MyRye.com is entering the podcasting business with a new weekly podcast hosted by former Rye Mayor Doug French. Available on all major podcasting platforms, MyRye.com Conversations with Doug French will tackle the larger and sometimes intractable issues impacting the City of Rye through interviews with local, county and state officials and business leaders.
In Episode 18 of Season 1, French speaks to Brian Dempsey, chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee. The conversation breaks down how residents can raise concerns, how the committee works with police, schools, engineering, and DPW, and what practical changes are helping make Rye streets safer.
Dempsey also shares the committee’s biggest priorities right now, including school crosswalk awareness, pedestrian and bike safety, and better driving behavior.
This episode of MyRye.com Conversations with Doug French was produced by MyRye.com. Feedback and story ideas are welcome.
Main Topics Covered:
- Dempsey shares his deep Rye family history, with roots in the city going back to the 1860s, plus decades of involvement in fire service, Little League, girls’ softball, and city committees.
- The committee’s core mission is to hear traffic complaints, pedestrian issues, and related concerns, then move them faster than the old process that relied heavily on City Council procedures.
- The group includes volunteer residents along with representatives from the police department, school district, fire department, city engineer, and city manager, giving the committee both community input and operational insight.
- Speeding complaints are reviewed with police data, radar sign deployments, and crash reports before decisions are made about signage, traffic control, or code changes.
- Dempsey discusses the temporary stop sign setup on the Boston Post Road and the Old Post Road near The Osborn campus, explaining that it was put in after traffic signal problems and that the committee is still evaluating whether it should become permanent.
- A major long-term achievement is the Boston Post Road diet, which Dempsey says he proposed in 1998 and which has helped calm traffic, improve pedestrian conditions, and support biking.
- The bicycle rodeo was brought back after years away and drew more than 100 kids last year, teaching bike handling, signaling, stop-sign awareness, and helmet safety.
- Rectangular rapid flashing beacons continue to expand across Rye, with 10 to 15 added last year and 43 more locations now on the request list, though each site must be prioritized for cost, sunlight, and traffic conditions.
- Distracted driving is identified as a major challenge, especially because it is hard to enforce, but Brian says it is a major contributor to crashes and is getting worse as drivers rely too much on vehicle technology.
- E-bikes and e-scooters are described as a major current concern as many riders are under 16 and helmets are often not worn
- Sidewalk expansion, trail connections, and maintenance challenges are discussed, including the reality that new infrastructure often means more paperwork, grants, and homeowner responsibilities.
- Dempsey points out that many roads in Rye are county roads, while others fall under city or state control, which affects who can approve changes and how quickly projects move.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Opening the conversation on Rye pedestrian and traffic safety
01:13 – Brian’s engineering background and traffic safety credentials
02:21 – Family history in Rye going back to the 1860s
04:41 – What the traffic and pedestrian safety committee is meant to do
06:04 – How residents should submit concerns through the city 311 system
07:06 – Why Zoom meetings help the committee gather better input
09:20 – How police, schools, engineering, and DPW collaborate
11:26 – The temporary stop sign and traffic signal issue near Osborn
14:12 – Rye’s jurisdiction, DOT guidelines, and control over local roads
15:27 – The Boston Post Road diet and why it worked
18:30 – Bicycle rodeo returns and how it teaches kids safety
20:38 – Rapid flashing beacons and the 43-location request list
22:01 – Why beacon signals still require pedestrian caution
23:57 – How mobile speed signs collect useful traffic data
28:25 – Why distracted driving remains hard to enforce
29:59 – E-bikes and e-scooters as a growing safety issue
34:04 – School crosswalk awareness and pedestrian behavior
36:07 – Sidewalks, trails, grants, and maintenance responsibilities
38:49 – Current infrastructure work and the Purdy, Theodore Fremd, Purchase Street signal
40:14 – Lightning round: rules, road conditions, motivation, and patience
42:53 – Brian’s closing thoughts on rules and e-bikes
Watch:
Full Transcript [edited for clarity]:
Speakers
- MyRye.com (Doug French)
- Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee
MyRye.com, Doug French (00:12)
Welcome to the MyRye.com podcast, Conversations with Doug French. I’m your host, Doug French, former mayor of the City of Rye.
This podcast is all about the people and issues that impact Rye and the surrounding region. Our goal is to inform you, our listeners, about the issues that matter most so you can engage with them.
Today, the topic is pedestrian and traffic safety in Rye. With us is Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee. Brian, welcome to MyRye.com.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (00:41)
Thanks, Doug.
