YOU LOOKED AT GIVING US SORT OF LIKE AN ESTIMATE AS TO WHAT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF, UM, DEVELOPMENT WE COULD REALLY HANDLE WITHOUT GETTING, UH, SO EVERYBODY GETTING CRAZY? YEAH.
UM, AND GARY COULD STEP IN HERE TOO, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE'VE JUST ACTUALLY STARTED.
UM, THE PLAN FOR THAT IS WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE DOING HERE THAT GETS MORE TRAFFIC CAPACITY WITH OTHER IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE, WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW MUCH CAPACITY WE CAN GAIN FROM THAT.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO BACK CALCULATE AND WORK WITH GARRETT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS NEW DENSITY CAN ACTUALLY, WHAT THIS AREA CAN HANDLE FOR THE DENSITY.
SO YOU'RE SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE GAME.
THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING IS EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY STUDYING RIGHT NOW TO SEE WHAT CAN BE ACCOMMODATED WITH MORE DENSITY BASED ON THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE CREATING.
UM, AND THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MULTI-STEP.
WE, WE WANNA TAKE CREDIT FOR THE USES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE WOULD POTENTIALLY REPLACE.
WE WANNA TAKE CREDIT FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A MORE WALKABLE ENVIRONMENT DOWN TO THE TRAIN STATION.
UM, WE WANNA TAKE CREDIT FOR THE NEW SIGNAL SYSTEM, POTENTIALLY THAT NEW RIGHT TURN LANE.
LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN GET IMPROVEMENTS.
ONCE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CAPACITY WE CAN GAIN, THEN WE'RE GONNA BACK CALCULATE INTO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR TRAFFIC? WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
[00:40:01]
DENSITY IN THIS AREA? UM, SO HOPEFULLY OUR NEXT MEETING WHAT, WHAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YESTERDAY, YESTERDAY I WAS, UM, BICYCLING AROUND, UH, COLUMBIA AND, AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT'S LAWTON AND SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS AND ONE MAN SAID, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EAST TAR DAILY AVENUE AND UH, WEST TAR DAILY AVENUE, THE FOUR CORNERS FOR YEARS, HOW COME IT'S TAKEN? SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ALONG.AND I GUESS FROM THIS PRESENTATION WE HAVE TO DO THE BABY STEPS AND I GUESS IF WE COULD ADDRESS THE CURBING THE LIGHTING, THEN UH, WE'LL ADDRESS THE FIRST STEPS IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION, WHICH WOULD ENABLE US TO, UM, SERIOUSLY CONSIDER, UH, THE NEXT STEP.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE PROCRASTINATING, IT'S THAT WE'RE DOING IT SYSTEMIC SYSTEMICALLY.
WE, I, I AM SURE EVERYONE MAY HAVE KNOWN, WE STARTED ON THE FOUR CORNERS FIRST, AND AS WE STARTED GETTING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE REALIZED WE'VE GOTTA GET MORE CAPACITY.
AND THAT LED TO HEART SALE AND THE PROJECT FOR NOT ONLY PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENTS, BUT HOW DO WE GET THAT FLOW BETTER? AND SO IT'S NOT THAT WE PUT FOUR CORNERS ON PAUSE, WE JUST ADDED THIS COMPONENT TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE COULD DO TO GAIN AS MUCH CAPACITY AS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO IT JUST, IT WAS MORE OF AN ADD-ON TO THAT ORIGINAL STUDY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND NOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
NOW WE HAVE A PLAN AT LEAST TO GET MORE CAPACITY, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WHAT THAT DENSITY IS.
UM, WHETHER THAT'S CHANGING SETBACKS TOO FOR WIDER SIDEWALKS, CHANGING SETBACKS TO GET MORE TRAVELING WHERE PEOPLE PARK.
THAT'S ALL PART OF THIS NEXT, THIS NEXT PART.
UM, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE COULD GAIN MORE CAPACITY IN THIS HARD STILL STUDY, KIND OF IDENTIFY THAT FOR US.
I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT ALL WE'RE DOING ARE BABY STEPS HERE BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA FROM A TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY THAT HAS EVER BEEN DONE.
AND SO ALL OF THESE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT SO MUCH SAFER.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT WALK, UH, COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW PEOPLE ARE WALKING AND THEY'RE USING BABY CARRIAGES ON WEST DALE AVENUE, EAST DALE AVENUE CROSSING WHERE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO CROSS, UH, TRYING TO GO AROUND CARS.
SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HEARING WELL, THE NEXT STEP, THE NEXT STEP AND THE NEXT STEP.
UH, AND I REALLY, UM, I REALLY LIKE THE, THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH THAT YOU'RE TAKING AS YOU STARTED AT FOUR CORNERS AND RECOGNIZE YOU CAN'T REALLY ADDRESS FOUR CORNERS UNTIL YOU ADDRESS THE AVENUE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GET FROM THE AVENUE AND THEN COME BACK TO FOUR CORNERS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT HANDICAP THAT YOU HAD BEFORE.
AND SO I'M REALLY IMPRESSED, BUT I, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT BECAUSE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE ASKING, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T SEE TRAFFIC LIGHTS CHANGING.
THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK HAS BEEN, THAT'S BEEN DONE, AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'VE STOPPED, UH, TO, UH, DO ALL THE BACKGROUND WORK.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S HARD TO DO TRAFFIC COUNTS WHEN YOU HAVE A PANDEMIC AND THE ECONOMY IS SHUT DOWN.
BUT THEN YOU USED OTHER TECHNOLOGIES IN ORDER TO RECREATE THAT, WHICH WAS REALLY FASCINATING HOW YOU RECREATED THE, THE DATA BASED
I, I JUST, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, UH, BECAUSE I HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT YOUR ULTIMATE CONCLUSIONS WILL BE, WILL BE, BE BASED ON FACT AND PRODUCE REAL RESULTS.
I REALLY, I'M VERY IMPRESSED WE PICTURE, PICTURE YOUR COMPANY.
