Buses, trucks and cars whiz through Sloatsburg’s village center, barely slowing for pedestrians attempting to safely cross Rt. 17. Why would a pedestrian try to get to the other side?

Pick a day in Sloatsburg and lines of cars and trucks race from traffic light to traffic light through the center of the village along Orange Turnpike (Rt. 17). Pedestrians attempting to cross the street anywhere between those traffic lights (one at Eagle Valley Road and the Municipal Plaza) must dodge cars to safely cross the road.

The office of NY Senator David Carlucci recently went to bat for the residents of Sloatsburg, petitioning the NYDOT in support of a village center, pedestrian-friendly crosswalk at the Sloatsburg Public Library. After an apparent on-site look see by a DOT field engineer, the crosswalk proposal was denied.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have safe pedestrian passage in Sloatsburg’s village center? According to Sloatsburg’s Master Plan, calming traffic along the entire stretch of Rt. 17 through Sloatsburg is a priority to improving the central business district, including providing safe pedestrian crossings along Rt. 17.

NY Senator David Carlucci’s office went to bat for Sloatsburg on the crosswalk issue in response to a proposal by Sloatsburg residents. The proposed crosswalk site was located at the Sloatsburg Library at 1 Liberty Rock Road and Rt. 17. The crosswalk effort had the cooperation of Rockland County Legislators Alden Wolfe and Doug Jobson, as well as support from Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright and Trustee Peter Akey.

The Senator’s office was instrumental in getting the DOT to respond to the crosswalk study request that itself was part of an overall effort to create a more pedestrian-friendly village center that promotes issues of safety and traffic calming along Rt. 17.

Sloatsburg regularly sees steady traffic zooming through the village, with hardly any means to calm the traffic.

The New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT) initially determined that an investigation and study would be conducted at the proposed crosswalk location. Such studies often involve a measure of traffic volume and can take up to six months. The DOT also conducted an onsite “traffic study” of Rt. 17 around the proposed area, where the average traffic speed that day was clocked at 42 miles per hour (the official speed limit is 35mph).

But then NYDOT quickly determined from that visit that the speed and volume of traffic in Sloatsburg are apparently just fine. According to the DOT, pedestrians who want to cross Rt. 17 in Sloatsburg’s center village can do so at one of two traffic lights that sandwich the village — the Eagle Valley/Rt. 17 light and the Municipal Plaza/Rt. 17 light, which are more than a quarter mile apart. Only the Eagle Valley traffic light can be triggered by pedestrians.

Map of the proposed village center crosswalk championed by Sen. David Carlucci’s office, local politicians and residents.

The DOT is in the business of moving cars and trucks along its highways — pedestrians and safe crossways impede the way of smooth traffic flow. The criteria for a pedestrian crosswalk is based mostly on issues of safety, according to the DOT. The thin stretch of four-lane highway with cars blowing by in Sloatsburg apparently looks safe for pedestrians to the eyes of the NYDOT.

The proposed crosswalk site experiences daily foot traffic and is adjacent to the Sloatsburg Senior Center, a Rockland County Municipal bus stop, a Ramapo Central School bus stop, and is along the primary walkway to get to any of Sloatsburg’s village center stores.

As residents know and commuters or weekend visitors quickly experience, there is no  safe pedestrian crossing in the center of Sloatsburg. Jaywalking is a local sport and timing is everything.

The idea of a pedestrian friendly village center corridor that leads from Rt. 17 around to the Sloatsburg Train Station would allow commuters to safely access businesses, both before and after their commute.

Good luck with grabbing a cup of coffee and then crossing the street.

When transit buses deposit passengers along Rt. 17, commuters can be seen taking life in hand and dodging cars as they attempt to cross the road.

In response to Senator Carlucci’s office, the NYDOT indicated in mid-October that it would initiate a  formal investigation of the proposed crosswalk site which was to include a possible 6-month traffic study. The DOT’s onsite quick study determined that, no, the village didn’t need a crosswalk after all.

The DOT’s review cited the two already existing traffic lights sandwiching the village center as ample for safe pedestrian crossings of Rt. 17.

Senator Carlucci’s office is currently investigating whether the NYDOT decision can be appealed.