BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. Briarcliff Manor officials are hoping to get nearly $500,000 in federal aid to make the intersection that leads to Todd Elementary School safer for the community.
The Briarcliff Manor Board of Trustees agreed last week to apply to the New York State Department of Transportation for a Safe Routes To School grant of $478,000 to improve the area of Pleasantville and Ingham roads. The grant program provides federal funding to -roads around kindergarten- through eighth-grade schools to encourage children to walk and bicycle to school, according to village records.
Mayor William Vescio said officials wanted to apply for the grant to encourage more students to walk to school, not because the intersection was unsafe.
The intersection is not in failure, Vescio said during the boards meeting. The intersection functions as it was designed so you cant say its a hazardous condition. But it can be improved.
Trustee Lori Sullivan agreed.
The intersection is not failing. Its not hazardous, theres nothing wrong with it, Sullivan said during the meeting. Its the increased congestion during school opening and school closing that were willing to help the school district to obtain financing to help the traffic flow and encourage more children to walk.
If the village is successful in obtaining the grant, the project would need to be completed within five years in order to qualify for the full reimbursement, according to village records. Board members also agreed to enter into negotiations with the Briarcliff School District for an inter-municipal agreement prior to submitting the grant application.
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