UH, BUT I WAS THE DAY THANK THAT WE PICTURE A COMPANY,
AND TO THAT POINT, UM, I KNOW THERE ARE LINKS IN THE INVITE TO, UH, A PRIOR TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION WHERE THERE'S OTHER THINGS GOING ON SUCH AS THE HAWK SYSTEM AT CENTRAL AND LAWTON, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FOR A SIDEWALK AT, UH, NORTH WASHINGTON.
SO THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER ASPECTS ON THE PERIPHERY OF FOUR CORNERS, WHICH ARE ALL BEING DONE FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE TO, UM, IMPROVE THE AREA.
AND, AND, AND ALSO OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL FACTOR INTO FOUR CORNERS PLANNING.
UH, I DO, UH, WANNA RESPECT THE EMAILS THAT HAVE COME IN.
WE HAVE, I BELIEVE THREE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO WHAT WE JUST HEARD.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO RECITE THEM.
AND THIS QUESTION CAME IN REGARDING THE PROPOSED HARTSDALE TRAIN STATION EXTENSION TO THE ISLAND SLASH CURB TO RESTRICT PEOPLE FROM COMING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND TURNING LEFT ONTO EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
UH, THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD CREATE MORE TRAFFIC ONTO EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE FORCING DRIVERS TO DRIVE WEST TO SWING BACK
[00:45:01]
EAST TOWARDS SCARSDALE.DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE CURRENTLY PARK IN THE STATION GARAGE AND WOULD NEED TO EXIT THE STATION BY TURNING LEFT TOWARDS THE BRONX RIVER PARKWAY? SCARSDALE, UH, ULTIMATELY I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE CHANGING ANY, UH, TRAFFIC FLOW ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT MICHAEL, DO YOU NEED ME TO, UM, REITERATE THAT QUESTION? DO YOU WANNA BRING THE GRAPHIC UP? NO.
YEAH, I'M GONNA BRING UP, I THINK I GOT IT BACK UP AND RUNNING.
UM, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU SEE THE SCREEN.
SO WHAT THEY'RE TALK ABOUT IS, UM, UM, THE, THE COMMENT IS CORRECT, WE WOULD OKAY, TODAY SOMEONE COULD TRY TO CUT ACROSS TODAY AND COME UP, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO OBSERVE THAT GARAGE IN FULL, UM, IN FULL FORCE HOW THEY EXIT.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE COORDINATED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THAT REALLY THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S SO GREAT THAT FORCING PEOPLE OUT OF THE GARAGE TO GO NORTH, ESPECIALLY WITH NEW STATELESS SYSTEM.
THEY THINK THEY'D BE FINE WITH THAT, BUT THAT IS CORRECT.
ANYONE WHO LEAVES THE GARAGE MUST GO UP EAST DALE, THIS WHOLE AREA IN GREEN, I PICTURE THAT AS A RAISED MEDIAN.
SO THERE IS NO CRISSCROSSING, IT'S TO FLUSH PEOPLE OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO UP AND THEN, UM, OUT OF THE SYSTEM, UM, AGAIN, PUSHING PEOPLE UP THROUGH HEES FOR OUR SIGNALS, THEY'D BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE IT.
BUT ANYONE WHO DID WANT TO GO TAKE THAT LEFT, IT'D BE OUT OF THEIR WAY.
I I, SO THE COMMENTS ARE, AND I, AND I THINK TODAY, SORRY, I THINK TODAY THE ISLAND DOES EXTEND THERE, BUT I THINK WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT DO IS THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY TRY TO DO A GO BACK AND AROUND, WHICH MAYBE THAT'S WHAT ELAINE MAYBE IF YOU WANNA STEP IN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS TALKING ABOUT.
EVEN THOUGH THE MEDIAN'S THERE, THEY DON'T FOLLOW IT.
UM, ELAINE, IS THAT SIMILAR TO WHAT, WHAT YOU WERE TOLD? YES.
I BELIEVE WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS PEOPLE EXITING THE GARAGE WILL GO AROUND THE EXISTING MEDIAN THAT IS BLOCKED, SUPPOSED TO BE PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM MAKING THAT LEFT TURN CURRENTLY.
AND THAT IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION BECAUSE YOU'RE SENDING PEOPLE INTO OPPOSING TRAFFIC ALONG AQUEDUCT ROAD AND FORCING THEM AROUND.
SO THAT, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS RECOMMENDED TO EXTEND THIS, UM, EXTEND THIS ISLAND SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER PREVENT PEOPLE FROM MAKING THAT UNSAFE MOVEMENT.
WANNA COMMENTOR? AND I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO IS, UM, WE COULD REACH OUT TO THE PARKING DISTRICT, UM, AND, AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF, IF TRAFFIC WANTS, HOW MUCH TRAFFIC POTENTIALLY WANTS TO GO LEFT BASED ON EXISTING, UH, PERMIT USERS.
BUT, UM, I, SO I THINK WE CAN FOLLOW UP THERE, BUT DEFINITELY I THINK THE INTENT RIGHT, IS TO BRING THAT CURB OUT TO HAVE THE HARDSCAPE TO HAVE THE MOVEMENTS GO THE DIRECTION THEY'RE INTENDED TO GO.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN WORK WITH THE PARKING DISTRICT SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME OUT THAT WAY AND THEY CAN GO AND, UH, OUT THE O THE OTHER EXIT MAYBE BY REDOING HOW THE TRAFFIC FLOW IS WITHIN THE PARKING LOT ITSELF? WE'VE NOT BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM ABOUT THAT.
UH, GARY, IF, IF SOMETHING WE WANNA EXPLORE, UM, I THINK THIS PARTICULAR COMMENT WE WOULD REACH OUT DIRECT TO THE PARKING DISTRICT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
SO THAT, THIS IS A GOOD COMMENT.
UH, WE HAVE A COMMENT HERE, RECITED MIGHT BE MORE.
PLEASE ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF BUSES TRAVELING SOUTH ON CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, LOADING AND UNLOADING PASSENGERS SOUTH OF HARTSDALE AVENUE AT MOST INTERSECTIONS.
