Friends & Businesses Report Drivers Defying Basic Driving Laws By Going Around Stopped Cars At Crosswalks

The crosswalk at Zora Dora’s and Flora Good Times, where drivers headed eastbound (toward the mountain) increasingly go around cars in front of them who are stopped at the crosswalk to let a person pass.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

For this article, I am breaking the 4th wall and writing in the first person because this latest experience regarded my 9 year old son, but I know that business owners encounter their own near death experiences in Main Street daily. Therefore, two business contacts have been interviewed for this article, which you can read below.

Chronic Anti-Crosswalk Double Yellow Line Crossing Drivers

Willow Street and Main Street has become a regular spot for cars to do illegal U-Turns in, and now is a regular spot for people to drive around cars stopped at the crosswalk across from Zora Dora’s.

Cars coming from this direction (eastbound, toward the mountain) are increasingly going around cars in front of them who have stopped to let pedestrians cross the crosswalks.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Last Friday, a friend called to tell me that they had seen my son almost get hit by a car who had sped around them as they stopped at the crosswalk at Zora Dora’s to let my son cross. This behavior has increased at Willow Street and Main Street, which is where M+T Bank is.

My son was on his bike in the crosswalk at Zora Dora’s. He was correctly inched into the crosswalk on his bike to be seen. My friend stopped for him. The car behind my friend decided that he did not want to wait for a car who had stopped at a crosswalk, and he went around the law-abiding car on the left, crossing over the double yellow line illegally.

“He sped around me,” the good driver said. “Like, not even slowing down to pass with a blinker or anything. I put my arm out and blew my horn. The oncoming car went through the crosswalk too as your son was waiting to cross.”

Businesses Speak Out About “Reckless Free Range Drivers”

Not all drivers in Beacon are bad. Not all reckless drivers are tourists. Some are locals. We see you! Whoever you are, business owners see you too, as they try to do their jobs, and…live.

Beacon Bread is located at the end of Willow Street, and has a front row seat to constant U-Turning, and double yellow line crossing for impatient drivers. Kerry Soeller is the manager at Beacon Bread and Ziatun, and had this to say about her daily experience walking on Main Street to service both restaurants:

“Getting hit by a person passing a stopped car happens often to me at the Willow crosswalk and the Elm crosswalks SEVERAL times a day (I’m not joking, it’s excessive). ”

— Kerry Soeller, Manager Beacon Bread Company and Ziatun

“Getting hit by a person passing a stopped car happens often to me at the Willow crosswalk and the Elm crosswalks SEVERAL times a day (I’m not joking, it’s excessive).

“I thought the new signage would help, but I think it takes eyes off the road, where people are trying to pop out slowly behind cars because one step out and you can get clipped regardless. I am even a nervous driver anticipating that step out by pedestrians.

“I can’t speak much for the rest of my team, but I walk between Beacon Bread and Ziatun sometimes 10 times a day. More by Ziatun, I’ve experienced a handful of passing cars that almost hit me while I’m crossing over the last two years. Not sure if they think the cars that stopped for me originally were maybe trying to parallel park. And that’s really frightening, especially if I am carrying food or equipment back and forth.

“I’m all for marking the crosswalks bolder/brighter so when you’re looking at the road in front of you, it’s visible someone may be crossing on a CROSSWALK lol.”

The City of Beacon was scheduled to repaint the crosswalks on Main Street, but canceled in October, citing rain. They had wanted to repave Main Street and repaint at the same time.

Corinne Bryson, the owner of Flora Good Times, is another example of someone who is on foot a lot, and encounters near misses. Just last month, as I was pulling out of Willow Street to turn left onto Main Street (always nerve wracking because it’s hard to time with cars coming in both directions, plus pedestrians in the crosswalk when turning left), I saw Corinne start to cross the street as I was pulling out. I stopped and waited for her, but she was giving serious side-eye to another vehicle. I thought her sight was set on me, so I reached out to apologize. Her response: “I was actually peeved the the person behind the eastbound car that stopped for me to cross. The car behind began honking at the car in front that stopped for me to cross. So rude!”

Just to make sure we’re clear - what has been happening is when vechicles stop at crosswalks, sometimes the vehicle behind them honks impatiently, and are mad that the stopped vehicle is following the law. Or being a nice person. It’s really embarrassing when it happens, especially when I stop for parallel parkers, to give them space and patience. The car behind me will beep at me. I fear that the parker thinks it’s me beeping at them.

Ah well. Guess you don’t want to drive behind me, because I stop a lot! I also sometimes don’t see people if they are behind a parked car at the crosswalk corner. Additionally, I have to remember to go slow. I do like to drive, and it’s easy to step on it once the car starts and good music is playing.

Broadly, there are a lot of courteous drivers out there. If anything, hopefully this article and others in ALBB’s Traffic series serves as awareness nuggets to help keep all of our awarenesses sharp.

Woman Dies After Being Hit By Car While Crossing Teller Avenue at Main Street

Last week, the worst fear for any driver and any pedestrian happened, when a car turning left through a crosswalk hit a person in the crosswalk. Any driver knows that they can have a blind spot in their car for that angle, or the sun can be shining in their eyes at that time of day, or a number of other factors. Pedestrians want to be able to cross the street according to signals and traffic law, but have grown to become defensive walkers as traffic becomes unpredictable in Beacon.

The Beacon Police Department issued a press release stating that a woman was hit by a car on Teller Avenue while in the cross walk at Main Street, where she later died of her injury(ies). This intersection is near the Yankee Clipper Diner, gas station, Kennedy Fried Chicken, Beacon Pantry, and the Veterans Memorial Building. The road is called Teller Avenue when headed to Wolcott/9D, and is called Fishkill Avenue when headed further out in Beacon and becomes Rte. 52 after Memorial Park. The Highlands Current was the first to report it.

