Transportation Survey Offered to Community for Improvements in Mt. Kisco
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Mount Kisco officials are encouraging the public to participate in its transportation survey to allow the village and its consultant to study traffic, pedestrian and bicycle safety on its streets.
The Mount Kisco Complete Streets Community Transportation Safety Survey was mailed out recently with residents’ water bills, said village Trustee Lisa Abzun. However, anyone who works or regularly travels into the village is also invited to take the survey online on the village’s website or to pick up a paper copy in one of several locations around the community, she said.
The survey may be taken by more than one adult in a household as well as teenagers who have obtained their license and drive.
It is available to be taken in English or Spanish.
“The results of this survey will assist the village in long- and short-term planning and for the needs of our community,” Abzun said. “How we use our sidewalks, our roadways, our streets and pathways and how they can be improved for the greatest measure of safety. The result will play a very essential part in the village’s eligibility for federal funding for improvements for our sidewalks and our pathways.”
The 10-question survey includes asking about each respondents’ biggest concerns related to transportation safety as well as improvements that can be made. It also asks how each respondent moves around the village, whether that’s as a pedestrian, cyclist or driver of a vehicle or by using mass transit.
As of last week, there was no deadline for when the survey will close.
Last year, the Village Board retained AKRF, the traffic and engineering consultant firm, to help officials enhance safety for motorists and pedestrians after a rash of car accidents and mishaps involving cars and pedestrians. There has also been concern about the speed of traffic on certain roads and make Mount Kisco a more walkable community.
The village budgeted $100,000 last year to hire the consultant and study safety issues on the local streets.
Village Manager Ed Brancati said AKRF worked through the summer conducting data analysis before the survey and will interpret the survey results for the village.
“They’ve got to the point where they’ve finished most of that,” Brancati said. “They were looking, they are planning on reengaging with both the (Complete Streets) committee to sort of discuss that preliminary work and continue with the survey. “
The consultants plan to be at this weekend’s SeptemberFest celebration downtown in hopes of interacting with the public to receive direct feedback, he said. A goal is to have AKRF’s work completed in the coming months so the village can look for ways to make recommended improvements, Brancati added.
Mayor Michael Cindrich said he would like to know whether AKRF’s studies include a speed analysis, particularly in the vicinity of Route 133.
“I have some suggestions on that and how to slow them down there in the opposite direction going southbound,” said Cindrich, a retired police lieutenant. “I’d still like to see what the speeds are going into the curve in front of Diplomat (Towers).”
Now that summer is over, with the reopening of school and most people back to work, Abzun said it’s the season to engage the public on these issues and with the survey.
“September is a great time to start getting this since we’ve all been in summer mode,” she said. “Now that we’re back to work, back to school, back to thinking about how we can improve our community and the safety of our streets, the safety of our sidewalks for all people involved.”
For anyone to take the online survey, click on Transportation Survey under Quick Links on the upper right side of the village’s homepage at www.mountkiscony.gov. There are also paper copies available at Village Hall, the library, the Fox Senior Center and Neighbors Link.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
