Past Time To Fix Dangerous Route 9A Through Briarcliff, Ossining

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — Over the past century just about everything has changed – but not Route 9A. Now local residents, business owners and elected officials are calling on the state to immediately start a study of the heavily trafficked, highly dangerous four-mile stretch of the 9A corridor through Briarcliff Manor and Ossining.

"Clearly the Department of Transportation needs to develop a plan that addresses the unacceptably high level of accidents, as well the daily traffic backups, dangerous pedestrian crossings and enormous strains on local police, fire and emergency responders," said Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steven A. Vescio, who is leading the charge. "Route 9A is a vitally important traffic corridor that serves Westchester and the entire region – but it is completely outdated, dangerous and in many cases deadly.”

The Briarcliff-Ossining stretch of Route 9A sees more than 40,000 passenger and commercial vehicles daily. In 2018, emergency personnel responded to 120 accidents along the two-mile stretch in Briarcliff, averaging one every three days.

Many of these incidents resulted in severe injuries, amputations and even death, including Briarcliff resident Michael Knight Jr., 44, this past June and Peekskill High School guidance counselor Lenroy Stevens, 27, of White Plains in 2014.

Multiple fatalities were narrowly avoided in 2004 when a tanker truck carrying 4,700 gallons of gasoline collided with a small car, setting off a fireball six stories high and trapping the drivers of both vehicles inside. This resulted in a countywide emergency response, but spared the Pleasantville Road Bridge, a major artery in Briarcliff Manor, separating the schools from all emergency services.

Now local officials want the DOT to assess the challenges and formulate a plan to improve safety and address quality of life concerns. They also want immediate repairs to damaged guardrails and maintenance of drainage structures as well as re-timing of lights at intersections with traffic control devices.

Briarcliff is particularly affected by Route 9A, which cuts through the village. In addition to the major safety hazards, the following are among the concerns of residents, businesses, emergency responders and local officials:

• Strains on local police, fire and emergency responders.
• Undersized and poorly maintained drainage structures, resulting in frequent flooding of nearby homes.
• Daily traffic backups in all directions.
• Dangerous pedestrian conditions at North State Road.
• Negative effect on air quality.
• Heavy volumes of traffic seeking to avoid 9A traffic light backups clogging the Village’s retail district.

Briarcliff Manor’s two-mile stretch of Route 9A includes a major underpass at Pleasantville Road, several bridges over roads and streams, traffic lights at the busy intersections of North State Road and Chappaqua Road, and two intersecting local streets with no traffic control devices. (Carlton Avenue and Parkway Road) as well as several antiquated entrance/exit ramps. A rock outcrop at the Pleasantville Road overpass is barely 12 inches from the travel lane with almost no shoulder.

Most of the key pieces of infrastructure on this stretch are nearly 90 years old, far beyond their designed life span. Moreover, Route 9A is subject to a high volume of commercial trucks, including hundreds from across Westchester that haul trash to the Westchester County Refuse Facility in Peekskill.

In fact, NYS Route 9A was built as a parkway for use by passenger cars only and later converted into a general traffic highway. Opened in 1933 as the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway, it has three of the same style of narrow and low-height clearance, stone-arch overpasses. Trucks are forced to get into the left lane to be able to clear the underpasses at Pleasantville Road in Briarcliff and Ryder Road and Hawkes Avenue in Ossining. This poses extremely dangerous traffic maneuvers as other motorists may not realize that the trucks have no choice but to move left or strike the overpass. The 2004 gasoline tanker fire was a direct result of this design deficiency at the Pleasantville Road Bridge.

“Route 9A is a vital artery for Briarcliff, Ossining, and Northern Westchester,” said New York State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef. “As such it is important that we ensure a safe road for all who travel it. While the number and severity of car crashes on this corridor is alarming, I have confidence that municipal and state officials will be able to come together and make strides to improve Route 9A and the experience of local residents and commuters.”