After listening to two-plus hours of presentations on making local roads accessible and safer for cyclists and pedestrians, Elizabeth Andersen wanted to jump in and help.

“What can an ordinary citizen do?” asked the avid cyclist, who lives on Crow Hill Road in Mt. Kisco, a street she said can be dangerous for non-motorists. “I have grown kids now and I have the time to bike, but we have a disadvantage in Westchester—it’s hard to bike [safely].”

She got her answer from Nadine Lemmon, Albany Legislative Advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit watchdog group.

 “Write and call your local legislators,” said Lemmon. “Advocate more of our transportation dollars to go toward pedestrian issues—currently only 1 percent of available transportation funds are spent there.”

 Lemmon was joined by Terry Burke, chairman of Bedford’s bike committee; Dan Welsh, a Lewisboro town board member and sustainability advisory committee chair, and David Wilson, president of the Westchester Putnam Bike Walk Alliance. The four were invited to present at the January ALOFT (Active Living Over Fifty) meeting, held Jan. 13, by Catherine Wynkoop, president of ALOFT and coordinator for the organization’s “livable communities” initiative.

Close to 40 people turned out to hear about the progress made and challenges experienced by local groups working on an array of initiatives ranging from low-cost to needing millions of dollars.

Terry Burke discussed his work toward providing a pedestrian connection between Bedford’s three hamlets—noting that “it’s a massive waste of resources when an able-bodied mother drives her able-bodied kid four miles to soccer in a massive car,”—and his dream of achieving a “Bike Friendly Community.”

“BFC’s are about health, wealth and freedoms,” he said. “One community in Canada generates $100 million in tourism dollars from being a bike destination,” he said. Burke said he’d seen a small-scale example last summer while leading 50 cyclists on a ride down the newly widened Bedford Center Road. “We cleaned out the deli in Bedford Village,” he said, adding that biking provides mobility and access to the non-driving population including children and seniors.

Burke is encouraged by the completion of the Bedford Center Road project, which provided four-foot shoulders for cyclists and walkers, and the presence of two police officers who patrol by bike, but said the main obstacle to other projects—such as completing the all-Bedford bike plan—need funds.

Welsh has similar dreams for Lewisboro, including a path to connect the train station at Goldens Bridge to the shopping center, Increase Miller Elementary School, the fire department, Fox Valley Park, and the Indian Hill residential development, making the intersection of Routes 22 and 138 safer for pedestrian crossing. He and several other town residents have formed the organization “On Golden Path” to formalize their efforts.

“And Cross River—it’s not even functional,” he said, showing a You Tube video he’d shot of a woman trying to cross the intersection of Route 121 near the Cross River plaza.

Grabbing the attention of state transportation officials is an issue municipalities face, said Welsh, because many of the problem areas are on state roads, over which local governments have no control.

James Rapoli, a bicyclye and pedestrian coordinator who makes recommendations for road improvements to the state DOT, attended the meeting and had previously walked the length of Route 138 in Goldens Bridge with Welsh. Rapoli said that in some cases, improvements are impossible because of property ownership and historic preservation issues.

“Parts of that road we can accommodate but others we can’t—where there’s no shoulder or too much private property involved,” said Rapoli. Instead, he favors education of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists, which he said is financially justifiable because it reaches more people.

“How many people know that state law says you have to look both ways to enter crosswalk? So many people just enter the road thinking they have the automatic right of way,” he said, adding that he believes shared roadway signage is better than painting “sharrows,” a stencil of a cyclist painted on the roadway.

Welsh spoke about the importance of “Complete Streets” legislation, which ensures safe access to roads for all users: bicyclists, public transportation vehicles, motorists and pedestrians of all ages.

Lemmon said that the legislation has been reintroduced in the state assembly, and so far, it seems to have Cuomo’s support. A model “complete streets” ordinance might include speed enforcement cameras, visible street markings and brighter paint in crosswalks, longer traffic signals, and pedestrian islands in major roads, she said.

The most important tool in getting highway departments to encourage town boards to pass complete streets laws is obtaining pedestrian accident information, she said, and showed a map of Westchester fatalities involving pedestrians. 

Wilson agreed on the need to educate both drivers and cyclists. “We are embarking on a campaign with the Department of Motor Vehicles to incorporate passing cyclists at a safe distance into driver’s education and defensive driving classes,” he said, referring to the “safe passing” law passed in Albany last November. He also said a televised national public service announcement on safe streets was in the works.

Steve Warshaw, Goldens Bridge resident and member of On Golden Path, said key to getting support—and funds—from politicians was getting accident data which strengthens the case for improving roads and public safety.

Bedford Supervisor Lee Roberts also attended the meeting and said any measures taken by the town were a compromise between car and cycle, safety and character.

“On Bedford Center Road, for example, the bike committee originally wanted 12-foot shoulder and a green strip,” she said. “We also have residents who want trees and stone walls to remain undisturbed. But we are making progress, especially within our town goals through Bedford 2020, which aim to reduce greenhouse gases.”

Though each had different perspectives the presenters shared a common agenda and a call to action.

“We need local advocates to write letters, and show up and organize your neighbors,” said Welsh. “Find a do-able project in your town.”

Elizabeth Anderson was ready. “Give me a mailing list, I’ll hand out cards. I have the time and I’m resourceful.”

For more information, visit: The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, The Weschester Putnam Bike Walk Alliance, The Bedford Bike Plan and On Golden Path.