OSSINING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Chapter 6: Transportation Goal Improve traffic conditions and roadway safety throughout the Village, increase pedestrian and bicycle opportunities, and support cost effective transit improvements. 6.1 Commutation Patterns As discussed in Chapter 5, Ossining is predominantly a bedroom community for residents who commute to New York City and other employment centers in the region. Demographic data helps to further depict general commutation patterns and trends in the Village. Census data detailed in Table 1 show that the overall number of workers who commute to the Village as of 2017 decreased by 16% since 2002, whereas the number of residents who commute outside of the Village for work has increased. 1 As of 2017, 91% of residents commute to locations outside of the Village for work. Table 1: Village of Ossining Commutation Patterns, 2002 ‐ 2017 2002 2010 2017 Workforce Employed in the Village Count Share Count Share Count Share Employed in the Village 6,531 100% 5,738 100% 5,384 100% Employed in the Village but Living Outside 5,311 81% 4,873 85% 4,463 83% Employed and Living in the Village 1,220 19% 865 15% 921 17% Workforce Living In the Village (Residents) Living in the Village 10,138 100% 9,659 100% 10,370 100% Living in the Village but Employed Outside 8,918 88% 8,794 91% 9,449 91% Living and Employed in the Village 1,220 12% 865 9% 921 9% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies: 2002‐2017 LEHD Origin Destination Employment Statistics (LODES). While the number of residents who work in the Village has overall decreased since the early 2000s, there have been gains since 2010 (Table 1). More recent American Community Survey (ACS) data shown in Table 2 below provides estimates that the share of Village residents DRAFTwho are working from home has modestly increased from just over 3.3% in 2010 to 4.6% in 2018.2 3 Consequential of the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020 there is a sense that the number of Village residents who work from home is expected to increase further. While the scale of this shift is difficult to predict within a long‐term context, the Ossining Tomorrow public 1 Note that this analysis is limited to Primary Jobs. A Primary Job is the highest paying job for an individual worker for the year of analysis. The count of primary jobs is the same as the count of workers. 2 2006‐2010 American Community Survey (ACS) 5‐year Estimates; 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) 5‐year Estimates. 3 Further work‐from‐home trends tied to COVID‐19 are discussed in Section 6.5 1 survey determined that 23% of respondents began working from home during the pandemic and plan to continue doing so into the future.4 Table 2: Means of Transportation to Work for Workers 16 Years and Over, 2010 Versus 2018 2010 2018 Drove Alone 61.2% 58.7% Carpooled 14.7% 14.4% Public Transportation 16% 13.8% Walked 4% 7.8% Other Means 0.8% 0.7% Worked At Home 3.3% 4.6% Sources: 2018 American Community Survey, 5‐Year Estimates; 2010 American Community Survey, 5‐Year Estimates Table 2 indicates that the share of residents who drive, carpool or take public transportation to work has decreased between 2010 and 2018, while the share of residents who work from home or walk to work locally has increased. During this period, the Village’s population has stabilized with only a minor increase. Such commuting trends are supported by ACS estimate data that reports household car ownership/availability in the Village fell slightly from 88% in 2010 to 86% in 2018.5 6.2 Roadway Overview and Functional Classification (Figure 1) The NYSDOT functional classification system for roadways demonstrates traffic use patterns and jurisdiction differences across the Village’s network. Refer to Figure 1 for classification of Village roadways. This tiered classification is predominantly determined by connectivity factors and traffic patterns. These classifications further have a role in determining the applicability of design and construction regulations as well as access to capital funding sources. Aside from designated local roads in the Village, four different roadway classification categories are present: Expressway/Parkway‐ Route 9A Principal Arterial‐ Route 9 Minor Arterial‐ Route 133 / Croton Avenue, Route 134, Main Street, Spring Street, State Street Major Collector‐ Underhill Road, Pine Avenue, SnowDRAFTden Avenue, Emwilton Place, Water Street Most significant to regional connectivity and access, Croton Avenue (Route 133) is the primary corridor into the Village from the east for drivers travelling on the Taconic State Parkway, Route 9A, and Pleasantville Road. North Highland Avenue and South Highland Avenue (Route 9) provide north‐south gateways into the Village. West of Route 9, the topography that defines that Village’s natural environment and guides its built form presents particular challenges of traffic circulation, downtown‐waterfront connectivity, and compromised walkability. 