Town Board Delays Decision on "No Turn on Red"

by Harriet Kline

(September 18, 2008) The Mamaroneck Town court room was filled to capacity on Wednesday, September 17 as the Town Board held a public hearing to consider three Traffic Committee recommendations for the complex intersection at Myrtle Boulevard, Chatsworth Avenue and Murray Avenue. Also before the board was a petition from Forest City Mamaroneck and Iron Oak to amend its agreement with the Town on the construction of a high-rise apartment building.

The Five-Way Intersection

Town Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe opened the hearing by stating that residents have for years voiced their concern for the safety of pedestrians at the intersection and that any changes to the traffic pattern have been made with that in mind.

Her remarks were echoed by Phil Cimino, the Town’s consulting traffic engineer, who described a 10 to 12 year history of the Town’s efforts to deal with the troublesome intersection. The impetus for the most recent redesign, he said, was a public meeting at the Weaver Street Fire House some years ago. At the meeting, residents and representatives of the Chatsworth Neighborhood Association raised their concern for the safety of pedestrians.

Mr. Cimino cited two conflicting issues in redesigning the intersection: pedestrian flow and high traffic volume. Because of the difficult five-way nature of the intersection, Mr. Cimino said, finding a balance between the needs of pedestrians and vehicles is extremely difficult. He described the intersection as 5% above its capacity to process traffic.

To insure the safety of pedestrians, the new design included the installation of walk signals and “no turn on red” signs. And to facilitate vehicular traffic, electronic detectors were installed at each corner of the intersection. The impacts of the changes, made last year, were further complicated by two simultaneous events: the closing of the Rockland Avenue bridge and construction by Con Edison in and around the intersection.

While pedestrians are pleased with the new configuration, drivers have complained of vehicular bottlenecks resulting from the “no turn on red” signs.(See: Town Budget Adopted; Myrtle Blvd Traffic Scrutinized).

The Town Traffic Committee has therefore reconsidered the various issues and, according to Councilman David Fishman (liaison to the committee), offered the following recommendations to the board:

(1) The No Left Turn prohibition from Myrtle Boulevard onto North Chatsworth Avenue should be amended to prohibit left turns only between 7:00 am and 9:00 am and 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm Monday through Friday.

(2) Remove the directional signs in the northbound direction on Myrtle Boulevard that direct traffic to Myrtle Boulevard and Murray Avenue.

(3) Remove the "no turn on red" signs at each point in the intersection and replace with signs stating "stop for pedestrians in crosswalk." The exclusive pedestrian phase in the traffic signal timing would remain as is.

The Public Weighs in - On Both Sides: The board heard from numerous speakers, both for and against removing the “no turn on red” signs.

Initial public comments came from Judge Dolores Battalia, who made a very strong statement “urging and begging” the board to retain the current “no turn on red” signs. She said that vehicular traffic is constantly increasing and that pedestrians are moving targets and in need protection. “The time delay is worth it,” she concluded.

Judy Adler of 16 North Chatsworth and Lisa Young of 14 North Chatsworth supported Judge Battalia’s position. Ms. Young further indicated that she had no opposition to the first and second recommendations of the Traffic Committee but strongly opposed the removal of the “no turn on red” signs. She also wanted to dispel the notion that only senior citizens use the intersection – parents and caregivers with small children are also heavy users. Ms. Young argued to a culture change so that the needs of both drivers and pedestrians are respected.

Bob Rothman complained about the long wait to get through the intersection. Paul Efron of 10 Pryor Lane urged the board to restore right on red, especially at the Chatsworth/Myrtle corner.

However, Dr. Lois Steinberg, speaking on behalf of the 150 shareholders of #1 and #3 Washington Square urged that the “no turn on red” remain. She said she feels much safer with the new signage and traffic signal.

There were also creative recommendations. Elie Baller of 145 West Brookside Drive proposed the installation of some sort of camera to identify vehicles disobeying the NY State law on pedestrian right of way in an intersection. Keith Macsoud of 38 Lester Place suggested building a pedestrian overpass.

Traffic Committee Chair Doris Shaw Block commented that her committee had received numerous letters and e-mails urging the removal of the “no turn on red” signs – including one from the Village of Larchmont. Town Supervisor O’Keeffe, on the other hand, said that most of the letters the board had received urged that the ‘no turn on red” signs be retained.

The Board Decides: After the lengthy hearing, the board voted unanimously to adopt the first two Traffic Committee recommendation. However, because of the strong feelings on both sides of the remaining issue, the “no turn on red” recommendation will be further discussed at a public hearing on Wednesday, October 1.

Education Program on Property Reassessment

The board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Town administrator to enter into an agreement with Frey Appraisal and Consulting Services to prepare and conduct three public education sessions on property reassessment. Frey will prepare and deliver presentations for public meetings of the boards in Mamaroneck Town, Larchmont Village and Mamaroneck Village.

Frey Consultant recently delivered its Analysis of Reassessment Procedures and Possible Impacts in the Town of Mamaroneck, which was discussed most recently by the Larchmont Village Board at its last board meeting. (See: Larchmont Opens Discussion of Property Reval)

The educational programs will include information about the reassessment process, how reassessment programs are scheduled, the goals of reassessment, and the potential impact of reassessments.

The proposal approved by the Board calls for a fee of $3,500 with no other reimbursable expenses.

Madison Avenue Apartment Project – A New Wrinkle

Joel Sachs and Andy Tung, appeared before the board on behalf of Forest City Mamaroneck and Iron Oak, developers of the eight-story apartment building to be constructed on Madison Avenue. (See: Parking Deck and Apartment Project Transferred to Iron Oak.) The developers are petitioning for an amendment to their contract with Mamaroneck Town because they have been unable to acquire the part of the site now occupied by LaVilletta restaurant. They presented a revised site plan that has been slightly reconfigured to work around the property.

Per direction from Town Counsel Bill Maker, the board unanimously agreed to refer the petition to the Planning Board and, anticipating a reply in October, also scheduled a public hearing on the issue for November 5, 2008.

Other Construction Updates: Train Stairs & Murray Pipe

Two sections of the new staircase that connect a Mamaroneck Town parking lot to the upper deck of Larchmont’s lot have been delivered and are in place. The third section is due to arrive on Monday September 22, according to Mr. Altieri. Installation of the last part of the stairway, the roof and the electrical work is scheduled to be completed by the end of next week. Mr. Altieri said he is more confident of this schedule (as compared to previous predictions from the contractor) because there appears to be a "rhythm" to the work at this stage.

At Murray Avenue, in front of the school, a Westchester County pipe renovation project is nearing its end. The pipes are in, sidewalks are finished and Murray Avenue is open and passable. A final layer of asphalt will be applied sometime between now and the second week of October, according to Mr. Altieri. Workers will try to take advantage of school closures for the Jewish holidays. On nearby Colonial Avenue, one section of pipe remains to be completed and Town officials are uncertain of the final schedule.

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