THIS OCCURS BEFORE THE INTERSECTION, NOT AFTER THE INTERSECTION WHEN THE BUS STOPS AT THE, AT AT AS THE FOUR CORNERS AS BACKS UP TRAFFIC ON WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE AND ON CENTRAL PARK AVENUE.
SOUTHBOUND, UH, I CAN SPEAK TO THIS, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, THE SOUTHBOUND BUS WILL BE RELOCATED, UH, QUITE A BIT TO THE SOUTH.
UM, NOT SIGNIFICANT, BUT AT LEAST, UH, 50 FEET OR SO.
UM, SO I COULDN'T IMAGINE THERE BEING ANY, UM, IMMEDIATE BUS, BUS BACKUPS TO THE CORNERS.
UM, BUT TYPICALLY I DO BELIEVE THAT THE, THE BUS STOPS GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND I'LL HAVE TO REVIEW THE PLANS BECAUSE I KNOW THE STATE SENT US, UH, FOUR CORNERS, UH, UPDATE WHERE THEY INTEND TO UPDATE ALL THE PEDESTRIAN, UH, INTERSECTIONS TO BE A D A COMPLIANT.
SO I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT COORDINATION HAVE BEEN, HAS BEEN DONE WITH WESTCHESTER, UH, TRANSPORTATION ON THE NORTHBOUND BUS, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS INDEED BEFORE THE INTERSECTION.
[00:50:02]
BUT I THINK THE RELOCATION, THE POINT IS, I THINK THAT, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, I THINK THE SOUTHBOUND BUS STOP MOVING FURTHER SOUTH SHOULD ALLEVIATE ANY TYPE OF, UH, BLOCK THE BOX CONCERNS THAT WERE NOTED.WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION HERE.
UH, WHAT CURRENT WAIT TIMES AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS HAVE BEEN MEASURED ON THE EAST HARTSDALE CORRIDOR? WHAT WOULD THAT WAIT TIME BECOME WITH THE FIVE TO 10% IMPROVEMENT IN TRAFFIC FLOW? IN SIMPLE TERMS, HOW MANY CARS CAN NOW GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE LIGHT IS GREEN? AND HOW MANY CARS WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION DURING THE GREEN LIGHT WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY? GOOD QUESTION.
UM, ELAINE, DO WE WANNA PULL UP, UM, MAYBE THE BEST ONE WE COULD LOOK AT, MAYBE JUST ROCKLEDGE, JUST THE DELAY FOR A NORTH, FOR LIKE EACH DIRECTION FOR THE EXISTING, IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO PULL IT UP VERSUS, UM, THE PROPOSED ONE, UM, TO SEE IF WE GET A MORE OF A HOW MANY SECONDS, UM, 'CAUSE YEAH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING HERE IS MORE AS A QUARTER AS A WHOLE WITH LESS STOPS, LESS VEHICLE DELAY.
SO JUST AS YOU KIND OF SEE THE TIME SAVING OCCURS EVERYWHERE.
UM, SO WE COULD, WE, WE COULD PULL THAT UP.
UM, I DUNNO IF GARY, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WHAT WHY WE TRYING TO TRY TO PULL THAT DATA UP.
YEAH, IF YOU COULD PULL THAT UP, BUT I JUST, JUST TO BUILD ON THIS QUESTION, I MEAN, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, IN THE AM PEAK, RIGHT, OUR, OUR RESIDENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUALLY, UH, AT THAT PEAK UP WEST HARSDALE AVENUE WANTING TO TRAVEL DOWNHILL TO, YOU KNOW, TO FOUR CORNERS AND THROUGH TO TOWARDS THE TRAIN STATION.
UM, JUST THE GENERAL PREMISE IS, UM, I MEAN MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S LIKE CYCLES YOU COULD SIT THROUGH THREE TO FOUR CYCLES.
UM, I MEAN, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO SUGGEST THAT THERE'S A CHANCE THAT, UM, A A, YOU KNOW, A FULL CYCLE IN MANY INSTANCES COULD BE ELIMINATED? YEAH, I, I, I THINK WITH THE SYSTEM, YOU'RE NOT WAITING FOR MULTIPLE CYCLES ANYMORE.
WHERE TODAY YOU WOULD HIT A RED, SEE, GREEN HIT A RED AGAIN OR MODELING IS SHOWING YOU REALLY ONLY STOP YOU, YOU STOP LESS FREQUENTLY BECAUSE YOU HIT THE RED LIGHT AND THEN YOU'RE INTO THE COORDINATED SYSTEM.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A LARGER DROP IN NUMBER OF STOPS.
UM, BUT YEAH, THE SYSTEM WOULD BE MADE THAT A VEHICLE WOULD CARRY THROUGH IN A PLATOON, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SIGNALS RELOCATED TO HAVE MORE OF A E DISTANCE SPACING AS OPPOSED TO STOPPING OVER AND OVER AND NOT GETTING THROUGH A SIGNAL.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S DATA THAT WE COULD PULL AND OUR FINAL REPORT WILL HAVE THAT, THAT, THAT DETAILED DATA.
SO I'LL DOCUMENT ALL THESE COMMENTS AND, UH, WE'LL SHARE THEM AFTERWARDS FOR THE REPORT.
UM, BUT ELAINE, YOU HAVE SOME, UH, DATA FOR A SPECIFIC INTERSECTION.
UM, SO THIS, WE'RE, I'M SHOWING THE SYNCRO FILE FOR THE EXISTING CONDITIONS DURING THE PMM PEAK HOUR.
UM, EASTBOUND IS GOING TOWARD THE TRAIN STATION AND WESTBOUND IS GOING AWAY FROM THE TRAIN STATION.
UM, WE'RE SHOWING THAT TOWARD THE TRAIN STATION.
WE HAVE A 22ND, 20.6 SECOND DELAY AWAY FROM THE TRAIN STATION IS 4.1 SECONDS OF DELAY.
