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Trustees debate plan to discourage Washingtonville cut‑throughs and urge DOT to consider an I‑95 entrance
Summary
Trustees considered a resolution to discourage return of cut‑through traffic to Washingtonville when Waverly Avenue bridge reopens and to ask neighboring municipalities (including Larchmont) and NYSDOT to explore a northbound I‑95 entrance; debate focused on enforceability, intermunicipal coordination and whether to fund a traffic study by AKRF.
A trustee introduced a resolution asking the board to declare a policy discouraging through traffic in the Washingtonville neighborhood and to urge the New York State Department of Transportation to consider opening a northbound I‑95 entrance that could reduce cut‑through traffic.
The trustee framed the proposal as a response to longstanding congestion affecting the Washingtonville neighborhood and cited the temporary reprieve while Waverly Avenue bridge reconstruction kept traffic rerouted. He said the village should use the reopening as an opportunity to prevent cut‑throughs from returning and proposed both non-specific measures (signs, rerouting streets) and the longer-term ask to DOT for an extra entrance.
Several trustees and staff pushed back on an immediate confrontational resolution. Concerns included legal enforceability—staff and the police chief said the village likely lacks authority to entirely prohibit driving on village streets—and potential negative effects on neighboring jurisdictions. One trustee called for a practical approach: direct staff to obtain a cost estimate from traffic engineers (AKRF) for a study to evaluate options and impacts, including effects on nearby town streets, and to reach out to neighboring leaders (the town and the Village of Larchmont) before advancing any formal DOT request.
The board agreed to seek a price for the traffic study and to have the mayor and staff initiate outreach to adjacent municipal leaders so the village has shared proposals before approaching DOT. Trustees emphasized they were not prescribing a specific engineering fix at this stage; several said the study should evaluate options such as one‑way conversions, speed humps or targeted signage and pilot observations to measure left‑turn volumes.
