Mount Kisco examines safety as part of 'complete streets' initiative

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. - The need for better safety and ease of travel for all road users are the two driving forces behind Mount Kisco’s ongoing efforts to address critical traffic issues within its borders.

Working closely for the last year with the village’s “Complete Streets” committee has been the White Plains-based consulting firm of AKRF.

Unveiling the latest village wide survey results and safety analysis findings -- as well as a comprehensive list of proposed projects and improvements -- at the Village Board’s Jan. 21 meeting were: Elaine Du, AKRF’s senior technical director for traffic and transportation and the study’s project manager; AKRF deputy project manager and senior project engineer Steven Luglio, and Erica Swansen of Swans Engineering, who is working with AKRF.

“Complete Streets” Explained 

The state’s “Complete Streets Act” was signed into law in 2011.

The law applies to projects that are undertaken by the state Department of Transportation or to local projects that receive both federal and state funding and are subject to DOT oversight.

Projects that are 100 percent locally funded are not subject to the law, but local agencies can choose to adopt “Complete Streets” practices. 

First and foremost, the initiative is about making sure roads are safe for all users.

This requires balancing the needs of motorists, pedestrians, public transportation riders, and bicyclists. It includes children, the elderly, and folks with disabilities.

“They’re not completely at odds, but sometimes if you want to improve pedestrian safety, you may need to hurt vehicle operations a little bit, but here we’re extremely cognizant that a lot of people do drive, but, at the same time, a lot of people walk,” Du said.

Design features include sidewalks, lane striping, bicycle lanes, paved shoulders suitable for use by bicyclists, signage, crosswalks, pedestrian control signals, bus pull-outs, curb cuts, raised crosswalks, ramps, pedestrian “refuge islands,” and traffic-calming measures.

Concepts have to be context sensitive and realistic.

For projects to be successful, there has to be cooperation between stakeholders such as residents, business owners, state agencies, and neighboring towns.

(The DOT is working to ensure that its policies and procedure meet the new Complete Street standards.)

“We don’t want to propose something that’s completely out of left field, something you could never do. We want to make sure you can actually make these projects into a reality,” Du said, adding that besides applying for grants to fund those “multi-million projects that really transform the village,” Mount Kisco could seek funding for the “lower-hanging fruits” or smaller things it could do immediately.

A couple of the village’s major roads such as Main Street (Route 117) and North and South Bedford Roads (Routes 133 and 172) are under the DOT’s jurisdiction and beyond its direct control.

Another goal is to “calm” traffic.

According to Du, traffic calming is NOT traffic stopping.

“It’s making sure people get to where they need to. But instead of you going 40 mph to get to the next light and wait two minutes, you’re going an easy 25 mph; you’re hitting fewer reds and you’re able to get to where you want to a little faster,” she said, adding:

“You’re reducing that stop and go while people are still moving.”

Being part of “Complete Streets” allows municipalities to apply for grants under the federal SS4A (Safe Streets and Roads for All) program.

Public Engagement 

AKRF conducted a “very comprehensive” survey that got 402 responses, Du said.

Its intent was to “capture” safety concerns and suggestions from residents. (The intersection of Main Street and South Bedford Road, right in front of Northern Westchester Hospital, is one of the top crash locations in the entire village, Du said.)

The most requested improvements included curtailing cut-through traffic, and adding sidewalks and crosswalks, and pedestrian signals that flash lights to alert drivers when someone’s crossing and ones that tell walkers when they can safely proceed.

“A shocking 53 percent of respondents don’t have sidewalks where they live,” Du noted.

Speeding on roads such as Lexington Avenue and North Bedford was a major talking point.

Pointing out that “aggressive” driving has been on the rise in post-pandemic times, Du noted that while “driver behavior” may be something that can’t be targeted through infrastructure improvements, the village may be able to get SS4A funding for driver education programs.

Safety Analysis Methodology 

According to Luglio, AKRF analyzed DOT data from 2019-2024 on crashes that were actually reported to the police. Lots of times, fender benders aren’t.

Many of the pedestrian incidents occurred at night downtown on Main Street or near commercial businesses such as Target and Stop & Shop.

Considered “high-crash locations” were those that had 10 crashes per year over the five years and at least one pedestrian or bicycle crash.

The committee provided further feedback about smaller incidents, such as near- misses, and areas where pedestrians “didn’t feel safe,” Du said.

