Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit – March 10
By Linnet Tse
Pedestrian and traffic safety—particularly for children traveling to and from school—was the focus of the March 10 Larchmont–Mamaroneck Local Summit breakfast program. Community advocates, engineers, and municipal officials discussed ongoing efforts to make streets safer for everyone, secure funding for improvements, and encourage more students to walk or bike to school.
Encouraging Safe Routes to School
Michael Smeets, founder of the Larchmont Mamaroneck Ped-Bike Alliance and co-chair of the Mamaroneck Safe Routes to School committee, opened the discussion by noting that far fewer students walk or bike to school today than in previous generations. Safety concerns, traffic congestion, and changing travel habits have all contributed to the shift.
Encouraging students to walk or bike to school, he said, not only reduces traffic congestion but also benefits children’s health and the environment while giving students a greater sense of independence and responsibility.
Smeets also noted that many Mamaroneck High School students in the Original Civic Research and Action program are involved in initiatives aimed at providing pedestrian and bicycle safety education to younger students.
Improvements on Mamaroneck Avenue
Elaine Du, P.E., Senior Technical Director of Traffic & Transportation at AKRF, who consulted with the Village of Mamaroneck following a tragic pedestrian accident in June 2024, described safety improvements implemented along the Mamaroneck Avenue corridor.
A rapid and comprehensive review led to several changes, including curb extensions that shorten crossing distances, bollards that better define pedestrian space, and intersections with “exclusive pedestrian phases,” allowing people to cross in all directions while vehicle traffic is stopped.
Dennis Delborgo, Assistant Village Manager for the Village of Mamaroneck, said the village is now moving forward with a second phase of improvements along the corridor. The estimated cost is about $3 million, with roughly $1.6 million expected to come from local sources. Funding is anticipated to come from a combination of grants, including Community Development Block Grants (HUD) and the County’s new Complete Streets Municipal Assistance Program.
Delborgo also highlighted several additional safety initiatives currently underway in the village.
The Challenge of Funding Safer Streets
Securing funding remains one of the greatest challenges municipalities face when pursuing infrastructure improvements.
Officials discussed the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, which has allocated billions of dollars nationwide to support local road safety planning and implementation. The Village of Larchmont was the first community in the region to complete the program’s planning process, which analyzes crash data, identifies high-risk locations, and develops a comprehensive strategy combining engineering, education, enforcement, and public input.
Although the village applied for federal implementation funding last year, the application was unsuccessful. Officials plan to resubmit proposals this year and continue pursuing grants for priority projects, including improvements to Larchmont and Chatsworth Avenues near Chatsworth Avenue School.
Ongoing Work in the Town of Mamaroneck
Robert Wasp, Town Engineer for the Town of Mamaroneck, reminded the audience that the town continues to implement an extensive capital improvement program. “This type of work has to be a routine, ongoing investment,” Wasp said. “Your infrastructure always needs improvements.”
He cited numerous recent projects, including traffic signal upgrades, ADA-compliant curb ramps, sidewalk extensions, new sidewalks, and improved crosswalks. The Weaver Street sidewalk project—nearly ten years in the making—is nearing completion and will add approximately 1,300 linear feet of new sidewalk.
Sidewalk projects, Wasp noted, are often more complex than they appear. They can involve underground utilities, drainage work, relocating utility poles, and sometimes acquiring property, all of which increase both costs and timelines.
The town also recently adopted a speed hump policy requiring support from at least 75 percent of nearby residents before installation. Two speed humps have already been installed on Colonial Avenue, with a third planned for New Jefferson Street later this year.
Boston Post Road
Another major project involves planned improvements along Boston Post Road, a state road. Repaving work originally scheduled for 2026 has been postponed to allow NYS Department of Transportation to consider pedestrian and bicycle safety upgrades requested by municipal officials and community advocates.
State transportation officials held a well-attended public open house last June and will host a second session on April 16 from 5–7 p.m. at Mamaroneck High School to gather community input. Smeets encouraged residents to attend, calling it “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Boston Post Road safer for everyone—people who drive, people who walk, and people who bike.”
Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasized that improving street safety requires cooperation across municipal boundaries. Despite funding uncertainties and the high cost of infrastructure improvements, participants expressed optimism that steady progress is being made. Panelists stressed the importance of continuing to develop plans so projects can move forward when funding becomes available.
The shared goal, they said, is simple: streets where children—and everyone else—can travel safely, whether walking, biking, or driving.
The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit is an informal community council that seeks to make a better life for the community by keeping it informed of major issues of concern. Our next meeting, on April 14 at 8 am at the Nautilus Diner in Mamaroneck, will feature Congressman George Latimer. For more information: https.//www.localsummitlm.org/. To view recorded programs on LMC Media: https.//lmcmedia.org/.