AND OF COURSE, UM, THIS ISN'T QUITE CAPTURING THOSE CYCLE FAILURES WHERE YOU'RE WAITING AT THE SIGNAL FOR SEVERAL CYCLES.
UM, BUT IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE IMPROVED COORDINATED, UM, SO THE COORDINATED SYSTEM, I CAN'T RUN THE, UH, THE SYNCHRO GREEN RIGHT NOW, BUT THE IMPROVED SYSTEM WOULD HAVE, UM, AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE DELAY.
WE'RE SHOWING 18.5 SECONDS GOING TOWARD THE TRAIN STATION AND ABOUT SIX SECONDS GOING AWAY FROM THE TRAIN STATION.
UM, THAT'S JUST THAT ONE SECOND JUST TO PUT THE TAB IN THERE.
UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, A GENERAL, WHAT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE HOUR.
UM, THIS, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SCREEN DOESN'T CAPTURE WHAT WE PUT IN THE REPORT, WHICH SHOWS THE PEAKING, SURGING MM-HMM.
SO ONCE YOU SEE A SURGE, YOU'LL SEE A HIGHER DELAY OR FAILURE.
AND THEN OUR SIMULATION MODEL CAPTURES THAT ELEMENT.
UH, THIS IS A VERY STATICALLY SHOWS YOU GENERALLY HOW IT DOES IMPROVE ON A STATIC LEVEL.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE SHOW YOU THE EXISTING IN IT'S FOUR SECONDS, IT'S ACTUALLY FAR WORSE WHEN WE RUN THE SIMULATION.
LIKE MIKE SAID, THIS IS JUST THE STATIC MODEL.
UM, AT THE MOMENT WE HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, UH, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER
[00:55:01]
QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO TRANSITION TO, UH, WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE SIDEWALK.AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND ZOOM IN HERE.
THIS GRAPHIC, UH, I DID SHARE DURING THE TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION, UH, IN AUGUST.
AND IT, IT DOES, IT DOES KIND OF SPEAK TO A LOT OF, UH, PLANNING EFFORTS THAT ARE ONGOING.
UM, SO AGAIN, TUNE INTO THAT TO THAT YOUTUBE.
I KNOW, UH, SUPERVISOR FINER HAD THAT MADE INTO A YOUTUBE, IF YOU WANNA SEE THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, AND ALSO THE EMAIL INVITE TO THIS MEETING HAS AN OVERVIEW OF, OF SOME OF THESE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT FOCUSING ON THE WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE SIDEWALK IS WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW.
AND WHAT'S ENVISIONED IS A, A SI FILLING IN A SIGNIFICANT SIDEWALK GAP IN THE TOWN, WHICH I, IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE VERY AWARE OF THE CONDITIONS OUT THERE, BUT I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THEM.
UM, SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SPAN OF WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, NEW YORK STATE ROADWAY FROM FOUR CORNERS IN A WESTERLY AND NORTHERLY DIRECTION TO PAT CAPONE ROAD, WHERE AT THAT JUNCTURE, UH, THERE IS A, A SHORT GAP, UH, AT LAFELL SCHOOL, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY SHORT, BUT THEN THERE'S A SIDEWALK AT LAFELL, UH, INSTALLED AS PART OF THE CONDITION OF APPROVAL.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THIS, THIS SIGNIFICANT GAP.
IT'S ROUGHLY, UH, 6,000 LINEAR FEET, SO ALMOST A MILE.
AND, UM, YOU GET A SENSE OF OF OF, OF SOME OF THE DENSITY OUT HERE.
YOU SEE THE GRID LAYOUT FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ALONG THIS QUARTER.
THERE ARE BUSINESSES, THERE'S A CHILD DAYCARE CENTER, UH, THAT HAS EMPLOYEES THAT CERTAINLY WALK TO IT.
UH, THERE ARE THREE SCHOOLS, LAFELL SCHOOL, MARIA, REGINA GREENBURG, CENTRAL WARBURG CAMPUS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE CHILDREN WALKING ALONG THIS STRETCH.
IN ADDITION TO THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UH, WE HAVE A, A SERIES OF MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEXES, WHICH HAVE, UH, VERY GOOD ACCESS TO, UH, WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE AND JUST A LOT OF FEED OR STREETS.
UH, SO WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, MAJOR, MAJOR GAP.
A COUPLE YEARS BACK THE TOWN, UH, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ENGINEERING AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE DEVELOPED WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE, UH, TOWN OF GREENBURG SIDEWALK PRIORITIZATION REPORT.
AND THAT HAS, IT'S A 41 PAGE REPORT THAT HAS DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THE SIDEWALK NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UM, AND THAT ALSO, OF COURSE HAS MUCH MAPPING, AND I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAPPING, UH, FROM THAT REPORT TO GIVE CON CONTEXT TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, SO I, I WILL ZOOM IN MORE IN A MOMENT SO YOU CAN SEE SOME STREET NAMES, BUT, UH, AGAIN, WE, WE JUST FOCUSED ON THE EAST HARSDALE AVENUE CORRIDOR, AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WEST HARSDALE AVENUE CORRIDOR.
SO WITH THIS TAP GRANT OPPORTUNITY, WE REALLY ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, A MULTI-PHASE LINEAR, UH, SET OF IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED FOR THIS QUARTER HERE.
UH, WHAT THIS MAP HIGHLIGHTS IS, IS INDEED THE GAP, UH, OF, OF THE SIDEWALK GAP, BUT IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS IN RED, OTHER MAJOR, UH, ROADS, LOCAL ROADS AND, AND STATE ROADS IN THE TOWN THAT, THAT ABSOLUTELY CALL FOR SIDEWALKS.
AND, UH, I WISH THERE WAS LESS RED ON THIS MAP AND MORE BLUE, WHICH ARE EXISTING SIDEWALKS, UH, IN BLUE.
BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE, UH, METHODICALLY, UM, SOMETIMES FASTER THAN SLOWER, BUT THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH WORK.