As stated in the press release written by Detective Jason Johnson:

On Wednesday December 1, 2021 at approximately 03:15pm, the City of Beacon Police responded to the intersection of Main Street and Teller Avenue for an accident involving a Vehicle vs Pedestrian. The female pedestrian was treated on scene by the City of Beacon Fire Department and transported to St. Luke's Hospital by Mobile Life. She was later transferred to Westchester Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a Jeep Wrangler was stopped for a red light on Main Street facing Westbound. The pedestrian was standing on the corner of Main Street and Teller Avenue waiting to cross the street Eastbound. When the traffic light turned green, the pedestrian began crossing the street in the crosswalk and the operator of the Jeep made a left hand turn from Main Street onto Teller Avenue striking the pedestrian in the roadway.

An investigation determined that neither impairment nor speed was a factor. No further information will be released at this time.

To giver perspective, this means that the Jeep Wrangler was headed westbound toward the river when turning left, and the walker was headed eastbound toward the mountain, on the side of the street as the Yankee Clipper Diner. There are electronic crosswalk signals at that intersection, which beep and talk, telling a person when the lights change and it is their turn to start walking. The street name is announced when the light changes and the crosswalk is programmed to indicate it is safe to cross. When a pedestrian is crossing the road, a vehicle needs to stop and wait to let them cross.

Also stated when publishing their press release to Facebook, the department added a note: “The Beacon Police Department asks that you keep both families in your thoughts during this extremely difficult time.”

On Friday, ALBB has asked Detective Johnson and Lieutenant Figlia of the the Beacon Police Department for any data they have on pedestrians being hit by cars in the last few years in Beacon; if the driver of the Jeep stopped after hitting the person, which is implied in the press release, but not confirmed; and what usually happens after an accident. Should we get a response, this article will be updated.

UPDATE 4:30pm 12/6/2021: Readers have commented in Instagram with comments that may be useful here:
@lizziert: “So terrible. I hope the city will roll out Leading Pedestrian Intervals (lights programmed to give pedestrians 3-7 second head start when crossing) and other pedestrian safety solutions.”

@firstrun: “Ah, my sister was seriously injured when she was hit by a car at the same intersection.”

So awful!! Sending healing thoughts to everyone reeling from this tragedy.

@janetmelissa: “So awful!! Sending healing thoughts to everyone reeling from this tragedy. Just FYI…the pedestrian lights were out at that intersection for some time. Idk if they’ve recently been repaired…but that makes an already dangerous crosswalk even more difficult for pedestrians to safely navigate! I would also love to see lights or an all-way stop put in at the intersection btwn Teller, 9D, and Sargent. It’s a death trap and kids cross there from school!”

@vaclavs_hovel: “This is terrible. The other day I used a crosswalk as one is supposed to, and someone drove behind me anyway as I crossed and called me an asshole. Don’t know if they are old beacon, new beacon, or visitors, it is just wrong to ignore these rules.”

@brianne_mcd11: “I just witnessed someone waiting to turn left into Memorial Park and the person behind them was so impatient that they pulled onto the sidewalk to pass them.”

@jax.yoon “😢 TBH, speed bumps are the only effective solution here. Leave no choice but to slow down.”

Below are pictures of the intersection of Teller Ave/Fishkill Ave and Main Street.

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Beacon Gets New Bright Yellow Crosswalk Signs

Beacon’s Main Street has been getting attention from Mayor Lee Kyriacou’s administration. From real estate zoning overhauls to street signage, some changes have been made. Most recently, the sidewalk “bump-outs” which are the circular extensions into the street that the City Administrator Chris White argues, during recent City Council meetings, will reduce traffic speeds, and act as a benefit to emergency vehicles who can now drive over them when turning a tight corner. Additionally, he said, a car may not be parked so close to the street corner, now that the bump-outs are there, making turning easier, with one less parked vehicle in the way.

Once the cement set on all of the bump-outs, new signage went in. Namely, yellow crosswalk signs. Hurrah! But no new painted cross-walk lines were done, as paving of Main Street was scheduled for October, but was canceled in November.

According to a press release on the City of Beacon’s website: “The City has also been investing in pedestrian and cyclist safety throughout the City. Immediately upon taking office in 2020, Mayor Kyriacou formed a Main Street Access Advisory Committee made up of residents. The Committee was instrumental in the upcoming installation of stop signs and way finding signage along the Main Street corridor.”

It is unknown at this time what project or budget line item the crosswalks were part of, as the Main Street Access Advisory Committee leader Stowe Boyd indicated that these particular crosswalk signs were not part of their first phase of new signage that aims to make finding one’s way around Beacon easier. Their focus was on adding street signs to intersections were no street signs exist, stop signs along Main Street intersections, and better free parking signs for municipal lots.

Colleen Pillus, Communication Director for the Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro confirmed that the bump-outs were federally funded, and could not confirm source of funding for the crosswalk signs. Sometimes sidewalk or street sign projects come from different grant funds from federal or county budgets, and in our reporting, we like to indicate which ones.

Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White did not respond to ALBB’s questions seeking funding or design confirmation on the bump-outs. Perhaps you can find out?

Questions that were sent to City Administrator Chris last week:

1. When and if did Beacon apply for federal funds for the bump-outs?

2. What were the start and end dates of the project?

3. Can you send the final design for the bump-outs that were approved by the City of Beacon and were submitted to the people creating the bump-outs?

4. What if any accessibility expert was used as a resource for designing the bump-outs?

5. Who paved the bump-outs? What company and were any city employees involved in any aspect? If so, which ones?

6. The yellow cross-walk signs that were recently installed: where did that funding come from? What company installed them or were they installed by city employees?

If you have positive or negative experience with crossing Main Street with the new bump-outs and/or yellow crosswalk signs, let us know in the comments below.

