Community weighs in on proposed safety enhancement project for busy Westchester road
"The New York State Department of Transportation is advancing preliminary engineering for a corridor safety enhancement project along U.S. Route 1 in the Towns of Rye and Mamaroneck and the Villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck," a statement from the NYSDOT read.
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There are strong reactions to a project in the works that could possibly bring changes to a busy stretch of road in Westchester County.
“You can see right now which is actually off time for driving. It’s still quite busy here," said Lynn, who lives in Mamaroneck.
The road at the center of it all is Route 1, also known as Boston Post Road.
"The New York State Department of Transportation is advancing preliminary engineering for a corridor safety enhancement project along U.S. Route 1 in the Towns of Rye and Mamaroneck and the Villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck," a statement from the NYSDOT read.
At an open house in April, the DOT brought up some ideas or conceptual corridor safety enhancement strategies, like adding bike lanes and adjusting other lanes of traffic, according to residents.
Reactions to some of the possible ideas are mixed.
"These proposed changes will not only place undue hardships on travelers, significantly increase local travel times, create havoc on the arteries feeding into the Boston Post Road, and create many other hazardous obstacles and impediments to travel," reads part of an online petition that has gained more than 1,600 signatures.
“If it's not broke, don’t fix it. This is a congested roadway and this roadway serves a purpose. It absorbs so much of the traffic flow. People are using this as an alternative to I-95. It's going to swell up the arteries that lead into Boston Post Road. Our concerns are safety and also, the ability to conduct business," said Jennifer Graziano, who owns a business on the road.
News 12 spoke with others who said they believe some of the proposed ideas for improvements would be beneficial.
“It's very dangerous for cyclists. I don't know what those improvements would be, but it definitely should be some kind of vehicular control out here and would make things a lot safer," said Joe Gallucci.
Local officials told News 12 that no plan has been finalized yet and municipalities are continuing to gather community feedback.
"The goal of the US-1 project through NYSDOT is safety. We are grateful to NYS for investing in our community and putting our safety first. Our residents are passionate about the project, whether they love it or hate it. The Village will analyze all of the comments, in addition to engineering data to support the changes that we believe will protect our community and provide the safest route. As with most things in life, there is no one right answer and we will diligently review the project to move its best elements forward," said Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Sharon Torres.
"NYSDOT is listening to the community and has already hosted two very well-attended open houses, with another one expected in early 2027. In response to project comments, our project team is working with the local municipalities to refine concepts to modernize the corridor," said the DOT in a statement.