UH, AND, UH, AS PLANNING COMMISSIONER, I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I'M MOST IMPRESSED WITH, UH, IN MY TIME HERE WITH THE TOWN IS THE VOLUME AND LINEAR FOOTAGE OF SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN THE TOWN, WHETHER THROUGH GRANT, THROUGH, UH, TAX DOLLAR, OR THROUGH THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UM, BUT YOU SEE ALL THE SIDEWALK CONNECTIONS THAT ARE ENVISIONED HERE.
UM, FROM A POPULATION DENSITY PERSPECTIVE, I, WHAT THIS MAP CALLS OUT IN THE GREEN, THE DARKER THE GREEN IS THE DENSER OF THE SINGLE FAMILY, UH, ZONING DISTRICT.
SO I THINK, I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, R FIVE THROUGH THE R 10 ZONING DISTRICT SHOWN.
SO YOU SEE POETS CORNERS, SIGNIFICANT, UH, RESIDENTIAL DENSITY HERE AND IN THE MAGENTO, WHAT YOU HAVE, UH, THESE ARE ALL INDIVIDUAL MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEXES.
SO YOU SEE THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF UNITS THAT WOULD HAVE, UH, WALKING ACCESS TO THIS SPAN, THIS SIDEWALK GAP THAT EXISTS.
THIS MAP HERE, UH, SH HIGHLIGHTS ACTUAL PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS, UH, AND, AND, AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE ALONG FOUR CORNERS AND TOWARDS THE TRAIN STATION, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, MORE PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS, UH, WHICH
[01:00:01]
PART OF THAT LAST PRESENTATION.CALM DOWN THE CORRIDOR AND, AND MINIMIZE ACCIDENTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE ACCIDENTS, BUT WE CAN DO THE BEST WE CAN TO PLAN AND MAKE THE AREA AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE, UH, FOR THE SIDEWALK GAP.
AND I THINK THIS IS A FUNCTION OF THE FACT THAT NOT A LOT OF, UH, PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY OCCURS OUT THERE PRESENTLY.
UM, BUT IN A FOUR YEAR SPAN, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO ACCIDENTS AT THESE INTERSECTIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND THAT'S BETWEEN THE 2015 TO 29, 20 19 SPAN.
AND JUST, UH, LET ME, LET ME JUMP BACK.
OH, AS FAR AS VEHICULAR CRASHES, UM, WE IDENTIFIED TWO INTERSECTIONS ALONG WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, UH, FROM A PERIOD 2009 TO 2018 2019, AND YOU CAN SEE AT RIDGE ROAD AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE 42 CRASHES, SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CRASHES IN THAT DURATION, UH, 17 WITH INJURIES, UH, EVEN WORSE AT, UM, HILLCREST AND, UH, WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE 52 REPORTED CRASHES SINCE 2009 20 WITH INJURIES.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, JUST GIVE A, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE INTRICACIES OF THIS SIDEWALK PLANNING FROM THE POINT AT FOUR CORNERS, THE SIDEWALK IS INDEED PLANNED ON THE SOUTH SIDE, UH, OF THE ROAD.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT POINTS, IT RUNS NORTH, SOUTH, SO I'LL SAY THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD OR AND OR WEST, WHICH ARE THE SAME, IF YOU WILL, UP TO THE POINT OF SEACOR ROAD, AT WHICH POINT WHERE THERE'S A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, THERE WOULD BE A PLANNED CROSSWALK, AND THEN THE SIDEWALK WOULD EXTEND TOWARDS PAT CAPONE ROAD.
AND AGAIN, WE'D FILL IN THAT LITTLE GAP, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE IN GREEN.
AND I'M SORRY, I KNOW IT'S, IT LOOKS RATHER SMALL HERE.
UM, BUT YES, THIS, THIS ACTUALLY WOULD BE MAGENTA.
THIS WOULD BE BUILT IN, SO, UH, UNIFORM SIDEWALK ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET, THE SOUTH OR WEST SIDE IS, IS WHAT'S PLANNED UNTIL CCO ROAD AND AGAIN, AND THEN CROSSOVER WITH PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS.
NOW, THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS, IS, IS MULTIFOLD.
UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT GRADING, WE'VE LOOKED AT, UH, UTILITIES IN THE AREA, AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS IS THE, THE, THE, UH, WHERE THE PROPERTY LINES LIE.
SO THIS, OR YOU, YOU'VE HEARD THE TERM STATE RIGHT OF WAY OR ROAD RIGHT OF WAY AND THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
IT'S, UM, IT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING.
I WISH IT WAS 50 FEET, LIKE MANY ROADS IN THE TOWN ARE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY 40 FEET IN SOME LOCATIONS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS WITH THE, THE EXISTING ROAD BED AND THE SHOULDER, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A LOT OF SPACE, UM, ON PAPER OR IN THE FIELD, UM, BEFORE YOU HIT PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, AND THE INTENT WITH BUILDING A SIDEWALK WOULD BE TO AVOID, UH, PUTTING THE SIDEWALK ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WHERE WE'RE FEASIBLE.
AND I THINK, UH, FOR MOSTLY ALL OF THIS SIDEWALK, THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THAT FACTORED INTO OUR DECISION.
BUT, UH, ABSOLUTELY THE GRADE, UM, SITE DISTANCES, THAT TYPE OF THING, UH, THE CULMINATION OF FACTORS, UH, REALLY COMPEL THIS SIDEWALK TO BE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
UM, AND THEN I, I WILL SAY, UM, WHEN YOU GET TO SEACOR ROAD, THERE ARE SOME S THE, THE, THE, THE PROPERTY LINES QUITE SIGNIFICANT, BUT THEN ALSO NOTEWORTHY IS THE SIDEWALK DOES RUN ON THE EAST OR, UH, NORTHBOUND SIDE, IF YOU WILL, UH, TOWARDS ONE 19.
UM, SO THERE WOULD BE UNIFORMITY IN THAT RESPECT.
AND, UM, UNTIL WHITE, UNTIL ONE 19, THERE IS ANOTHER GAP, BUT, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TARGET THAT AT ANOTHER TIME.