Going The Speed Limit Has Become So Offensive, A Bumper Sticker To Dialogue Was Created

In A Little Beacon Blog’s recent series of articles on selfish, law-breaking driving that includes people crossing the double yellow line, going around school buses, crossing the white line, etc., this bumper sticker was spotted out in the wild. It reads: “Speed GPS Monitored. Thank You For Your PATIENCE”

Note that PATIENCE is in all caps.

At the beginning of the 2021/2022 the school year in September, Mayor Lee Kyriacou along with Police Chief Sands Frost announced that the Beacon Police Department will be implementing a Back-to-School Traffic Safety Campaign through the month of September. The announcement stated that the Police Department will "deploy increased traffic enforcement patrols at key locations to ensure that students of all ages are able to safely travel to and from school."

The announcement stressed that there "will be stepped up patrols, and tickets will be issued for violations including passing buses, speeding, not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, making U-Turns on Main Street, and not obeying traffic control signal and devices."

School does continue after the initial first month, all the way into June. It is not known if this initiative has been continued into other months. A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the Beacon Police Department to find out, and to see if they keep data on and can release statistics on any enforcement of traffic violations, like U-Turns, crossing over the yellow or white lines, speeding, passing school buses, etc. If we get a response, this article will be updated.

Readers have started commenting on ALBB’s double yellow line article, “Double Yellow Line Crossing Is Illegal, Rude, Really Bad, Horrible - Just Stop”, with recent stories from November that include:

nicole__tori: “Some a-hole crossed the double line today as a mini school bus was coming the opposite way. It was a very close call as they passed over the double yellow played chicken with the school bus and then cut the the driver off in front of them. Small oldish gray car.”

wellnessformakers: “So true, I can’t believe how fast drivers go on Verplanck near the Middle School. Especially while so many students walk to school and have to cross such a busy road at the light without a crossing guard. What’s the rush?”

glassoverboard: “Not just Beacon. This happens every where. I was in Newburgh local road speed 30mph and a car went over the double sided line passed by only to stopped by the red light and I was behind me.”

Of course, with more enforcement comes personal encounters with police and citizens. After 2021's racial reawakening, those encounters have more scrutiny on equal enforcement, and communication style during an encounter.

Double Yellow Line Crossing Is Illegal, Rude, Really Bad, Horrible - Just Stop

Finding people’s stories of how some people drive like they are the only people on the road is very easy. Lots of people see impatient maniacs every day. Just today, while driving from Beacon to Glenham at 8:30am on Old Glenham Road, a small SUV was driving the speed limit, followed by a black sedan, who wasn’t having it. The black sedan was tailing the small SUV, who casually just kept driving like a normal person. Presumably to Glenham Elementary school (which, it ended up, was where they were going).

The sedan couldn’t take the 30 mph speed limit, and passed the small SUV by crossing the double yellow line. This was just before passing Laby’s Pizzeria, where the sedan raced to turn right, after passing the small SUV across the double yellow line.

The small SUV also turned right seconds later, albeit calmly. The two vehicles drove down the road, and the sedan had stopped to turn right at the beautiful creek view over the bridge across from Petticoat Lane. The sedan who broke the law had gained no time by passing the small SUV, who by then, turned left down Petticoat Lane, and into the Glenham Elementary kid-drop off, which has its own situation and requires total 100% acceptance of calmness to surrender as cars and buses sit in the road, waiting to advance. Morning coffee of course, makes people a little jumpy. Self-summoned zen-vibes are key to a golden morning.

Common Double Yellow Line Crossing In Beacon

Just don’t. Drivers breaking the law and endangering others are locals and visitors. Here’s what happens on the regular on Main Street. There are often no painted lines on the back-roads and side streets. But this even happens near Sargent Elementary school on soccer mornings as parents rush to get to a game, and drive around each other.

• Pedestrian Crossing: A person is crossing the street at a cross-walk. A car has stopped. The car behind it beeps at the car in front of it, angry that the first car is letting the person pass. Sometimes, that second vehicle drives around the first stopped vehicle, and crosses the double yellow line.

• School Bus Stops For Kids: The Beacon City School District routes buses to drop off kids at street corners. Could be a group of kids, or one kid. On Cross and Verplanck, at 4:10pm, a bus was approaching one such stop. The bus driver put on the yellow flashers, put out the red stop sign, and a tiny Pre-K kid started to step down the stairs to get off the bus. Two cars drove around the bus as this happened. No cars stopped going the other way. It was chaotic as not one person recognized that the bus was letting out a child. Rather, they recognized, but didn’t care. Normally at that time, a weekday at 4:10pm on Verplanck, the traffic is local.

• Parallel Parking: It’s annoying to stop and wait for someone to park. Even worse, it is for the person doing the parallel parking, if they can’t do it. Their nerves are on over-drive, as they feel the pressure from the people waiting behind them, and sometimes in the other oncoming lane if their car is nosing over the double yellow. Which is why passing them - whizzing by them in anger - is even worse. Don’t pass people over the double yellow line when they are parallel parking. Just wait. I know it’s hard. I do it too.

• Even WORSE: Is if a person is waiting for the parker to finish parking, and the car behind is so impatient, that they jut around both cars to pass on the double yellow. If you do this, you have a greater chance of hitting a person who took that moment of paused traffic to cross the street. Get patience. Don’t go around stopped cars.

Readers Respond

Some readers have responded with their own stories recently:

nicole__tori: “Some a-hole crossed the double line today as a mini school bus was coming the opposite way. It was a very close call as they passed over the double yellow played chicken with the school bus and then cut the the driver off in front of them. Small oldish gray car.”

wellnessformakers: “So true, I can’t believe how fast drivers go on Verplanck near the Middle School. Especially while so many students walk to school and have to cross such a busy road at the light without a crossing guard. What’s the rush?”

glassoverboard: “Not just Beacon. This happens every where. I was in Newburgh local road speed 30mph and a car went over the double sided line passed by only to stopped by the red light and I was behind me.”

