Village awaits study, stymied by slow pace of pedestrian improvements

The intersection at Route 117 and St. Marks Place near an exit for Leonard Park. Mount Kisco has waited more than a year for the state to respond to their request for a safety study of the intersection.

The area Lexington Avenue and Columbus Avenue where speeding cars jeopardize the safety of pedestrians. Mount Kisco officials are hoping to convince Westchester County to install a signal and a crosswalk across Lexington Avenue. Martin Wilbur Photos

By MARTIN WILBUR

A study that is expected to propose improvements for Mount Kisco pedestrians and motorists might be made public shortly as village officials continue to press the state and county to make upgrades to dangerous intersections.

The final report of the Complete Streets study is anticipated to be released next month giving the village a framework to plan improvements and see grant money, said Mayor J. Michael Cindrich. AKRF, the White Plains-based land use, engineering and transportation consulting firm retained by the board more than a year ago, is likely to present its findings at one of the next two board meetings.

Cindrich said while the New York State Department of Transportation has agreed to make pedestrian improvements on Route 172 at the roadway that spans the Optum building and the two residential developments, Woodcrest Manor and Glassbury Court, the agency has been unresponsive near Leonard Park on Route 117.

There are also dangerous conditions for pedestrians on Lexington Avenue, a county road, at Columbus Avenue, Cindrich said. At the Lexington-Columbus intersection, there is no crosswalk and signal where there is a high volume of pedestrians crossing to go to Neighbors Link, Henry’s Delicatessen and other businesses and organizations.

There is an opportunity to apply for the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant if the final report is soon furnished.

“The study with the Complete Streets should be comprehensive in addressing pedestrian access for crosswalks,” the mayor said.

In recent years, there have been a string of car and pedestrian accidents or near-misses that have alarmed residents and the village board.

Cindrich explained that a nearby resident who uses the Route 172 crossing between the two developments and the Optum building brought the dangerous condition to the village’s attention. As a result, the DOT has agreed to extend the amount of time for people to cross the street, prohibit right-hand turns during a red light into the Optum site and getting a new sign that will alert drivers of that change.

Despite the encouraging pedestrian improvements on Route 172, Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora said there still has been no response from the state to the board’s March 2024 formal request for pedestrian upgrades at St. Marks Place and Route 117 near the vehicular entrance to Leonard Park.

“We unanimously approved a resolution asking the DOT to study that crosswalk and they responded that they would, in fact, study that crosswalk,” Flora said. “We’re in April 2025 and nobody has studied the crosswalk.”

Of equal concern is the Lexington Avenue-Columbus Avenue crossing where there is no crosswalk, yet pedestrians regularly go from one side of the street to the other, she said. Flora said she witnessed a near-tragedy when a mother and her two children narrowly avoided being struck by a speeding vehicle.

A key problem at Columbus Avenue is the absence of traffic signals along Lexington between Moore Avenue and Radio Circle, about three-quarters of a mile, Flora noted. Drivers go excessively fast, imperiling pedestrians, particularly in that location, who may cross from the deli to Neighbors Link and some of the other businesses at that site. She suggested a high-intensity activated crosswalk signal, that is activated by the pedestrian who pushes a button. The signal also has a series of flashing lights to better alert drivers.

“Moms are crossing that street all the time with baby strollers, two kids in tow,” Flora said. “That was the near miss that I saw. It was inches. I do not know how this car did not hit them.”

Village Manager Edward Brancati said the county has known about the intersection at Lexington and Columbus for a long time, and once the town has the AKRF report, the village can once again contact the appropriate personnel.

“We can start working with the county to try and get that clear, so when we have the report, yes, we can try to do something,” Brancati said.

Other problematic sites in the village have been along Maple Avenue as well as Grove Street, Cindrich said. Currently, there’s a main that’s being replaced on Maple Avenue. When the road is repaved, there will be a raising of the roadway or “a platform” near the stop sign to ensure that cars slow down, he said.

A recent meeting with Grove Street residents also will result in a raised roadway to slow traffic along with restriping, Cindrich said.

Maple Avenue and Grove Street are village roads allowing officials to make improvements without approvals from the county or the state.