MyRye.com, Doug French (00:42)
In this episode, we’d really like listeners to walk away with three things: how the committee works and how residents can effectively raise concerns; what’s been accomplished and what still needs attention; and practical advice that can make our streets safer right now.
Those are the general themes. Again, I appreciate you being with us. The city is very fortunate to have you, Brian, given your credentials.
Can you tell us a little about the professional skills that make you the guy when it comes to traffic and pedestrian safety?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (01:10)
I graduated from Villanova with an engineering degree and then from Fordham with an MBA. Since then, I’ve had over 40 years of experience in the engineering field.
I am a professional engineer in New York as well as five other states. I’m a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer and a certified Road Safety Professional, and I’ve had various other training in different aspects of engineering, especially traffic, over the years.
MyRye.com, Doug French (01:37)
That’s great. Well, Villanova—you must be happy about the Knicks.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (01:41)
Yes, we’ve been hearing a lot about the Knicks. I ran into Josh Hart’s father the other day in CVS—the one in Harrison.
MyRye.com, Doug French (01:47)
Okay, that’s great to know.
Speaking of family, there’s a term here called “Old Rye.” Old Rye is really our generation, but you folks are really old, Old Rye. Can you tell us a little about your family history here?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (02:05)
From what we can tell, our family’s been here since the 1860s, along with the Kirbys and the Balls, all around that time. The three of us talk about it a lot since we’ve all been here that long.
I grew up in Rye, and so did my kids. One of my grandfathers was chief of the fire department as well as foreman of the DPW during the Depression. My father, after World War II, became a member of the firehouse and was a volunteer at Milton Firehouse for 75 years, which was the longest volunteer record there.
I had an uncle on the other side of the family who was the last chief of police in Rye.
We’ve been involved in everything. My father ran the Little League Parade for 30 years. My wife took that over, and we still help out, even though it’s been a while since I was president of the Little League and she was president of girls’ softball.
We’ve been involved in a lot of different organizations throughout the years, and we try to keep that involvement going. I’ve also been involved in a number of different committees on behalf of the city, including currently serving on the Comprehensive Plan Committee. I was also on the previous Comprehensive Plan Committee.
MyRye.com, Doug French (03:21)
That’s great. A lot of those activities are really what makes up a community—the generations before us and the continued progress.
Our crack staff here at the MyRye.com podcast had to double-check that your family really went back to the 1860s. That’s just amazing.
Let’s talk about the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee itself. If you recall, when I was mayor, I expanded it from the Traffic Committee to add the pedestrian piece, as we found the trends in Rye were increasingly about being active—biking, walking and running—in addition to using the roads for traffic.
What is the basic charter of the committee?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (03:59)
I originally was on the committee in the mid-1990s. I had just gotten on when it disbanded for a few years, and then it was brought back.
The main purpose of the committee was to listen to various traffic complaints, pedestrian issues and other things that were occurring because it was taking too long to go through the City Council and other procedures.
We now have this committee, and we’re made up of volunteer residents. We also have representatives from the police department and the school district. The security officer from the school district attends our meetings, as do two police officers and, when necessary, representatives from the fire department and other important agencies around the city.
Then we meet with the city engineer and city manager to go over the key items that need to be followed up on.
MyRye.com, Doug French (04:56)
Okay. So most of your agenda items really come from residents who have a concern?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (05:02)
Yes.
MyRye.com, Doug French (05:03)
Walk us through an item that comes up and how that process works from start to finish.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (05:08)
The city recently established the 311 contact program, which is on the city’s website. If people have a concern, that’s the best way to go about it. Go on the city website and file it, because then it’s on record with the city and they’ll forward it to our committee for review.
But I get calls at eight o’clock on Saturday mornings from people with comments. I actually had someone come up to me at church during my mother’s funeral with traffic issues. Anytime I’m in town or at a Little League game or wherever, people bring issues up.
So we hear about them all over the place, but the best way is to go through the 311 program.
MyRye.com, Doug French (05:49)
So I would fill out a form and get notified that it’s going to be on the agenda. Do I come prepared with photographs and other residents to talk about the issue?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (05:59)
We meet now on Zoom once a month, and the advantage is that more people can participate.
People are able to show photos, or I can show photos. I have aerials of different locations in Rye, so we can show what’s happening, what the signs are and what the road looks like. It’s very helpful to be on Zoom to do that. People who are still at work are also able to contact us that way, so we get more resident input.
We get the information a few days before the meeting, and then people from the committee will go look at the particular location to see what’s happening there.
A lot of it revolves around schools, and we have representatives from each school in the city on our committee, so they can give additional everyday input.