Yes, Crossing Over The White Line Is Still Illegal - And Dangerous For People In Wheelchairs and Walking

The temperature is rising for people driving in Beacon, as tolerance from those walking, biking, or wheel-chairing is waning as drivers speed and disregard simple traffic rules. Reckless, selfish driving is on the fault of both local Beaconites, those from Hudson Valley communities passing through or doing business here, as well as visitors from further south who have their New York City vibes on when driving. As a former driver and resident of New York City, driving in order to survive the streets of NYC requires speeding and aggression. However, that style does not fly in Beacon or any town.

Locals need to listen up also. Driving from Beacon to Glenham on a daily basis has been an eye opening experience. Driving in Beacon has always been stressful, as people pass on the left (around a double yellow line) as well as around the white line. Crossing the white line is illegal, as confirmed by a Beacon police officer answering intake calls at the desk.

On Business Route 52, just outside of Beacon past the dog park, tire station, and the expansive Healey dealership, passing on the right is common if someone is turning left into the Family Dollar, for instance. However, people commonly walk on the narrow sidewalk or road space in between the white line. These people include senior residents with rolling walkers, senior residents rolling themselves in wheelchairs, students, employees of the Healey dealership, and anyone out for a leisurely stroll along a busy road.

Crossing the white line is illegal. Everyone does it - as it is very apparent on 9D on the way out of Beacon into Wappingers and up to Poughkeepsie. When passing the Chelsea apartments, if someone is turning left anywhere along 9D, people usually cross over the white line to pass.

To not pass a car waiting to turn left usually results in impatient drivers behind one’s vehicle, who will pass the white line from further behind, thereby surprising other stopped vehicles.

It is unknown how to stop this behavior, since usually people don’t blatantly break the law in front of a parked police car stationed there to enforce the law.

Main Street Not Getting Paved Despite Early Pulling Of Parklets From Restaurants

Last year in the Fall, diners at restaurants were eating in the newfangled “parklets,” which were the borders of bright orange Jersey barriers outside of restaurants. These barriers created a safe-ish space for people to eat outside of restaurants in parking spaces, thereby adding seating to a restaurant and an opportunity for restaurants to earn more money during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a virus passed primarily through the air, making outside spaces the safest. Last year, restaurants were getting crafty with what kind of heating units they were going to provide their patrons.

This year, Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White pulled the parklets in late September, citing scheduled milling and paving that was to be done on Main Street. Indeed, Beacon has been investing in infrastructure such as paved roads and seeking grants for new sidewalks for a number of years. Restaurant owners were already fearful of when the parklets were going to disappear, while some members of the community were bothered by the parklets for beauty reasons, and fear of car accidents, due to Beacon’s increasing reputation for speeding down Main Street, and any street around town.

Announced at the 11/1/2021 City Council Meeting, Main Street will indeed not get paved this year after all. City Administrator Chris stated: “The planned milling and paving of Main Street has been moved to next Spring. Because of all of the rain we have had recently, the contractors who are lined up to do the the milling and paving can't give us dates until late November, and then we run into the problem of getting into cold weather, in which the new striping won't set. Rather than rush it and not have the best job done, we will do April or early May.”

While the City Administrator said that the bump out project will be completed at South Avenue and Wolcott, it seems as though new cross-walk painting will not happen for the new location of bump-outs, which are the new side-walk extensions presumably for more accessible wheelchair use and pedestrian crossing. Currently, some of the new bump-out extensions do not match up with old cross-walks.

Some side-streets, such as South Chestnut Street, have been newly paved, with new bump-outs added. Several new bright yellow cross-walk signs have been added along Main Street as well, aiding in visual signals drivers get when zooming down the road.

Video Of The Drive On Matteawan Road Past Fishkill Correctional Facility That Is Partially Closed Now - The Experience

As of November 1, 2021, the Fishkill Correctional Facility partially closed their part of Matteawan Road between the Beacon High School and Business Route 52, seemingly without defining their reason to either the City of Beacon or the Beacon City School District (BCSD), as indicated by Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White, during the 10/25/2021 City Council Workshop Meeting when he stated that the City was not informed of the partial closure until October 18, 2021, and in the City of Beacon’s Resolution urging reconsideration of the partial closure until solutions are found. The story was first reported on here.

He also stated during the 11/1/2021 City Council Meeting that the City was not informed that the Beacon City School District buses succeeded in becoming exempt from the closure, and could continue their routes. Some in the community who are district families learned that news from the school district’s Superintendent Matt Landahl, as he robo-emailed/texted families to remind them of the new change in the partial road closure.

Over the course of this developing story, Beaconites of various ages have chimed in in social media to say that they remember the road being partially closed in years past by guards, who either restricted access, or asked for identifying information of drivers.

Pedestrians who walk, hike or jog through these grounds note the beauty - despite the fact that it is a correctional facility with personal struggles and achievements going on behind the tall walls and barbed wire. Pedestrians have usually been told to leave the property, sometimes much to their chagrin (or odd excitement…again…despite that the property is a correctional facility).

So that everyone can know or remember what the route looks and drives like, A Little Beacon Blog took a drive down the pass-through before it closed to the public. As Beacon’s City Administrator stated during a City Council Meeting and in Beacon’s Resolution, Matteawan Road is owned by 3 entities: DOCCS (New York State Department Of Corrections and Community Supervision), the City of Beacon, and the Town of Fishkill (where Matteawan Road intersects with Business Route 52 and is called Prospect Street.

