SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - Heavier traffic and speeding along Ridgefield Avenue dominated the Lewisboro Town Board’s Dec. 15 meeting—the second time in 2025 that most of a board meeting was devoted to the issue.
Offering potential mitigation strategies were Chris Burdick, a former Bedford town supervisor and current representative in the New York Legislature, and Elaine Du, senior technical director for traffic and transportation at White Plains–based AKRF, the consulting firm hired by Lewisboro to study traffic conditions along Ridgefield Avenue.
“During my time as supervisor, we had speed humps installed on three different roads: Cherry Street in Katona, which runs between Route 35 and Route 117; the Village Green, a short road between 172 and Route 22 in Bedford Village; and Seminary Road, also in Bedford Village between Route 121 and Route 172,” said Burdick. “I each of these instances – and this bears a relationship to Ridgefield – these were used as cut-throughs.”
Much of the traffic, Burdick added, was generated by Connecticut drivers heading toward Interstate 684. Residents and businesses in those areas were primarily concerned about speeding. Bedford Police conducted several speed studies, a consulting firm performed additional traffic analyses, and three public hearings were held. Burdick and Bedford’s director of public works also created a checklist to assess whether speed humps would be warranted, along with a short petition form for residents.
Problem Solved in Bedford
A decade after Bedford’s first speed humps were installed, they are still working well, according to Burdick. He noted that speed humps are most effective on straight road segments and were not installed on curves. Another measure was the use of speed boards—large roadside displays that alert drivers when they are exceeding the speed limit. Speed studies conducted by Bedford Police showed that the boards continued to slow traffic even a year after installation.
Du then presented findings from AKRF’s study, noting that her firm has conducted similar traffic analyses throughout the Hudson Valley.
“Every road is different and Richfield Avenue is quite unique,” Ju said. “Our own data plus the data from the police showed have 1,000 vehicles per day, but the location-based services data showed a shocking 80 percent of the vehicles that travel Ridgefield Avenue are Connecticut residents. They’re not New York residents.”
Du added that prevailing speeds along the road are well above the posted 25 m.p.h. limit.
“Between Dogwood Lane and approximately 100 Ridgefield Avenue, you’re seeing speeds at around 37 to 42 miles per hour,” Du said. “Between about 174 to 184 for Ridgefield Avenue, you're seeing about 36 to 39 miles per hour.”
Speeding Complaints
Du said the findings were confirmed during a site walk along Ridgefield Avenue with Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves and other town officials. Although the group wore safety vests—and some drivers slowed down—many were speeding beforehand.
“Even with our vests on, it was pretty unsafe for us to be out there given the travel speeds,” she said.
Another concern, Du said, is the road’s “geometry,” which presents additional hazards. While Ridgefield Avenue includes several curves, it also narrows significantly in certain areas.
“You have a section that gets as narrow as 16 feet,” she said. “If you have two vans trying to pass each other or a truck and a van, that's nearly impossible in this stretch.”
By comparison, the recommended width for a two-lane road is 24 feet, with a minimum of 20 feet—providing 10 feet for each travel lane.
“It's also sloped in many areas,” Du said. “So, looking at this there are multiple constraints when it comes to implementing different improvements.”
Du emphasized that AKRF’s role is advisory and that any proposed actions must be approved by the Town Board, often following public hearings. Among the measures recommended for consideration are speed boards, speed humps, rumble strips, raised intersections, no-through-traffic signage, and the possibility of designating certain sections of the road as one-way. The report also suggests working with navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps to prevent Ridgefield Avenue from appearing as a shortcut.
Prior to the meeting, Gonçalves met with emergency-response officials to gather their input. He said the town would not consider converting Ridgefield Avenue to one-way traffic.
“That's off the table,” he said.
Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps Captain Dan Murtha said speed humps pose challenges for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
“These vehicles have relatively little ground clearance and even when operated fairly slowly, we do tend to bottom out on speed humps,” Murtha said.
South Salem Fire Chief Matt York echoed those concerns, noting potential response delays.
“The speed humps would necessitate our responding fire trucks slow down to 5 m.p.h. several times to reach a potential fire,” he said. “I know the increased response time might not seem like a lot, but it is worth noting that a fire can double in size every 30 to 60 seconds.”
Residents Speak Out
Most of the eight area residents who addressed the board urged swift action, citing concerns about pedestrian safety. Fay Lane resident Rebecca Keebler said Ridgefield Avenue is also dangerous for drivers.
Keebler said she is frequently honked at by drivers behind her when she obeys the speed limit and has had vehicles pass her in the opposite lane as she turns onto her street. Had another vehicle been approaching in that lane, she said, the situation could have resulted in a head-on collision.
“Let's please solve this,” Keebler said.
Other Business
In other business, the Town Board approved:
The purchase of a New Holland Skid Steer L328 for the Lewisboro Highway Department;
A new hourly rate for Kean and Beane, the town’s planning and wetlands counsel; and
A three-year renewal of workers’ compensation insurance through the Albany-based Public Employer Risk Management Association (PERMA).
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here