4 This sample includes 432 responses. 5 2006‐2010 American Community Survey (ACS) 5‐year Estimates; 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) 5‐year Estimates. 2 New York State Route 9A (Briarcliff‐Peekskill Parkway) Route 9A is the major regional road serving this area of Westchester County. It provides connections to the Taconic State Parkway, Interstate 287, and to White Plains and New York City. Route 9A merges into Route 9 near the Croton‐Harmon train station, just north of the Village limits. Many local leaders have recommended to New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) that a major roadway study and upgrade should be conducted on Route 9A to better the roadway’s functionality. U.S. Route 9 (Highland Avenue) Route 9 (Highland Avenue) is a north‐south route that connects the Village to Peekskill in the north and Briarcliff and Tarrytown to the south. Within the Village, Route 9 is called North Highland and South Highland Avenue, respective to its intersection with Broadway in the Downtown area. The prominence of Route 9 in the Village provides transportation for residential and commercial access. Route 9 changes in width between two, three, and four lanes, depending on the location in the Village. Route 133 / Croton Avenue Route 133 traverses Westchester County with a southwest‐northeast alignment. The roadway provides east‐west connection within the Village, linking Routes 9 and 9A, and also intersects with the southerly terminus of Route 134. Within the Village, the roadway is considerably narrow and consists of two lanes. The route directly connects to the Taconic State Parkway as well as New Castle and Mount Kisco. Village maintenance jurisdiction begins west of Route 133’s intersection with Pleasantville Road. Route 134 Route 134 stretches southwest‐northeast connecting Ossining to the Taconic State Parkway, northeast of the Village. To its southern limit, Route 134 connects to Route 133 in the Village. Pleasantville Road Although Pleasantville Road has a relatively minimal footprint in the Village, it supports connectivity across Westchester County. Pleasantville Road begins at its intersection with Route 133 and travels southward along Route 9A before traversing eastward to the Village of Pleasantville. Main Street Main Street is a key local roadway and is representative of other downtown streets. Main Street provides critical east‐west connection that stretches from Route 9 to the waterfront, connecting to the Metro‐ North station where it aligns with Secor Road. As with other local roads such as Broadway, Central Avenue, and Snowden Avenue, the steep topography from Downtown to the ODRAFTssining waterfront can complicate driving conditions as well as conditions for pedestrians and the feasibility of bicycling. 6.3 Annual Average Daily Traffic Volumes (Figure 1) Annual Average daily traffic (AADT) data provide a baseline context of roadway traffic volumes and is also shown on Figure 1. These data are also considered in funding decisions for roadway maintenance and improvement. Located on the eastern periphery of the Village, Route 9A experiences the highest AADT volumes with an estimate of over 33,500. Route 9 follows with the second highest volume estimates: the South Highland Avenue portion of Route 9 registers a slightly higher AADT estimate at over 19,000 while 3 North Highland Avenue estimates are slightly less with 18,441. Table 6.1 summarizes the AADT volume estimates of the top ten highest trafficked roadways in the Village.6 Table 3: Streets with Highest Average Annual Daily Traffic Street Traffic Volume 1. Route 9A (Briarcliff‐Peekskill Pkwy.) 33,503 2. Route 9 (S Highland Ave.) 19,235 3. Route 9 (N Highland Ave.) 18,441 4. Croton Ave. 13,367 5. Pleasantville Rd. 13,010 6. Route 133 8,579 7. Underhill Rd. 5,980 8. Campwoods Rd. 5,645 9. Main St. 5,477 10. Emwilton Pl. 5,375 Source: NYSDOT Traffic Data Viewer (2016) 6.4 Roadway Jurisdiction (Figure 2) Within the Village’s limits, the entirety of Route 9, Route 9A, and Route 134 are maintained by NYSDOT. State maintenance jurisdiction of Route 133 / Croton Avenue ceases at its intersection with Pleasantville Road. West of this intersection, roadway maintenance of Croton Avenue is the Village’s responsibility. Notably, as with all State Routes within the Village, the entirety of Route 133 (Croton Avenue) that connects to downtown is eligible for Federal aid. Westchester County roadway maintenance jurisdiction in the Village is limited to Ryder Avenue and a very small segment of Pleasantville Road on the Village’s eastern limits (Figure 2). The Village assumes maintenance of the majority of remaining roadways, with the exception of private residential communities and private establishments such as Sing Sing Correctional Facility. 6.5 Traffic Safety Crash analysis was conducted to identify high occurrence locations and to depict related safety implications.