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Elmsford staff pursue county multimodal funds; draft ‘complete streets’ policy and paving plan expected
Summary
Town staff said they will pursue a county multimodal grant that requires a formal complete streets policy, combine the award with local CHIP funds and an earlier $50,000 state multimodal allocation to pay for a paving and curb project, and explore a school shuttle pilot from White Place Avenue Park.
Elmsford officials told the Town Board they plan to pursue a county multimodal funding program that gives preference to municipalities with an adopted complete streets policy and to combine that money with local CHIP reserves and a previously awarded state multimodal allocation for a larger paving project.
The discussion matters because the county program ranks competing projects by criteria that include whether a municipality has a complete streets policy. Staff said the town currently lacks a formal policy and that the county’s application includes a box that, if not checked, can make an application ineligible for consideration.
Town staff said they will meet with the county to clarify eligibility and to determine what projects are likely to qualify. The staff presentation identified an ongoing local project involving repaving and reconstruction on Newark Evertz and portions of park curves; speakers said the work would use a combination of the $50,000 multimodal allocation from state legislators and accumulated CHIP funds. The multimodal allocation was described in the meeting as specific to the identified project and not freely transferable without following state procedures.
Staff said they plan to produce a draft complete streets policy for the board’s consideration and possible adoption before a county application deadline listed in the discussion as September. The board was told the county program applies a point-ranking system that awards additional points to projects undertaken by municipalities that already have complete streets policies or multimodal planning documents; staff said the town has taken steps compatible with complete streets in the past, citing an earlier Main Street project and a separate state application for bicycle lanes on Route 119.
On school transportation, staff reported that new bid prices for a morning shuttle made a pilot feasible. The plan discussed would operate a shuttle from White Place Avenue Park to nearby schools so parents could drop students at the park instead of at congested school entrances; staff said the latest bid made a free service affordable and that the town would not require a parent fee for the first year if the board approves a pilot.
The town also flagged near-term procurement items connected to the larger street project: a curb contract with a potential contractor and forthcoming final authorization and award for paving contractors. Staff said one member will meet the next day with a curb contractor to finalize scope and scheduling.
Speakers stressed that the multimodal money from state senate and assembly sources is tightly restricted. At one point a staff member said the meeting’s cost estimates included figures described as “about $3.40” and “about $3.63,” but the units or basis for those figures were not specified in the transcript and were presented as working estimates rather than final contract prices.
Background material compiled for the board included examples of complete streets policies used by neighboring jurisdictions, and staff said they would return with a draft policy and recommended application strategy once they complete the county meeting and the cost estimates for the paving bid are finalized.
No formal motion or vote was recorded on the multimodal application or the draft policy in the segments provided; staff indicated they would seek authorization for contractor awards separately once bids and final numbers are available.
