To The Editor,
Dec. 4, 2019: I'm sure you feel as irritated as I do when you see a car intentionally cross the double line during busy periods to turn into an open parking space on the other side of the street.
It is not only blatantly illegal to cross a double yellow line for this purpose, but it slows down traffic as the car invariably must back up into other traffic to straighten out. Where were these people during their driver's ed courses when it was clearly taught that this activity is against the law?
Once I personally experienced a driver who was stopped to await the chance to cross the double line and pounce into an opening spot but a car traveling in the proper direction snuck in before she got a chance to make her illegal turn and then got mad at the person taking the spot because she couldn't make her turn!
Well, the time has come to take some action and get the message out that Bronxville does not tolerate this behavior. In a targeted 7-day period recently, the BPD ticketed 176 cars. It is not an easy task to enforce this rule as logistics are challenging, and substantial overtime was incurred.
Parking enforcement officers can not issue these summons, and a police officer must witness the violation him or herself. Drivers who are caught receive a fine and points. Sadly, only a small percentage of these revenues find their way into Bronxville's treasury due to State laws.
I asked Chief Satriale if there were any interesting stories arising from this blitz, but he said not really, most people were quite surprised and not happy.
Our enforcement efforts will not necessarily stop this all-too-common practice from occurring in the future. But it is certainly the right move to at least selectively address annoying and dangerous conduct.
Bill Barton, Bronxville trustee
Editor's note: MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.
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
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Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
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Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400