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Sustainable Development Study Mohegan Bypass 11/13/2007 (work session) Planning Director John Tegeder reported on new DOT (Department of Transportation) analysis of different options for creating the Route 6 bypass. Options were an outgrowth of earlier discussions with Yorktown, Cortlandt and Peekskill. The DOT rated the “effectiveness” of each option in terms of how it would improve traffic and then ranked them 1-10. The DOT is asking for feedback on the report and will hold a meeting on it in about two months. Tegeder gave each board member what looked like a 3-4 page summary of the larger report. (He had two copies of the full report. Bianico was the only one who asked to see a copy of the full report; Tedeger said he would give him a copy after his office was finished with its review.) Tegeder's general comment on the overall report was that he didn't understand the criteria DOT used in evaluating the options. He will prepare a more detailed set of comments and email them to the board. He hoped that a board member would be able to attend the future meeting. The general board discussion appeared to repeat points that had been made in earlier discussions. Yorktown wanted the bypass to extend to Westbrook; Cortlandt didn't want that because it divert traffic from the Cortlandt Town Center. The board didn't seem to think that any of the options that the DOT ranked highest would help Yorktown. Roker said that Cortlandt had compromised on the issue of trucks being allowed on the Bear Mountain Pkwy and that perhaps the decision not to have the bypass continue to Westbrook was Yorktown's part of the quid pro quo. Other than the “bickering” between what was good for Cortlandt vs Yorktown, and concerns that some of the higher rated options could be bad for Yorktown, there was no conclusion to the discussion. It remains to be seen what Tegeder's comments will be, how the board will react to them, and whether the board will give him a definitive position for the upcoming meeting. 11/27/2007 (work session) Guest: Gerry Bogacz from the NYS State Metropolitan Council gave an update on the status of the implementation plan 1. there are 6-7 Yorktown projects in the next 5-year TIP program (see below for explanation of TIP) although not all are related to the sustainable study a. center turn lane on Rte 202 (LC thought this would create another “monster”; he may have been referring to the Rte 6 lane b. Lexington Ave (turn lane coming from Cortlandt) c. Rte 6 & BMP interchange improvements d. Garden lane (don't know what that is) e. Pine Grove & Rte 202 (not part of sustainable study) f. Mohansic Ave (also may not be part of sustainable study) 2. How TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) works To qualify for federal funds, the project must be in the TIP . State gets 80% federal reimbursement on projects. But, even though a project can be in the TIP, TIP can be changed and a project postponed. This change would involve agreement of the 3 counties (Westchester, Rockland, Putnam), MTA and the state. A project can be on TIP for many years and still not be constructed The country runs the Implementation Committee; Yorktown planner is on committee 3. DiBartolo wanted to know if town could do construction once we reach that stage. Guest said it was an option 4. Guest said having done the sustainable study and having the agreement between Yorktiown, Cortlandt and Peekskill helped get projects into TIP 5. Bianco wanted a meeting with Cortlandt and Peekskill, especially as Peekskill has new people it was helpful 6. Martorano: is there anything we can do to speed up the process. Guest: yes, stay on top of things 7. Roker: asked about how the Rte 6 bypass options had been categorized. Guest: it should be a collaborative project , not DOT imposing its opinion March 4, 2008 The board advertised a special joint meeting with the Town of Cortlandt on Wednesday, April 9th at the Cortlandt Town Hall to discuss the status of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Study dealing with Route 6. April 9, 2008 Joint Meeting Towns of Yorktown and Cortlandt and City of Peekskill The purpose of the meeting was an update on various Sustainable Study implementation plans. In addition to town and city officials, representatives of several government agencies were in attendance. Bear Mountain Parkway Improvements 1. Reconfiguration of road One possibility for improving safety on the road as well as improving traffic is changing the configuration from the current 4 substandard lanes (no shoulder or medium and narrow lanes) to 3 wider lanes, one of which could be a climbing lane where appropriate, with shoulders and a medium. A similar type of change was made on Route 9 in Ossining, near Route 117. While some saw the reduction in lanes as being counter-intuitive, the professional who made the presentation said that the same concept has worked well on Route 9. He also indicated that the key to traffic flow on the road was not the number of lanes but the access points. He also ruled out the possibility that the road could be redesigned to 4 lanes that met modern standards. 2. Allowing truck traffic Trucks are now permitted on the road from 7pm to 7am. One proposal being considered, and strongly supported by Peekskill, is to allow trucks 24 hours. This would take truck traffic off city streets. Cortlandt officials were somewhat skeptical of the idea, fearing an increase of truck traffic on their streets. Yorktown officials didn't have anything to say on this issue as the change wouldn't make much of a difference to the town. 3. Extending the parkway This is still being reviewed as are possible access points. The extension would be on land already owned by the state north of Route 202. The goal of this plan would be to take thru traffic off Route 202. Mohegan Bypass There are currently 16 alternative plans. Before any additional planning can be done, the number of options has to be reduced to 3-4. There was no significant discussion on the pros and cons of the different options. Councilman Campisi said he had seen a proposal that showed room for four lanes on East Main St but the engineer leading the discussion said that he didn't think that there would be sufficient room to accomplish that goal. Route 202/35 corridor (including Old Crompond Rd) One proposal discussed was improving Garden Lane and installing a traffic light. This was opposed by Yorktown officials and others who didn't see the plan as workable or a practical way to alleviate traffic on Route 202.. There was discussion on the need to realign Lexington Ave and the street by the Town Line Motel/equipment rental store. A proposed improvement at the intersection of Route 202 and Mohansic Ave showed Yorktown as being responsible for paying for the improvement. Yorktown officials questioned this. At the conclusion of the meeting, 3 subcommittees were established to study alternatives and work out differences between the municipalities. The group will meet again in the fall. Councilman Bianco will be on the committees dealing with the Bear Mountain Parkway and the Mohegan bypass. Councilman Campisi will be on the Route 202 committee. In general, there was a sense of frustration about the slowness of the implementation plans – but it was also pointed out that nothing can be done to get specific improvement projects on the official TIP's list (Transportation Improvement Plan) until there is agreement among the three municipalities. October 7, 2008 Members of the board reported on a recent update meeting with Cortlandt, Peekskill and state officials. The main thrust of the meeting was the news that given the current economic situation, projects slated for state funding were going to be postponed and that it would be up to each community to figure out its own solution to traffic issues. Councilman Lou Campisi noted that funding for improvements to the Bear Mountain Parkway could be 10 or more years away and Councilman Matthew Metz said that planned traffic lights at Ridge St and Route 35 and Pine Grove Court and Route 202 could be postponed until 2012 or later. |