Some Common-Sense Suggestions to Increase Safety at Troubled Crossing

Some considerations for safety improvements at the Saw Mill River Parkway-Grant Street intersection:

1. Eliminate the existing traffic signal.
2.  Eliminate the existing pedestrian crossing across the parkway.
3. Create an adequately controlled, unsignalized northbound right turn-only merging lane entrance to the parkway from westbound Grant Street.
4. Eliminate all vehicular access to the parkway from eastbound Grant Street.
5. Eliminate southbound access to the parkway from westbound Grant Street.
6. Maintain the existing northbound vehicular exit at Grant Street.

Some other observations:

1. The state Department of Transportation (DOT) should support the elimination of the traffic signal.
2. The plan would maintain Pleasantville’s only northbound access to the Saw Mill Parkway. Also, keeping the parkway’s existing northbound exit would cause exiting vehicles to slow down, thereby facilitating the safe entry of northbound vehicles.
3. Eliminating the pedestrian crossing over the parkway should virtually eliminate pedestrian accidents.
4. Eliminating all left turns and through traffic should eliminate side-impact accidents, such as the one last month.
5. Pedestrians would have to walk an extra quarter-mile to Pleasantville Road to safely cross the parkway. Due to the relative proximity of Pleasantville Road to Grant Street and the costs involved, the DOT might be reluctant to agree to construct a pedestrian overpass structure at Grant Street.

Howard Zane
Pleasantville

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