The speed limit on this section of the road is 30 mph. The vehicle in this video is driving 20 mph, because anything higher felt too fast. Certainly a civilian car was tailing the vehicle for going under the speed limit, as people who drive in Beacon tend to be impatient.

The intersection where Matteawan Road becomes Prospect Street at Business Route 52 is a very tight turn right, and a Hope-I-Don’t-Die turn when turning left. Just a few weeks ago, there was an accident near that intersection. With so many parents and buses picking up and dropping off, in addition to a shift change for the Correctional Facility at around 3pm, chances for an accident increase no matter if public traffic is decreased on Prospect Street or not. The regular driving on Business Route 52 is too fast and consistent for that angle of a turn, as it is a business route. Turning in either direction is a risk, as it is not often that there is a break in traffic.

A red/green traffic light may help that intersection no matter if the road remains partially closed or not.

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Read This: City Of Beacon Urges Reconsideration Of Partial Matteawan Road Closure By Fishkill Correctional Facility >

Read This: Permanent Road Closure Of Matteawan Road At Fishkill Correctional Facility - Will Impact School Bus Routes >

City of Beacon Urges Reconsideration of Partial Matteawan Road Closure By Fishkill Correctional Facility

The week that the Beacon City School District announced to families that the part of Matteawan Road that passes through the Fishkill Correctional Facility after the Beacon High School, and intersects with Business Route 52 (at which point, it is called Prospect Street), would be closed to the public on November 1, 2021, the The City of Beacon’s Administrator Chris White announced at a public City Council Workshop Meeting (at 1:19:00) that the City strongly urged the Fishkill Correctional Facility to reconsider the partial road closure, to start a dialogue to form a better plan, and to support Assemblyman Jacobson’s efforts to allow school bus routes at the very least until solutions could be found.

According to Administrator Chris, the City of Beacon was first informed on October 18, 2021 by the Superintendent of the Fishkill Correctional Facility that the part of Matteawan Road passing the facility would be closed to the public on November 1, 2021. In response, Administrator Chris prepared a resolution of the City’s urging of a reconsideration.

The proposed resolution to be signed during tonight’s public City Council Meeting can be found here. Today, November 1, 2021, which is the start of the partial road closure to the public, Beacon City School’s Superintendent Landahl sent a notice to district families that buses will continue running through Mattweawan Road near the Fishkill Correctional Facility, but reminded families that that part of the road is closed to the public. There has been no announcement to Beacon residents of the road block via robo-call, text, or website posting, other than the mention of it during last week’s City Council Meeting.

In providing context for Beacon’s position on the closure, Administrator Chris stated:

“Mattawean Road runs through the City of Beacon and the Town of Fishkill. It goes past the Fishkill Correctional Facility. The Town owns a piece of the road near Prospect Street that feeds in. Then the prison owns a large part of it, and then the City owns the rest of it.

“We had heard rumors from the School District that the Fishkill Correctional Facility was going to close that road as of November 1st. We only received a call on October 18th, which was the first official notification that the City was given, that the road was going to be closed permanently in less than 2 weeks.

“We have been in touch with Superintendent and our state representatives. I know that Assemblyman Jacobson's office is working diligently to try to exempt buses which would be severely disrupted if that closed. We thought we would support - I put this together because I thought it important to support our state delegation's effort to delay the implementation of this so we can do some planning, to exempt buses at the very least, and to begin a real dialogue between the Town of Fishkill, Beacon City School District, and the City of Beacon.

“There has been no planning or traffic modeling to look at what the impacts were. I would say this strongly recognizes their right and their necessity to secure their facility. Nobody is questing that. The way that we do it, though, is important. We think we can thread that needle so that it's not as disruptive to the traffic going into Rombout and the High School.”

Covered In The Proposed Resolution

Included in the City of Beacon’s Resolution, spearheaded by Administrator Chris, is the point that, for years, “Matteawan Road serves as a connection between the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon and is an important street access from Fishkill Avenue to the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School.” In response ALBB’s article announcing this partial road closure last week, former City Councilperson Ali T. Muhammad, who grew up walking to Beacon school in that area, recalled when that part of the road was temporarily closed: “Grew up there, sounds awful. Last time it was shut down was due to 9/11. Good luck.”

The resolution points out that the closure to the public is “during the daytime.” The resolution makes sure to state the City of Beacon’s dissatisfaction with not being consulted by the Fishkill Correctional Facility prior to their decision: “City of Beacon recognizes the necessity and right of DOCCS and the Fishkill Correctional Facility to secure their grounds, including this section of road, the City is concerned that it and other major stakeholders, including the Beacon City School District, were not consulted on the closure and received insufficient notice to allow for traffic safety modifications and adjustment that might need to be implemented as a result of the change to traffic patterns in and around Matteawan Road.”

The City of Beacon cited concern for where traffic would increase due to the partial closure of Mattawean Road, stating that it “would create traffic and pedestrian safety issues at key intersections in the City of Beacon, including Verplanck Avenue and Matteawan Road, Wilkes Street and Matteawan Road, and at access roads through Memorial Park, which now may be used as a cut-through for motorists.”

The resolution pointed out the effort required to properly answer the partial road closure: “Any adjustments to the traffic control signage in the area will take the City a period of at least several months to assess needed modification and adopt revisions to the City Code for such modifications, which require a public hearing and adoption of a local law amending the City Code, and the City received less than two weeks’ notice of the impending partial road closure without any prior traffic safety planning by the Facility or coordination with the City.”

The City of Beacon is asking for a pausing of the partial road closure, and a commitment to work together on solutions moving forward “with a immediate establishment of a working committee to coordinate with Fishkill Correctional Facility on this matter, including the following key stakeholders: the City of Beacon, Town Town of Fishkill, and Beacon City School District in order to consider potential alternatives, and if necessary, properly plan for the impact that a partial closure of Matteawan Road would create.