BUT THAT, THAT'S AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS PLANNED WITH THE WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE SIDEWALK.
UM, JUST FOR SOME TIMEFRAMES FOR, FOR RESIDENTS TO THINK ABOUT, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THIS, THESE TIMEFRAMES ARE ON THE TOWN BOARDS RADAR.
UH, WE PLAN TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE TAP TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM TO NEW YORK STATE, UH, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING AND DESIGN FUNDING FOR THIS SIDEWALK.
THAT GRANT IS DUE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, AND WE'RE WORKING HARD ON THAT.
AND, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF A K R F, UM, FOR THAT GRANT APPLICATION.
AND THAT GRANT WILL BE AWARDED NOTICE OF AWARDS WILL GO OUT IN FEBRUARY, 2020.
SO, UM, WE'RE CONTINUING 22, I'M SORRY, 2022.
UM, SO AT PRESENT, WE'RE WORKING HARD ON THE GRANT APPLICATION.
WE'VE GOTTEN SUPPORT LETTERS FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON SUPPORT LETTERS FROM, UH, THE M T A, UH, WESTCHESTER COUNTY INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS, UH, WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME AND EXPRESSED, UM, SUPPORT FOR THE SIDEWALK.
SO, UM, ANY SUPPORT WE CAN GET IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE
[01:05:01]
SIDEWALKS.WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WE GET THE GRANT IN FEBRUARY, UH, WHEN WOULD BE A REALISTIC TIME TO EXPECT THAT THE WORK WOULD BE DONE AND FINISHED? RIGHT.
SO THE TAP GRANT IS, UM, IS INDEED A PROCESS.
UH, SO IF WE ARE AWARDED THE GRANT IN FEBRUARY, UM, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS WE WOULD WORK ON A CONTRACT WITH THE STATE, AND THAT DOES NOT TAKE TOO LONG.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THAT CONTRACT, WE, WE WOULD, UH, DO AN R F P FOR A CONSULTANT AND GET RIGHT TO WORK, GET THAT CONSULTANT AND, AND REALLY START THE DESIGN PROCESS.
BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, BOTH CENTRAL AND, UH, HILLSIDE AVENUE OF WHICH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS RECEIVED TAP GRANTS, IT'S A LENGTHY PROCESS.
SO, UH, I WOULD SAY BEST CASE SCENARIO, IF WE ARE AWARDED IN FEBRUARY, 2022, UH, MY GOAL WOULD TO HAVE THE, THE SIDEWALK SHOVEL READY, UM, AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, 2024.
SO YOU WOULD ACTUALLY ENVISION, UM, THE LEAD UP TO THAT GETTING YOU SHOVEL READY.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT THE TYPE OF PROJECT WHERE YOU IMMEDIATELY GO TO WORK ON IT, BUT, UH, I THINK 2024 WOULD BE THE GOAL TO HAVE THIS SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTED THAT YEAH, THAT'S GREAT.
UH, THE HILLSIDE AVENUE'S MOVING FASTER THAN THE CENTRAL AVENUE.
THE CENTRAL AVENUE'S ALMOST COMPLETE, BUT THAT TOOK A LONG TIME.
YEAH, JUST QUICK UPDATES, AND I THINK, UH, I CAN BRING BACK THE OTHER GRAPHIC.
UM, CENTRAL AVENUE IS INDEED, UH, PLANNED TO BE FINISHED IN, UH, ROUGHLY ONE MONTH.
AND HILLSIDE AVENUE IS AGAIN, ANOTHER TAP GRANT, AND THAT'S FROM TOWN HALL UP TO NORTH ROAD.
AND WE'RE WORKING HARD ON THAT WITH A CONSULTANT IN PLACE, AND I ENVISION THAT CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING NEXT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU BECAUSE, UM, I, UM, ATTENDED A RIBBON CUTTING OF A FITNESS CENTER ON CENTRAL AVENUE NEAR NATION DELIGHT, UM, A WEEK AGO.
SO I WROTE ON THE SIDEWALK WHERE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF IT WAS, WAS DONE, AND IT REALLY, BEFORE I WROTE ON IT, I NEVER REALLY APPRECIATED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALK.
IT'S, IT REALLY IS GONNA BE AMAZING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FELT SO SAFE, AND IT OPENS UP, UM, A SAFE WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GO FROM WEST TAR SEAL AVENUE, FROM EAST TAR SEAL AVENUE, UM, TO, UM, A GOOD PART OF, UH, CENTRAL AVENUE.
SO I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR ALL, ALL THE WORK YOU DID.
AND I WILL NOTE QUICKLY, UM, WE DID GET QUITE A BIT OF PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE CENTRAL AVENUE SIDEWALK, CERTAINLY FOR THE HILLSIDE AVENUE SIDEWALK FROM CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
AND, UH, I REALLY THINK, UM, LETTERS OF SUPPORT ARE, ARE AS, AS, AS, AS IMPORTANT AS ALMOST ANYTHING, UH, FOR THESE GRANTS.
UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PLANNING THAT THE TOWN BOARD HAS DONE WITH THE, THE, THE FOUR CORNERS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, THE SIDEWALK PRIORITIZATION REPORT, THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE STATE WANTS TO SEE.
THEY WANT TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC DOLLARS WILL BE GOING TOWARDS TARGETED REINVESTMENT.
BUT THANK YOU, UH, OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY TOWN BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY, I HAVE, I DO HAVE SOME EMAILS COMING IN.
OKAY, THE COMMENT IS, WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE HAS BECOME A MAJOR ARTERY FOR PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL AND SCHOOL TRAFFIC HAS THE TOWN CONSIDERED BREAKING A ROAD, NO DEVELOPMENT ALLOWED THROUGH PARKLAND TO GIVE ANOTHER ACCESS TO CENTRAL AVENUE.
OKAY, SO I BREAK, OKAY, SO THE ONLY BREAKING A ROAD THROUGH PARKLAND.
