Speaking at an outdoor news conference in New Rochelle on June 3, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced that $15M in funding has been included in the county’s capital budget for the Complete Streets Municipal Assistance Program. Local communities are being invited to apply for funding to pay for up to 50% of project costs for Complete Streets Projects on municipal roadways.
Complete Streets projects can include the design and construction of features such as sidewalks, bicycle lanes, bus lanes, rod crossings, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, and associated streetscape treatments. Municipalities can apply for funding up to the Sept. 19 deadline and ask the county to help play for design and construction, or construction only.
Jenkins said, “Complete Streets is an approach to planning, designing and building streets that prioritizes the needs of all road users, including the most vulnerable, like pedestrians and cyclists. Complete Streets projects often require a collaboration between various stakeholders including local governments and transportation agencies, and we are confident that by providing the opportunity for municipalities to apply for this funding, we will create more vibrant and walkable communities throughout Westchester.”
Westchester County Planning Commissioner Blanca Lopez noted that staff members from the county’s Planning Department spent significant time last year speaking with municipalities about their community initiatives and goals, and many of them intended to implement Complete Streets policies.
County Planning Board Member Rob Baron warned that vehicles on the streets in Westchester as elsewhere are now bigger and heavier than ever.
“Those of us outside them — walking, bicycling, standing on the sidewalks or at Bee Line Bus stops, even riding in smaller cars — are in danger,” Baron aid. “County funding of Complete Streets in our communities can help protect us from this threat.”
New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert spoke at the news conference and said, “In New Rochelle, we’re committed to building a city where every resident and visitor feels safe, welcome, and connected. Our Complete Streets and Pedestrian Crossing Improvement Plan is central to that vision. By designing streets that work for everyone, from pedestrians to cyclists to drivers, we’re creating a more navigable and inviting city.”
