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Cornwall residents press town for action after Route 32 pedestrian death
Summary
After a pedestrian was killed beside a Cornwall daycare, residents urged the town to press DOT for additional signage and to increase enforcement; the board plans a meeting with DOT and may pursue a formal speed‑zone resolution and targeted enforcement.
Ray Hernandez, owner of the Ark of Learning on State Route 32, told the town board that a pedestrian was struck and killed last week adjacent to his daycare and urged immediate action: “One person killed is too many.” Hernandez said the stretch of Route 32 near his school has long had little signage and frequent speeding, and he asked the board to press the state Department of Transportation for additional speed signs and to increase local enforcement.
Board members acknowledged the fatality and described what the town can do locally and what requires state approval. A town official said the process for a reduced speed zone runs: town resolution → county engineer review → DOT traffic study, and that the DOT often requires specific data before acting. The board also discussed speed‑enforcement cameras; members noted state law limits their use outside of school zones and that authorizing cameras for ticketing would require legislative changes at the state level.
The town’s police chief told the board that patrols would be concentrated on the Route 32 stretch in the near term: “I shifted the rest of the month to that stretch 32.” Board members said the town will ask DOT to consider additional signage and to finish a pending speed study, and they scheduled a meeting with DOT next week that will include Route 32 concerns.
Residents and board members emphasized a mix of short‑ and long‑term steps: immediate targeted patrols and radar posts, a letter or request to DOT for more signage that does not require a resolution, and a formal town resolution if the board decides to request a speed‑limit reduction. The board also discussed applying for federal Safe Streets and Roads funding and preparing specific locations to present to state legislators when the session resumes.
The board did not approve any binding change to Route 32’s posted limits at the meeting; it directed staff to pursue the DOT meeting and to prepare options — including a resolution for a speed‑zone review — for future action.