Beacon’s resolution would then be sent to Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senator Sue Serino, Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson, DOCCS Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci, and Fishkill Correctional Facility Superintendent Edward Burnett.

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Read This: Video Of The Drive On Matteawan Road Past Fishkill Correctional Facility That Is Partially Closed Now - The Experience >

Read This: Permanent Road Closure Of Matteawan Road At Fishkill Correctional Facility - Will Impact School Bus Routes >

Road Closures In Beacon Start Now For Milling And Paving

Roads in various parts of Beacon will be closed for milling and paving. The City of Beacon has posted a road closure schedule that shows dates from September 30, 2021 - October 6, 2021. Families with children at South Avenue Elementary received a phone call today from new Principal Daniel Glenn that parents should be aware of the road closure, as it is a main route for car drop-offs and “walkers” (aka kids who walk or bike to school).

A screenshot of the schedule has been published below:

Screenshot of the City of Beacon’s posted road closures for milling and paving.

Friday Afternoon Car Accident On Main Street (August 6th) Near Mr. V's, Cafe Amarcord and Ama Enoteca

On Friday, August 6, 2021, at approximately 2:45pm according to a witness, there was a car accident on Main Street at South Brett Street, in between the restaurants Enoteca Ama and Café Amacord, where at least one person was placed onto a stretcher.

Of the two cars involved pictured here, the front left side of the BMW small SUV was collided into. The front of the GMC small SUV was collided into, and its trunk is bent.

Two cars from a car accident on August 6, 2021. The front left side of the BMW pictured has been collided into.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Two cars from a car accident on August 6, 2021. The front of the GMC pictured has been collided into, and the hood is bent.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Neither restaurant has parklets (outdoor dining areas barricaded by water-filled orange barricades which are very heavy), though there is one up the street at the Royal Crepes. There are no new sidewalk “bump-outs,” which are wheelchair accessible ramps designed to go into the street to help pedestrians be seen safely while trying to cross the street. The City of Beacon has been experiencing the installation of the bump-outs at various intersections on Main Street all summer, funded by Dutchess County.

This intersection is known to be a difficult one for pedestrians and vehicles turning in either direction from South Brett Street onto Main Street.

This is not the first accident on Main Street this year, but is the second one A Little Beacon Blog has written about. An earlier accident happened on Mother’s Day Sunday afternoon 2021, where two vehicles collided into each other, and spun around to hit parked cars, land on a 6 year old child, and knock down his grandmother, who were walking on the sidewalk in front of Subway.

Beacon Police vehicles have been seen parked at various spots on Main Street including in the driveway of the apartment complex behind Mountain Tops, as well as in the Mobile gas station across Eliza Street at the 344 Main Street building. A pair of Beacon Police Officers have also been seen regularly walking Main Street.

ALBB has emailed and phoned the Beacon Police Department regarding this accident and is awaiting details. This article will be updated should those details arrive.

Beacon Police, Fire Department and EMT responders working at the scene of the car accident on Main Street at South Brett, near Mr. V’s Deli.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Newburgh to Beacon Ferry Will Run Again! CARES Act + American Rescue Plan Act Earmarked For MTA

MTA MONEY FROM FEDERAL GOVT SINCE PANDEMIC
Rep. Maloney voted to pass the CARES Act in March of last year, which generated funding for different sectors, some of which the MTA is receiving:

$4.35 billion via The CARES Act: Allocated $4.35 billion to New York in Transportation Funds. $3.8 billion of those funds went exclusively to the MTA.

$6 billion via The American Rescue Plan Act: The American Rescue Plan Act, which Rep. Maloney voted to pass in February, dedicated over $6 billion to the MTA.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Metro-North implemented an Essential Service Plan and discontinued service on both ferries. This summer, readers of A Little Beacon Blog have written in to ask if the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry is running (signage and website were not updated), and if it would run again.

This Monday (7/19/2021), the MTA announced that they were reopening the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry, as well as the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry services, scheduled to resume on Monday, August 30, just one day after Metro-North's overall service increase, which will increase train service to 83% of pre-pandemic levels.

“We are so excited to see the region continue to recover, and our weekday ridership has increased steadily all spring and into the summer,” President Rinaldi said. “Our late August service increase will provide even more travel options for people ready to return to the office after Labor Day. Restoring ferry service during weekday peak periods will give our Rockland and Orange County customers returning to work additional options for getting to and from the City and other destinations along Metro-North’s Hudson Line.”

"People are coming back to work and NY Waterway ferries are here to give them a safe, fast and convenient commute. We’re thrilled to restart the Haverstraw-Ossining and Newburgh-Beacon service with Metro-North, and we look forward seeing all our past riders, and many more new ones, back aboard in August," said Armand Pohan, CEO, President and Chairman of NY Waterway.

Funding From CARES Act And American Rescue Plan Act Earmarked For MTA

In an emailed press release, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney highlighted the reinstatement of ferry service between Newburgh and Beacon, where he celebrated “the essential funding he secured for the MTA and Metro-North in the American Rescue Plan and CARES Acts that has enabled service to resume at close to full capacity,” stated in his press release sent Wednesday (7/21/2021).

Said Rep. Maloney: “Folks are going back into the office, and they need safe, reliable, and fast transportation to get there. Getting Metro-North up and running at full capacity is key to New York’s economic recovery,” said Rep. Maloney. “The MTA saw steep declines in ridership, expensive sanitation efforts, and a massive budget shortfall during the pandemic. I worked hard to deliver the funding necessary to help fill that deficit and get operations back to normal. Now, we are seeing the impact of that investment. We’re not at 100% yet, but thanks to the nearly $10 billion I helped secure in Washington, we are getting close.”

