August 17, 2011: On Kraft Avenue the paving is finished, the street is striped, and the parking places are marked. At the corner of Cedar Street, new traffic lights stand ready for activation. Sensing loops, designed to detect traffic and trip the lights, are embedded in the streets near the intersection.
According to Village Administrator Harold Porr, drivers can expect to see the traffic lights begin functioning sometime around Labor Day. "Once the sensing loops are secure, we'll activate the lights," he said. "We may put them on flash for a short time to test the signals and help motorists acclimate to the new traffic signal."
Porr stated that circulation of traffic on Kraft Avenue and Cedar Street will improve when the traffic signals are fully functioning. "I think people will get accustomed to it. The intersection will be a lot safer," he said. "It has been almost impossible to make a left turn off Cedar Street."
Citing the accomplishment of the village's goals of safety and appearance, Porr commended the vision and work of Rocco Circosta, superintendent of public works, on the lighting and area landscaping.
Porr also said that the village has begun a public discussion to address street lighting concerns on Kraft Avenue and in the business district. The lighting in place downtown reflects the results and recommendations of a study conducted in the 1980s. "This used to be a pretty sleepy village and the softer lighting tones served it fine, but now we've changed. We have a much more vibrant downtown than we've had before. We have a lot more people coming off the trains. We have people coming home from work later than they used to." The village will consider each of those aspects in its plans for lighting the downtown area.
The issues of brightness, energy efficiency, and aesthetics will drive the discussion and decisions about street lighting. Porr said the village must decide how bright the new lighting will be and whether the hours of lighting will increase, and if so, by how much.
He also indicated that the village will consider how much lighting should be in the downtown area. "Probably the most important issue is energy efficiency," he said. "Right now we have incandescent bulbs, probably about as energy inefficient as you can get."
Porr said that the work to come up with the best solution will balance lighting needs with aesthetics and a form of lighting that is more energy efficient and less costly to run. Since aesthetics are important to the village, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy will provide input in an advisory role.
"The discussion about street lighting has already begun," Porr said.
Pictured here: The corner of Kraft Avenue and Cedar Street where work crews completed new paving last week and a new traffic light will soon be activated.
Photo by A. Warner
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400