OKAY, SO, UH, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY PARKLAND WHERE THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT A TOWN MAP, BUT I, YEAH, I, I, I'M NOT AWARE THAT THERE'S ANY, ANY FEASIBILITY THERE, BUT, UM, I CAN CERTAINLY THINK ABOUT THAT MORE.
UM, WELL, THE POINT IS WELL TAKEN.
I MEAN, IT, IT, WEST HARSDALE AVENUE IS JUST MAJORLY RELIED UPON.
AND, UM, THERE, THERE ARE NO OTHER CONVENIENT CUT THROUGHS REALLY.
SO, UM, IT JUST, TO ME, IT COMPELS THE NEED TO MAKE WEST HARSDALE AVENUE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR THE VARIETY OF USERS.
UH, I DO HAVE A COMMENT THAT CAME IN, UH, BEFORE THE MEETING, AND IT WAS FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS UNABLE TO BE PRESENT.
[01:10:03]
UH, DIG THAT UP AND, AND I'LL RECITE THAT.IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WHILE I'M DOING THAT, PLEASE FEEL FREE.
WELL, WHILE YOU HAVE, UH, UM, QUESTIONS, I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING, UM, WHEN WE WERE, WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE FOUR CORNER REDEVELOPMENT, EVERYBODY SAID THAT WE HAD TO ADDRESS THE STORM WATER ISSUES, THE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS, AND I'M WONDERING IF, UM, YOU KNOW, A K R F AND, YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM HAS STARTED WORKING ON, UM, ON THAT ASPECT AS WELL.
UM, A K R F HAS BEEN, IT WAS ONE OF THEIR PRIMARY, UH, TASKS WHEN THEY WERE BROUGHT ON WAS TO, TO, TO STUDY, UH, STORMWATER IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA, BUT INDEED DOWN TO, UH, EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
AND THAT, THAT WORK IS, IS ONGOING AND SIMILAR TO, UH, YOUR, YOUR EARLIER REDEVELOPMENT, UH, POTENTIAL QUESTION, UH, WE, A K R F WILL, SHOULD BE READY, UH, WITHIN I, I THINK PERHAPS EARLY NOVEMBER TO PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO STORMWATER, UM, WHICH OF COURSE IS ON ALL OUR MINDS AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT EVERYONE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN INCURRED HORRIBLE DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THAT STORM, INCLUDING, UH, EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE BUSINESSES.
BUT, UH, SUPERVISOR FINDER, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, AND, AND WE WILL BE GETTING BACK THIS YEAR, UH, ON EXISTING CONDITIONS, FINDINGS, POTENTIAL MITIGATIONS, UM, ON STORMWATER, AND THAT WILL INCLUDE EAST DALE AND CENTRAL AVENUE, NEAR INDEED, BOTH.
SO THE RESIDENT HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THEY'VE, UH, WORKED, WORKED HARD TO GET THE D O T TO INSTALL 30 MILE AN HOUR SPEED SIGNS, UH, WHICH WERE ACTUALLY RECENTLY INSTALLED.
UM, AND THE CONTEXT OF THAT COMMENT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, IT SAYS IT INDICATES, I'M AWARE OF THE FACT THAT 18 WHEELER GASOLINE TRUCKS AND SHIPPING TRUCKS RACE AT 50 TO 60 MILES PER HOUR, UH, DOWN THE HILL.
UH, ARE YOU AWARE THAT I'VE HAD CALLS TO THE BUS COMPANIES TO COMPLAIN ABOUT RACING UP AND DOWN THE BLOCK WITH STUDENTS ON BUSES? IS, UM, AND I, I, I, I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, CO COMMENTS CERTAINLY NOTED.
UM, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU DELIVER A SIDEWALK WITH A RAISED CURB TO AN AREA SUCH AS WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE OR REALLY ANY AREA, UM, I, I, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT TO THE DRIVER IN THAT YOU, YOU BECOME VERY COGNIZANT THAT THIS SPACE IS, IS, IS MULTI-FOLD.
IT'S FOR PEDESTRIANS AND NOT JUST THE DRIVER.
UM, I THINK THAT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A SIDEWALK AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE SHOULDER WITHOUT A CURB, UH, YOU TEND TO FEEL A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENT.
AND, UM, WHILE I WOULD HOPE NO ONE GOES 50 TO 60 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THAT HILL, I CAN'T SAY THAT IT HASN'T HAPPENED, BUT I I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, UM, PEOPLE WILL BE LESS PRONE TO TRAVELING AT THE HIGHER SPEEDS WHEN YOU HAVE THAT TR TRAFFIC CALMING EFFECT OF THE SIDEWALK.
I KNOW, UM, NOT EXACTLY COMPARABLE BY ANY STRETCH, BUT IN TERMS OF WITH THE, UH, OLD TARRYTOWN ROAD SIDEWALK IS, IS, IS A BIT WINDY AND, UM, CURB TO CURB RATHER NARROW.
UM, WE RECENTLY INSTALLED A SIDEWALK THERE, WHICH IS HEAVILY USED, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT SUCCESS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S INEVITABLE LEAVING AND COMING FROM TOWN HALL, UH, YOU TRAVEL THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR, AND MY PERSONAL IMPRESSION IS JUST MUCH CHANGE WITH THE SIDEWALK ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, NOT THAT I'M A SPEEDER, BUT, UM, I JUST, YOU, YOU JUST REALLY, IT JUST REINFORCES THE FACT THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY, UH, THIS IS NOT A SPEEDWAY.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO, UM, TO, TO, AS, AS WE DESIGN A SIDEWALK AND, UM, MAYBE IF THERE'S CERTAIN POINTS WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, THERE THE, THE SPEEDS ARE INCREASED BEYOND, UH, WHAT'S CUSTOMARY, WE CAN LOOK FOR SOLU DESIGN SOLUTIONS THERE.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW IN SPEAKING WITH THIS RESIDENT, UM, THAT SHE HAD GREAT CONCERN THAT EVEN A SIDEWALK COULD BE FEASIBLE AT ALL.