The CARES Act, which Rep. Maloney voted to pass in March of last year, allocated $4.35 billion to New York in Transportation Funds. $3.8 billion of those funds went exclusively to the MTA. Amtrak additionally received approximately $1 billion to meet funding needs after a decline of ridership on the Northeast Corridor and long-distance routes due to COVID-19.

The American Rescue Plan Act, which Rep. Maloney voted to pass in February, dedicated over $6 billion to the MTA, as well as $4 million for New York Stewart International Airport.

MTA Announced No Scheduled Fair Hike

Also on Monday, Gothamist reported that the MTA announced that they decided not to impose a previously scheduled and postponed fair hike. From the article:

“The MTA announced Monday that a previously postponed fare hike will not happen at all in 2021. MTA board member Larry Schwartz, who chairs the finance committee and is a close confidante and adviser to Governor Cuomo, said it would be inappropriate to raise fares, during Monday’s MTA committee meetings. Larry was also at the heart of a vaccination question on counties during the spotlight on Cuomo for alleged sexual inappropriateness in the spring of 2021.

“Now is not the time to raise fares,” Schwartz said Monday. “At a time when we need to encourage increasing ridership, raising fares does the opposite.”

After receiving so much money through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act, as spelled out by Rep. Maloney in this week’s press release, it appears that they may not need to add that cost to people.

MTA Timetables For Re-Opening Services

According to the MTA’s 7/19/2021 announcement about the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry, the Augst 30th date is part of their logic on staggered openings. “Upcoming Aug. 29 service increase follows up on service increases reflected in Metro-North's April 12 and June 21 timetables. The April 12 timetables saw the restoration of weekend service to Wassaic and the reopening of the Manitou station, located near Bear Mountain Bridge and Anthony’s Nose. The June 21 timetables added 24 new peak trains on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Lines, bringing the railroad to 67% of its pre-pandemic service levels.”

Schedules for the Haverstraw-Ossining and Newburgh-Beacon ferries will be made available in early August. Perhaps the MTA will also update the printed signage in the Beacon location as well! And perhaps they will consider opening weekend service for trips across the river to visit the sister cities of Beacon and Newburgh!

Beacon Police Department Detective Bureau Issues Press Release After 2-Car Accident On Main Street

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, the Beacon Police Department issued a Press Release regarding some details of the 2-car accident that resulted in both cars colliding in the middle of Main Street, and injuring at least 4 people. The Press Release was emailed by Detective Sergeant Jason Johnson, who stated to his media list that he had been out of the office on Monday, causing a delay in response.

The Press Release is below in full:

On Sunday May 9, 2021 at approximately 4:00pm, City of Beacon Police Officers responded to the intersection of Main Street and North Cedar Street for a report of an auto accident involving a vehicle into a building and an injured child. Upon arrival, it was determined that two vehicles had collided in the intersection and the force of the impact caused one vehicle to strike two unoccupied parked vehicles and the second vehicle to jump the curb coming to rest on the sidewalk. A 6-year-old boy’s foot was trapped underneath a rear tire and numerous bystanders were able to push the vehicle off of his foot. Both drivers along with the child were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries by Beacon Volunteer Ambulance, Phillipstown Volunteer Ambulance and Mobile Life Support Services. An investigation into the accident led to several traffic citations being issued. The City of Beacon Fire Department assisted at the scene.   

Read more about the accident in a full article at A Little Beacon Blog here.

Child + Grandmother Hit On Main Street Sidewalk In Beacon In 2-Car Accident On Sunday

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Photo Credit: Jean Noack

The child who was pinned under the car, and is being treated.
Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

As first reported by Hudson Valley Post, who credited Action News Service for some detail, a mother with her children was walking down Main Street with her own mother and father on Mother’s Day (Sunday), when 2 cars hit each other on Main Street in between the Beacon Public Library and Subway. Both cars completely spiraled upon colliding, with one car doing a 360 onto the sidewalk next to Subway on South Cedar Street, hitting the grandmother, and pinning the 6 year old son, Colby, under it after he had been walking and eating ice cream. His ice cream remained in his hand, but his hat flew onto the car. The boy and the grandmother have injuries and are fine; ALBB has not yet confirmed the condition of the people in the cars.
UPDATE 5/11/2021: The Beacon Police Department Detective Beuro has issued a Press Release with some more detail.

According to a witness at the scene, screaming and shouting started, and a group of people rushed over to the car to lift it off of the boy. According Colby’s mother, Erica Bronner Alti, 5 men rushed over to the car to remove it from her son, a detail she posted to the Beacon, NY Facebook Group to raise awareness about speed on Main Street.

“I’m having a really hard time getting the thought of not seeing them near me and then only seeing his hat before finding them. I can’t shake it.”

— Erica Bronner Alti

Erica’s original post reads as follows: “I am the mother of the child and my mother was hit as well. They are both doing ok. Only bumps and bruises. We are beyond lucky. He was about 6 feet behind me walking with my mom when I saw the first car crash on the other side of Main Street. 10 seconds later I realized a car was on the sidewalk behind me. I did a quick head count seeing my dad and other 2 kids, but didn’t see my mom and 6 year old. I quickly walked around the car that was on the sidewalk and saw my son’s red hat on the trunk with his ice cream thrown on it. I thought the worst of course. We then walked around to find my Mother on the ground but conscious, and my son with the car on his foot. 5 men rushed over to move the car off of him. Amazingly he is a trooper and didn’t even shed a tear. How do we make sure people slow down on the Main Street? Others were eating outside very close to where this happened. Could’ve been much worse.”

Across the street via Main Street is Glazed Over Donuts, which has ample sidewalk space in front of it where people gather to eat their donuts. Across the street via South Cedar Street is Kumon, a tutoring center for children.

