Repair of Pedestrian Footbridge, Speeding Among Tuckahoe Residents’ Concerns

A dozen residents showed up to the Parkway Oval on Monday night for a community meeting with the Mayor and Village Board to discuss a variety of concerns, including the footbridge by the train station, speeding in the Village and more. 

Sitting in a full circle, the Mayor and trustees, who hold these meeting two or three times per year, listened to worries over the repair of the pedestrian footbridge, which connects Railroad Avenue to Columbus Avenue.

Residents would frequently use this passage to get to the library, but now it's unsafe and has multiple holes in it.

Built in the 1970s by the Consulate on the Park, a condominium complex, the footbridge was shut down last July because no one was maintaining it.

"It's going to cost about a million to fix it," Mayor Fitzpatrick told the group.

Emily Stanson, president of the Tuckahoe Youth Advisory Committee, who also spoke about the hopes of receiving funding for a teen center, didn't believe the bridge repairs could cost so much.

"The repair of the bridge won't cost that much, but we have to hire flagmen, close the train down during the construction," said Mayor Fitzpatrick.

He also told the group that the cost of repairing the bridge wasn't the only problem—getting approval to use a million dollars to fix a footbridge would be just as difficult because of pork-spending accusations.

"That's the problem senators and assembly people are under. Spending for member items can still be called pork," he said.

However, residents were still concerned. "It's a real inconvenience. Especially to the elderly that walk from The Fountains," said Janet Buckhardt of Lake Avenue. The Fountains is a senior living community.

She continued, "And there are so many speeders on Lake Avenue. A friend was trying to save her dog from getting hit by a car, and in the process, she ended up getting bumped by the car."

Maryann Frusciante of Tuckahoe agreed that speeding poses a great danger. "It's very bad for pedestrians. You need to be careful," she said.

After a few requests for more stop signs and traffic lights to combat the problem, Trustee Quigley brought up the trolley system that Senator Klein and the Generoso Pope Foundation recommended as a way to reduce traffic.

"We were just told that it'll be ready in about three weeks," Mayor Fitzpatrick told he group.

For roughly a dollar, the trolley will transport residents to the train station and Bronxville. Whether it will be in use for the whole year or just the spring and summer has not yet been determined.

Regarding the leasing of the third floor at Village Hall on 65 Main Street, the Board of Trustees said they are talking with Lawrence Hospital, a possible interested party.

The meeting officially ended at about 9 p.m. but residents stayed for another 15 minutes to discuss their ideas with the Mayor and Trustees.