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Land Acquired To Decrease Danger At Greenburgh Intersection

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- The dangerous "Y" intersection at Jackson Avenue and North Sprain Road near Sprain Ridge Park will be improved with the acquisition of property for a road safety project, officials announced Wednesday.

The Jackson Avenue and North Sprain Road intersection will be improved.

Photo Credit: Danny LoPriore

Westchester County Legislator MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson), who represents the Greenburgh location, expressed her thanks to State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblyman Tom Abinanti for their work in moving the safety project forward.

Last week, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed bills authorizing Westchester County to transfer approximately six-tenths of an acre of parkland on the north border of Sprain Ridge Park to the town of Greenburgh for the purpose of making needed safety improvements to the section of Jackson Avenue from the Park entrance to the intersection with North Sprain Road.

Shimsky noted that recent state legislation is the culmination of nine years of effort by the Town of Greenburgh, the Villages of Ardsley and Hastings-on-Hudson, and citizens groups to cope with increased traffic anticipated by the Ridge Hill development in Yonkers.

“(Stewart-Cousins and Abinanti) were instrumental and directly responsible for getting this legislation introduced and passed in Albany, and they deserve our thanks,” Shimsky said.

In exchange for the land, Westchester County is receiving 1.3 acres of land in the East Irvington section of Greenburgh for use as parkland.

The Ridge Hill development added to predicted large increases in traffic once the development was built. There have been numerous accidents at the Jackson Avenue/North Sprain Road intersection in the past few years, including two reported fatal crashes.

The safety improvements include the conversion of the "Y" intersection with three stop signs at the intersection of North Sprain Road and Jackson Avenue, to a traditional "T" intersection with a traffic light. 

“I was pleased to sponsor this bill and ensure its passage in the New York State Senate,”Stewart-Cousins said. “With over eighty accidents and two deaths reported at Jackson Avenue and North Sprain Road in the last three years, it is clear that something must be done to protect residents and motorists."

Forest City Ratner, the Ridge Hill developer, provided the funding for the road safety improvements under the terms of a settlement ending a lawsuit brought by the town and villages challenging the City of Yonkers’ environmental review of the project.

“Many of us who regularly travel on Jackson Avenue have been working for traffic safety since 2004, when the Ridge Hill plans were first made public,” Shimsky said. But the completion, and passage, of the parkland legislation removes the largest obstacle in our path. I feel confident that a safer Jackson Avenue is in our future.”

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