Concern over Rye Neck High School and Middle School students safely crossing the Boston Post Road is driving a request for a proper cross walk at the intersection of Boston Post Road and Hornidge Road (the entrance to the school). Students and parents have expressed concern to the City of Rye and some turned up at the Rye City Council meeting on Wednesday.
“Hundreds of students, including ourselves, use this crosswalk every day, especially after school, for sports, clubs and other activities,” Rye Neck student Mariam Asghar told the city council. “In the fall and winter, it gets dark early, and crossing such a busy road can feel extremely unsafe.”
“This issue is incredibly serious because of the extreme danger it can potentially cause. A rectangular rapid flashing beacon or a pedestrian island would help drivers notice us sooner and make crossing these busy roads much safer and more comfortable for both pedestrians and drivers.”
Interim City Manager Brian Shea assured the students and council the city was working on the issue with haste.
“We’re doing the necessary due diligence, both with traffic engineers, our partners in neighboring jurisdictions, jurisdictions in the State Department of Transportation, and once the appropriate review and design is completed, I’m confident we’re on a path to address this over the short term,” Shea said.
The location complicates the issue. The area is at the Western end of Rye at the Mamaroneck border. And Mamaroneck, in coordination with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), is looking at a “road diet” for the Post Road starting in Mamaroneck – a narrowing of the road (Rye did narrow the Post Road in the City years ago). Lighted cross walks were recently installed on the Boston Post Road in Rye at the intersections of Bradford Avenue and Park Avenue.
“Parents in the district were very impressed by a lot of the flashing beacons and the pedestrian refuge islands that have been installed throughout Rye,” co-chair of the Rye Neck Safe Routes to School co-chair Diana Riley told the council. She explained her group had been speaking to Brian Dempsey’s Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (TPS) and others in recent months.
“Our ask was that the City of Rye replicate the same traffic and pedestrian safety improvements that are at Bradford and other places at Hornage, considering that it’s one of our busiest intersections.”
City officials promised an update at the next council meeting on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. They also said the TPS committee would address the topic at its meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2025.
Video of the city council discussion:
