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Dobbs Ferry trustees back Route 9 design funding; some residents warn against a roundabout at Ashford and Broadway
Summary
Trustees agreed to send a municipal letter urging the state Department of Transportation to fund completion of Route 9 final design. Board members debated removing counts of roundabouts from the DOT template; a resident who lives by Ashford and Broadway urged caution, saying a roundabout could reduce pedestrian safety near the school.
Dobbs Ferry trustees on March 10 debated whether to send a municipality-specific letter asking the New York State Department of Transportation to provide funding to move the Route 9 corridor project from 30% design to final engineering.
Supporters said a unified set of municipal letters would strengthen the project—s case in this year—s budget process and help secure the money needed to produce construction-ready engineering and an implementation plan. A trustee noted the DOT provided a template letter but that municipalities can deviate from it and suggested removing the draft's specific counts of roundabouts, turnarounds and signal installations so the village would not be seen as pre-approving detailed design elements.
The discussion turned to one intersection in particular. A board member who said they live near Ashford and Broadway warned that converting that location to a roundabout could make it less safe for pedestrians, including schoolchildren: "I live right there. There are so many kids that cross that street," the speaker said during public comment. Trustees responded that the project has been through a multi-year public process and that WSP, the project's engineering consultant, has argued roundabouts can be safer when crosswalks and pedestrian refuges are properly located. Board members noted that at 30% design the plans are preliminary and that further public input and environmental review remain.
Trustees did not vote to adopt a final text during the workshop. Instead they agreed on the objective — asking the state to provide design funding — and discussed staff edits to the draft letter to avoid endorsing specific elements. Trustees also asked staff to copy legislators and key project contacts when the letter is sent. The board emphasized the letter—s purpose: secure funds so future design phases can address community concerns through further outreach and engineering adjustments.
The board—s next steps will be for staff to circulate a revised draft (with counts removed per the discussion) and send the letter to state officials and local legislators; any substantial design decisions would be addressed in later public review steps.