Walking audits on the three high-crash corridors – Main Street, North Bedford Road, and Lexington Avenue – were conducted.
The “top five” dangerous intersections, and the number of vehicular crashes (over the five years studied) there were Main Street and South Bedford Road (70), Kisco Avenue and Main Street (67), North Bedford Road and Preston Way (56), Moger Avenue (north and south) and Main Street (43), and Main Street and Moore Street (37.)

Hot spots for pedestrian incidents were Kisco Avenue and Main Street (7), North Bedford Road and Preston Way (6), North Bedford Road and Park Drive (3), Main Street and West Hyatt Avenue (3), and Main Street and South Bedford Road (2).

About 10 percent of all crashes at Kisco Avenue and Main Street – the main route to and from the train station -- involve pedestrians and that’s “a lot,” Du said.

As far as sidewalks go, some locations are too steep to meet ADA standards, while others may require some land taking. Places that are considered “key,” such as the area around Leonard Park, can provide “connectivity” from adjacent neighborhoods.

Proposed Projects 

Possible intersection improvements include installing new crosswalks, curb ramps, and pedestrian signals; clearing lines of sight, aka “daylighting,” by prohibiting parking within 25 feet of an intersection or by trimming trees; pedestrian “refuge islands,” and flashing crossing signs

The village already has a few flashing signs. “They work great but not everyone presses those buttons,” Du said.

Traffic proposals include retiming traffic lights or equipping them with reflectorized backplates, which makes them more visible at night and help reduce the number of rear end collisions; converting streets to one-way, installing “wayfinding” signage, which could help out-of-towners and others unfamiliar with Mount Kisco’s streets; closing unnecessary “slip lanes,” and making lane line extensions that help guide drivers across very large intersections.

Also under consideration is striping shoulders to narrow travel lanes to 11 feet (some lanes in the village are 20 feet wide), building curb extensions (which narrows roads and reduces speeds) and signs that tell drivers what the limit is and exactly how fast they’re going.

Key Intersections Identified 

Du then passed the mic to Swansen, who went over improvements at several “key” intersections identified by the committee.
The first was Main Street and Kisco/Maple Avenue, a hilly location where there were seven pedestrian crashes, or 10 percent of total crashes, “something we never want to see,” Swansen said.

Although the intersection is signalized and has crosswalks, the line of sight there is a concern, especially if drivers are speeding when making a turn.

She suggested creating curb extensions to shorten pedestrians crossing distances and to slow down turning vehicle speeds.
Better pedestrian lighting as well as signal ahead signs on Maple and Main (there are such signs coming from the other two directions) and new lane control signage would help there too, Swansen said.

To be considered could be an “exclusive pedestrian phase,” aka “pedestrian scramble,” or a signal that stops all vehicle traffic to allow pedestrians to cross an intersection.

If that’s not feasible, you can look at a “leading pedestrian interval,” a signal that gives pedestrians a head start when crossing an intersection. LPIs are designed to increase pedestrian safety by reducing the risk of conflict with vehicles. 

Swansen recommended adding a pedestrian crossing on Lexington Avenue near its intersection with Columbus Avenue. There is no traffic light there, but Columbus has a stop sign.

She also advocated for curb extensions, flashing beacons that alert drivers that a pedestrian is waiting to cross, and narrowing the width of travel lanes to 11 feet from the current 12.

The intersection of Lexington Avenue and Radio Circle Drive has crosswalks, but there are currently no ADA compliant curb ramps. Those should be installed, as well as a sidewalk from the north-south crosswalk to the east-west crosswalk.

Narrowing drive lanes and installing reflectorized traffic light backplates to increase visibility were also recommended.

There is no traffic light at the intersection of Main Street and St. Marks Place. The latter does have a stop sign.

Recommendations there included curb extension, ADA ramps, pedestrian warning beacons, and narrower travel lanes.

Curb extensions impact things such as manholes and catch basins. That makes those “hardscape” projects more expensive than installing signage, beacons, or new crosswalks.

Village Improvements 

Lead-footed drivers were also a hot topic.

“It’s a psychological thing. Where it’s 30 mph, people are going to do 35, right?” Du asked. “So, if the limit is 25, people will go 30, a more normal speed for village roads.”

