Sandy Iyer-Horan of 68 Young Avenue voiced concerns about the intersection of Boulevard and Cliff Avenue during the Sept. 26 Village of Pelham board meeting after she was in a two-car accident that injured her daughter as Iyer-Horan was driving her child to school.
The daughter, Shylah Horan, was taken to Westchester Medical Center and is still recovering from an eye injury, said Sandy Iyer-Horan.
“Hundreds of children walk to school on this path every day,” said Iyer-Horan. “We must do something about it. I do fear a tragic accident is around the corner if we do not do something immediately.”
Mayor Chance Mullen brought up the possibility of making the intersection a four-way stop and switching Irving Place to one-way traffic.
A resident who lives at the corner of Boulevard and Cliff said he’s seen seven accidents at the intersection. He also said many drivers skip through stop signs as hundreds of kids walk to school.
Another resident said she has seen reckless driving on Monterey Avenue as people are going to the train station, making it dangerous for her children to walk and bike. She proposed a crosswalk to make it safer.
Mullen said he’s discussed similar issues with the traffic engineer and that he plans talk to with the engineer about the situation. The mayor said crosswalks might cause a problem if drivers don’t stop at the crossings, making them more dangerous for children.
Trustee Lisa Hill-Ries suggested speed bumps at big intersections to force drivers to slow down.
Deputy Mayor Michael Carpenter said it is important to remember that not stopping at stop signs is the “new normal,” and the traffic engineers need to rethink what will force drivers to come to a complete stop.
“The stop sign problem in Pelham is really terrifying,” Hill-Ries said.
Trustee Russell Solomon said that while the schools can provide support on the issue, the problem can’t be solved if everybody in the community doesn’t work towards greater pedestrian safety.
During his report, Mullen warned parents about the increased traffic enforcement that is happening during school drop-off and pick-up. He said Pelham police have had to write tickets, taking up time and making it more difficult for officers to manage traffic in front of the schools.
He said parents need to be more careful in school zones not only for the safety of their own children but also for others.
“If you are not breaking the law, you won’t be given a ticket,” said Mullen. “If you are breaking the law, you will probably get a ticket.”
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