Red-Light Camera Approved for Dangerous Pleasantville Intersection
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
By Abby Luby
Crossing the dangerous intersection of Grant Street and the Saw Mill River Parkway has been a harrowing experience for years.
High-speed collisions caused by drivers running the red light or making illegal turns onto Grant Street have resulted in numerous, life-threatening accidents.
One resident even installed a video camera that recorded cars running traffic lights some seven or eight seconds after the light turned red.
Now, long-awaited safety action is finally underway.
At Monday night’s Pleasantville Village Board meeting, Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky (D-Dobbs Ferry) announced that a state bill she co-sponsored with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) — authorizing the county to install a red-light camera at the intersection — has passed both the Assembly and Senate.
The legislation is now awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature. Once signed into law, the village, county and the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) will coordinate on the red-light camera installation at Grant Street.
“We are definitely moving in a positive direction, and we’ve taken a significant step,” said Shimsky. “The bill was the product of a fair amount of negotiation with the DOT, who is the executive agency that has had a great deal of involvement. There’s still a lot of process that has to be worked out. I will keep the mayor and the board informed when we get a sense that the governor may act on the legislation.”
Shimsky’s announcement was greeted by applause from the board and several members of the village Pedestrian Committee attending the meeting.
For years, an outcry by Pleasantville residents walking children to school or crossing to get to the train station has demanded more safety measures.
Residents’ frustration reached a peak last June when a well-known Pleasantville resident and business owner was tragically injured in a collision while driving through the intersection. Freya Martens, co-owner of Soul Brewing Company, was driving westbound on Grant Street to cross the Saw Mill when her car was struck by a southbound vehicle that apparently ran the red light.
The parkway is under the jurisdiction of and maintained by the DOT. Any changes or upgrades to the well-traveled roadway require specific legislation. The Westchester County Police patrol the parkway and respond to accidents.
Along with installing a red-light camera, proposals by residents for increased safety have included closing the intersection altogether or building a pedestrian walkway over the parkway.
Last year, Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer asked the DOT about installing a red-light camera and a strobe light. The DOT denied both requests, prompting Scherer to reach out to Stewart-Cousins and Shimsky to advocate on the village’s behalf. The effort resulted in a meeting last August with Pleasantville officials, DOT Regional Director Lance MacMillan, Stewart-Cousins, and Shimsky.
Studies showed an uptick in drivers running red lights, causing at least 70 accidents in the past 11 years. In 2019 alone, there were 27 accidents.
Cars driving south on the parkway must navigate a blind curve before the intersection, where there is no warning of the upcoming traffic light. The bill specifies that Westchester County and the DOT will place signs on the Saw Mill River Parkway notifying drivers that red-light cameras are installed at certain intersections, including Grant Street. The bill also authorizes the county and the Department of Education to run a public information campaign before the red-light cameras are installed.
Red-light cameras record vehicles approaching an intersection, passing the stop line, and proceeding through the intersection. Registered car owners who run red lights receive a notice of violation with the date, time, and location of the violation, the camera ID number, the fine amount, and information on how to pay or request a hearing.
The notice includes images showing a close-up of the rear of the vehicle and the license plate, the vehicle at the stop line, the traffic signal in the red phase, and the vehicle passing through the intersection.
Drivers who receive five or more red-light camera violations in a 12-month period may be required to complete a safe vehicle operation course or risk having their vehicle seized, according to NYC311.
“Things are moving along, and hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will have a red-light camera at that intersection,” Shimsky said.
Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/