New traffic routes coming to Haldane campus

Buses and cars will be required to use separate routes for entering and leaving the Haldane campus as part of a pilot program being implemented in April.

Superintendent Gail Duffy and School Board President Peggy Clements explained the changes to the Cold Spring Village Board at its Wednesday (Jan. 28) meeting.

The traffic changes will coincide with a voter-approved, $28 million capital project set to begin this year. A multi-purpose student center, science lab and classrooms will be added to the high school, while improvements at the elementary and middle school will include a student support center and science lab.

"While the architects were developing the plans, they noted that Haldane has an unhealthy mix of car, bus and pedestrian traffic," especially during peak drop-off and pickup times, Duffy said.

In addition, a transportation audit conducted by the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and recommendations from two consultants pointed to the need to address traffic congestion, she said.

Beginning April 13, only buses will be allowed to enter and exit campus via Route 9D, while cars will be required to enter on Cedar Street and exit on upper Craigside Drive, Mountain Avenue and its feeder streets.

"We all know that traffic movement at Haldane is tough," said Mayor Kathleen Foley. "Folks have been thinking for a long time about how to try to make that better and safer."

As part of the pilot, Haldane officials have asked the village to increase police patrols during drop-off and dismissal and shift the crossing guard stationed on Route 301 to Orchard Street.

During the discussion, the Cold Spring Police Department officer-in-charge, Matt Jackson, raised concerns over how the traffic patterns will affect the movement of emergency vehicles, including ambulances stationed on Cedar Street. Village and school officials plan to meet to fine-tune the proposal.

In other business …

Foley praised Robert Downey Jr., the Highway Department crew chief, for his planning and coordination with Putnam County and local contractors before the Jan. 25 snowstorm. She also thanked village workers for the many hours they spent clearing streets.

The board reviewed a proposed letter addressed to the state parks department requesting a public hearing on the the Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, which was released Jan. 7. Trustee Andrew Hall suggested language be added and objected to sending the letter as presented because he said he had only seen the draft the day before.

Hahn Engineering, which serves as the village engineer, was authorized to request proposals for stormwater drainage repairs at the corner of Fishkill and Mountain avenues, necessitated by damage caused by extreme amounts of rainfall during the July 2023 storm. Foley said the intersection is a key area in dealing with stormwater that comes off Bull Hill and flows through the village to the Hudson River. The work, which will be funded in large part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, could begin this spring and is expected to take four to six weeks.

Hahn Engineering will call for proposals to inspect the village dock. The first phase will assess the size boats the dock can handle while phase two will determine if any short- or long-term repairs are needed. The dock was last inspected 15 years ago.

The mayor has asked trustee Tony Bardes to document for budget purposes docking fees charged by other Hudson River municipalities. Seastreak has yet to submit a proposal for its fall cruise schedule, but a request to dock at Cold Spring has been received from a company interested in providing ferry service between Peekskill, Bear Mountain, West Point and the village. Foley said the proposal will be discussed after the dock has been inspected and docking fees considered. The proposed 64-foot ferry is about half the length of Seastreak.

The board unanimously approved a reso...