MyRye.com, Doug French (06:59)
Do you need to have a level of expertise to be on the committee?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (07:03)
No. I handle the technical stuff based on my background, but we have people from all different backgrounds. Some have worked in security, some are stay-at-home moms. It’s a combination of different residents.
We have a good mix of people throughout the city, so we’re not focused just on one school or one neighborhood.
MyRye.com, Doug French (07:28)
You said you’ve got members of the police and the schools on the committee. How does that collaboration work?
You work with the engineering department, police department and public works. Is that collaboration happening in the committee meeting itself, or do you have separate meetings?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (07:44)
We have Sergeant Hinrichs from the police department, who had been the traffic officer, and Officer Calcagni, who’s the current traffic officer. They attend every one of our meetings.
They’re very helpful. They can tell us what they’re seeing from an enforcement standpoint and what happened at a certain accident when we might not have seen the accident report yet.
So we know firsthand what they’re seeing every day.
They also hear the issues from residents. If someone’s complaining about speeding, we’ll discuss it with the police department and determine where we can put the speed radar signs. The police will put them up to measure speeds at various locations throughout the city.
MyRye.com, Doug French (08:35)
And they’ll come back with the data and say, yes, we have a higher propensity for speeding. Then what’s the next step? Once you look at the metrics and data, do you come back and say we need some kind of signage or traffic control?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (08:45)
Right. We’ll look at the speeding and the crash data that they provide us, so we can see what issues there are. We’ll also look at the signage and everything else.
Then we coordinate with the engineering and DPW departments. Depending upon the level, we’ll also have to go to the city manager.
For certain things, like changing parking regulations, we have to go to the City Council because it would have to be adopted into the city code.
MyRye.com, Doug French (09:16)
Gotcha.
Let’s put a picture on this. One of the main traffic items I see is the temporary stop sign at the fork in the road by The Osborn, right before Playland Parkway.
It used to be a stoplight. Now it’s a blinking stoplight with a stop sign. What’s happening with that, and how does that process work?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (09:37)
I actually remember going back to when there was only a stop sign on Old Post Road and the Post Road had nothing.
When they first put a signal in, I remember my father had to respond to a call because a person wasn’t expecting the traffic signal to be there. I remember him talking about that crash.
What happened more recently was that there was an electrical issue and then a mechanical issue within the traffic signal system. There are a limited number of companies that work on traffic signals in this area, and they’ve all been backed up.
So it went to an emergency blinking system, and then DPW installed temporary stop signs.
Right now, we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback—not 100 percent, because there are some people who have concerns. We’ve been doing a lot of observations at different times of the day: rush hour, weekends, during school and so forth.
There’s been a lot of positive feedback. It’s working very well.
There are some people who don’t stop as well as they should, or they stop too long because they’re not sure when to go. But all in all, we feel it’s working very well.
We’re giving it a little more time and seeing what can be done to add to it. We’re looking at keeping it as an all-way stop.
One thing we were in the process of doing before this happened was adding a crosswalk at that location. There are children who go to Rye Middle School and Rye High School who practice up at The Osborn, mainly for some modified sports.
We had plans in the works before the signal went out, so now we’re looking at how best to do it with the stop signs and what we can do there.
MyRye.com, Doug French (11:33)
Would it be a two-step crosswalk—one to get to the island and then another to get across?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (11:38)
We’re looking at that, or looking at putting it on the shorter side, closer toward Oakland Beach Avenue. That’s what we’re investigating right now.
MyRye.com, Doug French (11:49)
The way I see it, the regulatory authority is New York State when it comes to traffic signals, correct?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (11:55)
Yes and no.
You have to follow their guidelines. When we looked at Sonn Drive, for example, when people requested a signal there, that went to the DOT for review. They agreed that a signal should not go in there for various reasons.
You have to follow New York State DOT guidelines, but Rye has jurisdiction over most of the roads within the city.
Boston Post Road is different because it’s a New York State road. But in Rye, Rye has what’s called local jurisdiction. For the most part, we have control over what can and cannot be done along the Post Road as long as it’s following DOT guidelines.
MyRye.com, Doug French (12:36)
Not to date myself, but that was a big issue when I was mayor—keeping control of the Post Road.
You were part of making it a “road diet.” If you remember, it used to be four lanes—four very tight lanes. Now we’ve created the road diet. And they’re looking at taking that concept into Mamaroneck as well, correct?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (12:55)
Right. I came up with the road diet back in 1998. It took a few years, but then it did get installed.
One of the comments at the time was from Mamaroneck, which complained that it would back up traffic in Mamaroneck for three miles.
Now we’re doing work with the Town of Mamaroneck to help them because they want the road diet continued from Rye all the way to New Rochelle—through the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont.
That part is all owned by the state, so the state is involved. They’re looking at different things, including roundabouts in conjunction with the road diet.
Right now, their price tag is $16.9 million to do that stretch. It’s a lot more complicated there because you have many more driveways, commercial establishments and on-street parking.
They’re trying to fit bike lanes and everything else. There’s only so much room to fit everything, so something will have to give in terms of parking or bike lanes.
MyRye.com, Doug French (13:57)
I have to say, the road diet has been a huge success. I know a lot of people were active in that.
Occasionally, you’ll get behind a slow driver, but it’s well worth having the traffic calming, creating crosswalks along the Post Road for pedestrians and having the shy space for biking. It’s really tied in well with where the trends are in the Rye community. So kudos to that concept.
I’d recommend that listeners send in their feedback if they like the stop sign on the Post Road there.
If you recall, Brian, Purchase Street had a couple of traffic lights and we got rid of those and put in stop signs. Again, a huge success. I think I’m seeing the same thing with the temporary stop sign you just mentioned.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (14:39)
When we looked at that, traffic signals are all supposed to be updated to meet current standards. The traffic signals on Purchase Street had been there for more than 50 years.
So we looked at other methods, similar to what we’ve done in other towns.
It’s worked very well on Purchase Street. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. Again, there’s always one or two people who make comments against it, but it operates very well.
Some of these traffic signals now cost $400,000 to $500,000 apiece, plus yearly maintenance and electricity, so they’re not cheap.
MyRye.com, Doug French (15:19)
No. I think 15 years ago they were about $250,000. That helped make the decision, and it turned out to be the right strategy.
Let’s talk about what else is working. You brought back the bicycle rodeo, as I recall from doing my research with the crack team here?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (15:31)
Yes. We ran the bicycle rodeo for many years in the early 2000s. It stopped, but we brought it back last year.
Our biggest problem is getting volunteers to help. Finding the time and a place around here is really tough because kids are doing all sorts of activities.
We like doing it at the high school because it’s visible. People drive by, see it and stop by. We had over 100 kids last year.
Weather can be an issue, but it’s a very good program. It helps younger kids learn how to ride a bike, how to signal and what to do at a stop sign.
And they have fun. They ride their bicycles through different obstacle courses.
The police bicycle group was a big help. We’ve also had help from the Cub Scouts and other programs in terms of volunteers.
We also have representatives from a bike store come. They help inflate the tires, check the brakes and other parts of the bikes, and check the kids’ helmets.
In the past, we’ve given out helmets to kids who needed them and made sure they’re wearing them correctly and that they’re the right size.
So bicycle safety is a big part of it, and the kids enjoy it.
MyRye.com, Doug French (16:59)
Sounds great.
The other thing I’ve really liked is that we started the rectangular flashing beacons for pedestrian crosswalks. Now I see those expanding to more and more locations.
Can you update us on that?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (17:13)
We put in between 10 and 15 last year.
We were able to get the county to put some in along the Playland Parkway pathway, such as where people cross the Post Road and North Street/Old Post Road. We were able to get them to cover some of the expenses.
We actually have a list of 43 other requested locations right now.
MyRye.com, Doug French (17:33)
Forty-three?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (17:35)
We’re trying to prioritize them.
One issue is cost. Second, you want to have them in the right areas.
It’s a lot better if we can run them on solar as opposed to hooking up electricity, but there are certain areas with too much tree coverage, so solar doesn’t work because it doesn’t get enough sunlight.
Solar has other issues, too. It wears out, snow gets on top of the panel and it doesn’t hold its strength.
MyRye.com, Doug French (18:05)
Forty-three locations seems like a lot, no?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (18:08)
Forty-three more locations, yes.
We’re prioritizing, and we’re not saying they would go in at all 43. We’ve rejected a lot of requests, but we keep a running list.
One thing I want to say to parents is to teach their kids that these can be up to 90 percent effective, but they’re not 100 percent effective.
Even though the lights are blinking, have your children make sure they look. Make sure the car sees them, they see the car, and the driver is stopping or slowing before the crosswalk.
There are places where people still drive right through. Even though the light is blinking, wait until you know it’s safe to cross.
The other thing we see a lot is that kids—especially kids going to school—press the buttons, but a lot of adults don’t. They’ll walk right by the button and just start walking.
We recommend pressing the buttons.
In another town, we had two bollards with a little beam so that when you walk between them, it automatically activates the flashing lights. People actually walk around the bollards so the light doesn’t go off.
There’s only so much you can do.
