Briarcliff Mulls North State/9A Turning Lanes

No one seems to disagree that facilitating a quicker flow of traffic at the intersection of North State Road at Route 9A is a good idea, but Briarcliff Manor's village manager explains it's not as simple as it seems.

While, "we have a proposal," he noted, "approvals and money beyond our scope are preventing it."

Recently on Patch, Monica Mandel posted a note discussing the intersection's frequent traffic backup near the Squire's/Dunkin' Donuts shopping venter and proposed plans.

"This is such a busy intersection," she wrote, stating, "Cars are backed up past Dunne Lane, spewing emissions as they wait through multiple lights because someone wants to make a left turn onto 9A South."

Zegarelli said the village has conceived a plan to carve out some of the adjacent unpaved area to widen the roadway to accommodate three lanes—one turning right (north on 9A), one left (south on 9A) and one straight through North State Road.

"We designed it ourselves," he said, but noted, "The DOT needs to step in."

The proposal would also have to include Westchester County, which would need to work with the village on a land-swap agreement to allow the village to develop the untouched land—approximately half an acre—adjacent to North State.

"The land on each side in the area where the little garden is on the east side of 9A is really Westchester County parkland," Zegarelli explained. "If you invade the area, you have to replace it."

In exchange, the Village of Briarcliff Manor would give some of its land to the county.

"We believe we have some land off of South State [Road] that would blend in nicely with the existing trail system that the county has in that end," he said. "We will talk to them about it."

But the land swap agreement would be the first obstacle, Zegarelli added.

"A close second is finding money to do it," he said.

Zegarelli said Briarcliff Manor "would be interested" in partially funding the project if it were to move forward.

"I will pick up the pace on it and get it to the right people," he said. "I think we have a great design that can seriously address what needs to be done...it's just a matter of getting all the right pieces together at the right time."