AND SHE THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT INDICATED THAT THAT WAS THE BAD IDEA.
AND I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO JUST CONTINUE TO PLAN AND KEEP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN.
UM, AND, AND THE COMMENTS NOTED THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ANYTHING INSTALLED HAS TO BE ULTIMATELY, UH, SAFE FOR ALL USERS OF THE ROAD.
LET ME SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS COMING IN ONLINE.
WE HAVE ONE MORE, AND THIS MIGHT JUMP BACK TO EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY OKAY.
FROM COLUMBIA AVENUE TO CENTRAL AVENUE, THERE
[01:15:01]
ARE NO OTHER CROSSWALKS, THUS NO SAFE WAY FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS EAST HARSDALE AVENUE FOR THAT LONG SPAN.THERE IS PLENTY OF JAYWALKING AS PEOPLE LEAVE THE METERED SPOTS TO CROSS THE STREET OR CROSS FROM THE NORTH SIDE TO GET TO THE PARKING LOT.
C THIS IS DONE BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE MUCH LONGER TIME TO WALK TO THE INTERSECTIONS TO CROSS MORE SAFELY.
ARE THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR PLANS TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION? AND EXCELLENT COMMENT.
UH, JAY WALKING IS UNFORTUNATELY COMMONPLACE.
UM, IF I COULD, I'D LIKE TO JUST HAVE A K R F COMMENT ON THAT, IF YOU WOULD.
AND JPE, IT'S FROM COLUMBIA, YOU THINK NORTH TOWARDS CENTRAL OR SOUTH TOWARDS, YEAH, SO LET ME, UM, I'M NOT GONNA RECITE THE WHOLE THING, BUT, UH, MICHAEL, THEY, THEY'RE INDICATING FROM COLO, FROM COLUMBIA TO CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER CROSSWALKS, AND THAT'S WHERE THE JAYWALKING TENDS TO OCCUR.
UM, SO WE DID EXPLORE AT WILSON STREET FOR A LITTLE BIT, UM, JUST GIVEN THE VEHICLE ACTIVITY THERE, WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SAFE.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, WE COULD EXPLORE THE IDEA OF SORT OF SOME SORT OF MIDBLOCK CROSSING WITH THE R F B.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE, WE COULD LOOK INTO GARRETT, IF THERE'S A, AS A, AS A SPOT THAT HAS A GOOD SITE DISTANCE, UM, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT YOU COME, YOU COME AROUND THE CURB, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE A GOOD DISTANCE.
UM, WE COULD SEE IF THERE'S AN OPTIMAL SPOT FOR THAT.
SO WE CAN ADD THAT, ADD IT TO THE LEFT.
AT PRESENT, I HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT A COUPLE, A COUPLE HOUSEKEEPING THINGS.
UH, USE THE PUBLIC COMMENT@GREENBERGNY.COM, EMAIL ME DIRECT, UM, CONSTANT FEEDBACK LOOP.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD, UM, PLANS PROPOSED, UH, REALLY THIS, IT'S, WE'RE IN THE PLANNING STAGE, SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK HERE, CONTINUE TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, AND ULTIMATELY FINE TUNE PROPOSALS AND CONTINUE TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ON, ON WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE'VE GOT A LOT, LOT, LOT MORE WORK TO DO AND, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK HARD FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR SAFETY AND, UH, TO BE CONSISTENT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THE TOWN BOARD HAS BEEN SUPPORTING, UH, IN, IN THIS SECTOR.
THIS WAS REALLY A GREAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MEETING AND LEARNED A LOT AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
SO WE'LL CONCLUDE AT THIS POINT AND, UM, AND WE'LL ABSOLUTELY COME BACK SOON WITH AN UPDATE ON THE STORMWATER ON FOUR CORNERS, AND, AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
KAREN, IS THERE, IS THERE A CUTOFF, IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE MAY WATCH THIS, YOU KNOW, BEING REBROADCAST ON CABLE OR LEARN ABOUT IT AND THEN LOOK AT THE LINK.
UH, AT WHAT POINT WILL THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, PORTION OF THIS CLOSE? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I KNOW YOU DO NEED, I, I KNOW YOU WANT COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA SUBMIT THE GRANT SOON, BUT ALSO THERE'S GONNA BE ONGOING WORK AFTER THAT.
IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S OPEN-ENDED OR IS IT SOMETHING WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE THE COMMENTS BY A CERTAINTY? UH, THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
ANY, ANY LETTER OF SUPPORT, UM, I, I, I, IF YOU'RE SO KIND TO, TO PRODUCE ONE, UH, OR SUPPLY ONE FOR THE TOWN, UM, UH, WE WOULD NEED THAT, I WOULD SAY BY MONDAY, A WEEK FROM TODAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH.
BUT AS FAR AS THE LOOP REGARDING COMMENTS ABOUT ALL THIS PLANNING, UM, I WOULD ACTUALLY PUT IT MORE ON THE OPEN-ENDED SIDE.
AND IT CERTAINLY DOES NOT END, UH, ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS GRANT APPLICATION.
ULTIMATELY, WE'RE SUBMITTING A CONCEPT OF WHAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT TO NEW YORK STATE, AND AS WE, IF WE, IF WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET THE GRANT, THE FINAL DESIGNS WILL BE, UH, IMPLEMENTED, YOU KNOW, UPON GETTING THE GRANT.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE EVEN UP TO THAT POINT, EVEN UP SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, BE SOLICITING INPUT SO THAT, UM, THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS YOU HEARD CAN BE CONTINUALLY BE IMPROVED UP UNTIL THAT POINT WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE DESIGN PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA GO FOR PERMIT, UM, IF IT'S EAST HARSDALE AVENUE THAT'S LOCALLY, IF IT'S THE STATE ROAD, UM, THAT'S THROUGH D O T.
SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS AND I KNOW WE WILL AND WE WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, WELL INTO NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE, AND UH, A K F GREAT JOB.
[01:20:01]
EVERYONE.