Details Of The Car Crash

According to the Hudson Valley Post, a blue Mazda was driving west (toward the river). A white Honda Civic making a left turn onto North Cedar Street from Main Street hit the blue Mazda, as emailed by Action News Service to Hudson Valley Post. The blue Mazda spun around in the middle of Main Street, and hit a parked car in front of the library, according to a witness. In these pictures, the blue Mazda has collision damage on both the left and right side of the front of the vehicle.

A person at the scene remembers seeing a wheel from the blue Mazda “completely torn off the car.”

A man presumed to be the driver of the blue Mazda was seen sitting on the ground rocking his head moments after the impact, according to a witness. He was later taken by an ambulance. A witness also said that police searched through his trunk and rear of the car, removing things from the vehicle. ALBB has reached out via email to the Beacon Police Department to confirm, but has not received reply yet, and left a voicemail with Detective Sgt. Johnson, who was the destination of the transfer from the desk officer who receives phone calls.

Upon impact, the white Honda Civic also spun around, and landed on the sidewalk of South Cedar Street, facing Main Street. According to Erica, the white Honda Civic “did a 360 after being hit on the rear passenger side and ended up facing towards Main Street. It bounced off the building or it would have hit all of us.”

The driver of the white Honda Civic was heard by people at the scene to have said that it was not her fault. ALBB has not yet confirmed her condition after the impact.

The rear of the white Honda Civic. A stuffed animal and drips of ice cream can be seen.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Details Of The Boy And Grandmother

The cup of ice cream that the boy was eating. This is sorbet from the Beacon Farmers Market. It was left at the scene, and was still here on Monday.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The grandmother was struck by the white Honda Civic, and the 6 year old’s foot ended up pinned under the tire of the car. According to his mother, he was not pinned to the building, as reported by the Hudson Valley Post. Erica told ALBB: “I found him with the car on top of his foot, and he was laying on the ground next to my mom. He was still holding the emptied ice cream cup. I can’t understand how the ice cream and hat ended up on the back of the car because they were on on the driver’s side.”

A person who was at the scene said they heard a child crying during the accident, saying he had never experienced anything like this. Erica confirmed that child to be her other son. Colby, who was pinned under the car, was calm and “did not shed a tear,” Erica said.

The brown drips that are on the rear driver’s side of the white Honda Civic are ice cream, Erica confirmed.

The white Honda Civic on tow truck.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

What Is The Speed Limit Down Main Street?

After driving Main Street in both directions today (Monday, May 10, 2020), there are no speed limit signs posted anywhere on Main Street.

A Police officer answering the phone at the general number today indicated that he thought that 30 miles per hour was the speed limit.

The speed limit on Wolcott/9D and on Fishkill Avenue/Rte. 52 (by the car dealership) is 30 miles per hour, as indicated on signs posted on those streets.

There are several other signs posted on Main Street, including parking limit signs, bus signs, One Way signs, and other signs.

Is There Traffic Safety Enforcement On Main Street?

Beacon’s Traffic Safety Committee is listed here. As Beacon continues to increase in popularity as a destination town, complaints made while out and about and in social media by locals about the traffic have increased. Beacon’s Mayor Kyriacou recently appointed a new member to Beacon’s Traffic Safety Committee who is a mother in town, and joined because she witnessed an accident at Wolcott and Main Street, and wants to make a difference with actions taken to reduce risk.

A Little Beacon Blog has reached out for comment from Mayor Lee Kyriacou, Chief Sands Frost, and City Administrator Chris White, but has not received a response yet.
UPDATE 5/11/2021: The Beacon Police Department Detective Beuro has issued a Press Release with some more detail.

How Are The People Involved In The Crash Doing?

Erica told ALBB: “My son is ok, the other son, my dad and I have loads of anxiety about it all. My mom has neck pain and big bruises. She said she remembers switching places with my son Colby a few seconds before it happened, putting him on the inside of the sidewalk. She might have saved his life because she got the brunt of it. I’m having a really hard time getting the thought of not seeing them near me and then only seeing his hat before finding them. I can’t shake it.”

If you have more information or photos about this incident, please send to the Beacon police, and to A Little Beacon Blog.

Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Truck Breaks Down For 1 Hour On Main Street During Sunday's Caravan

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Photos submitted by readers. Truck pictured on Main Street was this Sunday, and truck pictured in circle was last Sunday on Rte. 52 across from Fishkill Town Hall while early voters stood in line along the road’s edge.

A truck pulling a metal dumpster container that was part of the caravan of pickup trucks, jeeps, minivans and smaller cars that passed through Beacon last Sunday, broke down during the demonstration for one hour in front of the Post Office, which is in the middle of Main Street and near the Beacon Farmer’s Market. The truck was part of the train of cars that passed through Beacon and Fishkill last week during the first week of early voting.

Onlookers gathered around the vehicle while Beacon police responded to direct traffic around the stalled truck. According to one person who was driving by: “There was a woman screaming at anti-Trump passerby’s saying: ‘Don’t you touch my personal property (pointing at the truck) and don’t (pointing at the police) harass these men.” It is unknown at this time if onlookers were saying anything in exchange or initially. When a person is isolated in the middle of the road with a stationery vehicle, it is always nerve wracking, and can cause lashing out.

Detective Sergeant Jason Johnson confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog that an accident occurred after the truck broke down, and that a street closure was required to help route traffic around the vehicle: “Yes, there was a truck that broke down on Main Street between Veterans Place and Teller Avenue. It was what I would describe as a large roll off dumpster truck. Officers were able to route vehicles around the truck to clear traffic. Due to the size of the truck, several tow companies were contacted and the wait was approximately an hour for the tow truck. Eventually, that block was shut down as the operator was working on the truck. A van was permitted to pass and the operator misjudged and struck the disabled truck. Officers had already routed countless vehicles larger than the van through there with no issues. Luckily, no one was injured.”