She shared a frightening statistic: If a vehicle is going 35 mph hits a pedestrian, the fatality rate is about 80 percent, meaning that four out of five times the person who was struck will die.

If the vehicle is going 25 mph, that pedestrian will survive nine out of 10 times, Du said.

Potential village-wide improvements under consideration include lowering the speed limit to 25 mph, retiming all traffic signals to accommodate the new limits, installing red light and speed cameras, a “home rule” action that requires getting Albany’s approval, and targeted enforcement aimed at folks who blow through stop signs, fail to yield to pedestrians, or are impaired.

Du recognized that targeted enforcement can involve a lot of extra “man hours” for local police. However, she said, there are grant programs that could help pay for it.

Suggested were safety education for seniors and student drivers and bicycle and helmet safety programs.

Neighbors Link, a nonprofit that helps new immigrant families adjust to their new communities, could also get involved, the consultants said.

Also under consideration are travel demand management, a set of strategies aimed at maximizing traveler choices, said Du, referencing on-demand electric shuttle services, such as Circuit NR in New Rochelle which allows folks to book low- or no-cost rides on their phones. They can also simply flag the shuttle down as it makes its rounds.

Technology-based parking management’s another worthy contender.

It uses software and other systems to control and monitor parking spaces. This can help improve the efficiency and security of parking lots. 

Improving pedestrian safety could boost walking and bicycling around the village.

Du’s been told by parents in other communities that they’re afraid to let their kids walk to school, even if it’s a short distance away.

“We don’t want to see that happen in Mount Kisco,” she said.

Near-term and Low-cost Improvements

Near-term and low-cost improvements recommended include restriping faded crosswalks with high-visibility reflectorized paint and regularly repainting them every few years; restricting parking within 25 feet of all intersections and trimming trees to improve lines of sight; installing “all-way” stop signs and “signal ahead” signs at key intersections; and painting lane line extensions.

Village Manager Ed Brancati pointed out later in the meeting that the village has already “daylighted” many of its intersections. However, folks still park illegally there. Delivery trucks are among the worst offenders, he said.

Large Scale Improvements 

Potential large-scale projects in the West Main Street corridor -- from Maple/Kisco Avenues to North Bedford Road -- include conducting a detailed traffic study of ways traffic signals could be retimed, upgrading signals to “smart” signals, installing a “leading pedestrian interval” contraption at the Kisco-Maple intersection, increasing lighting downtown, and improving access and circulation at the Metro-North train station.

The Lexington Corridor list includes striping shoulders to narrow travel lanes, installing a sidewalk on its west side and new crosswalks, curb extensions and flashing pedestrian signs.

At Radio Circle Drive: a new crosswalk with sidewalk connection, curb ramps, and pedestrian beacons.

On Main Street at Moore and St. Mark’s Place: striping shoulders, retiming traffic lights, and adding signage.

Other Possibilities 

Other possible projects include “traffic calming” devices on West Hyatt, Gregory, Smith, and Moore avenues, sidewalks at St. Mark’s Place and Boltis and Spring streets; an off-street bicycle/pedestrian path extending to Leonard Park from the downtown area; traffic calming and pedestrian improvements on Barker Street and the conversion to one-way of Knowlton Avenue from North Bedford Road to Valley View Terrace.

Although not part of the “Complete Streets” discussion, the thorny subject of illegal U-turns on South Moger Avenue was raised during the public comment part of the meeting.

The village is now on Phase 3 of its “Streetscape” project. 

One solution being weighed is the installation of an “island” from the Kirby Plaza egress to the parking lot down to where Citibank is located. That would give the street “more of a boulevard feel” on top of thwarting reckless drivers.

“You could try to make a U-Turn but you’re doing it over a six-inch curb. You’ll tear the underside of your car out. That’ll be a big bill,” he said.

What’s Next? 

Next on the consultants’ agenda is to digest public feedback (which it is still taking) and refine the study, to adjust proposed improvements, and to finalize the project list in time to meet with the Complete Streets committee this month.

Once equipped with all the data, the village can start applying for the spring/summer 2025 SS4A grants. Those would be for the larger projects. It could tackle the smaller, less costly, projects whenever it chooses.

Other outside funding that could be sought are administered through programs such as TAP (Transportation Alternative Program), GTSC (Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee), RCP (Reconnecting Communities Pilot), and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant).

“There are millions of dollars you can pursue for these projects,” Du said.