MyRye.com, Doug French (19:30)
Exactly. That’s great advice, especially with a lot of out-of-town drivers coming to the beach clubs and Playland this time of year. Not everybody really knows the rules here.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (19:43)
We’re finding that a lot of towns have been using what we’re doing. Through my work, we’ve been doing it in various other municipalities throughout Westchester and Fairfield.
MyRye.com, Doug French (19:54)
We also see a lot of mobile speed signs popping up. They collect data as well as trying to calm traffic.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (20:01)
The newer ones collect the data. The older ones did not; they just flashed the speed.
When we get a complaint about speeding, we have a list for that and work with the police department. They move the signs around. Some are permanent and some are portable.
One issue is that the battery only lasts so long, so they have to recharge it. There will be times when a sign isn’t flashing.
But it records the speeds. Some people say, “Well, I slow down when I see it record the speed, so that’s not an accurate reflection.”
Actually, it is, because the machine has already recorded your speed before you see the light flash. They already have on record how fast you’re going.
So it does get people to slow down. It gets people to think, “All right, I’m going too fast.” And it gives us a good idea of what speeds are.
In some neighborhoods, people think cars are going super fast. When they see the results, they’re not always going that fast. They may be going too fast for the particular neighborhood, but they’re not necessarily over the speed limit in most cases.
MyRye.com, Doug French (21:15)
Any surprising data points that came out of a particular location?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (21:19)
No. I’ve been dealing with them for so long that you get used to it. They’re generally coming out with what we think they will.
We have it set so it records your speed but will send a message if you’re over a certain speed. We’ve had cases in other towns where kids try to see who can get the highest number at night.
That’s why it doesn’t show a speed that’s too high. We’ll cap it at, say, 35, and then it will say “Too Fast” or something to that effect.
MyRye.com, Doug French (21:53)
When I was mayor and trying to learn about the court system, I sat in the back of the court on traffic-ticket day. Most of the folks were parents driving through school zones, which was really surprising.
So education is key.
Any final thoughts on what’s working? Any projects you’re most proud of that the committee has accomplished?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (22:16)
We mentioned the RRFBs and the road diet. Those are two of the things we’re most proud of.
We’re also proud of the bike rodeo, and we’d like to keep that going. Anything that helps safety.
Our hardest problem—and the police’s hardest problem—is enforcement. They do enforcement, but on a lot of the roads in Rye it’s hard for a police car to hide. Their presence at least slows some people down.
But then when they pull someone over—and not to speak for them—they’ll hear every excuse in the book: “I’m a resident. You shouldn’t pull me over. You should pull over these other out-of-towners,” or whatever.
They get a lot of those comments.
We had a person come to one of our meetings to complain about speeding in his neighborhood, and he actually admitted that he got a speeding ticket on the way to our meeting.
MyRye.com, Doug French (23:11)
Jeez. That’s a story.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (23:14)
There are other cases where people who really pushed for lowering the speed limit or complained about speeding have actually been the ones speeding.
If you set these rules—and we say this when people ask for no parking in certain areas—the rules have to apply to everyone.
MyRye.com, Doug French (23:34)
Right.
Let’s talk about a couple of other challenges. You’re obviously talking a lot about speeding, but what about distracted driving? Is there anything the committee can do when it comes to distracted driving?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (23:46)
Distracted driving is really hard for the police to enforce. They can pull people over, but it’s sometimes hard to prove they were on the phone.
But I see it when I walk my daughter’s dog. If you do a lot of walking around town, you’d be amazed how many people are on their phones.
From our training, you can see how people weave back and forth because they’re not focused on the road; they’re on their phones.
It’s something that’s hard to control, but it’s really critical. It’s a big factor in a high percentage of crashes across the country.
Now you have all these so-called smart cars with advanced technology, but the number of crashes is actually going up because people think, “The car’s going to tell me if I’ve moved over too far. It’s going to beep.”
People are paying less attention to what they should be paying attention to.
MyRye.com, Doug French (24:52)
I just throw my phone in the console.
But it is amazing. If you stand on Purchase Street—or just about anywhere—you see people drive by with their heads down looking at their phones. It is amazing.
What about the rise of e-bikes and e-scooters? What are you guys doing about that?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (25:05)
That’s been a hot topic with us and the police department, and we’ve been working with them.
There are a lot of issues. It’s another thing that’s not the easiest to enforce in terms of trying to pull people over.
It started off with our biggest issues being people—especially food-delivery workers—who generally wear dark clothing at night, with no reflectors or lights on the e-bikes or e-scooters. You can’t see them.
Now they’ve become very popular with kids riding them to school and elsewhere. Under state law, you have to be at least 16 years old. A lot of these kids aren’t. They’re not wearing helmets.
I’ve seen kids on major roads trying to do wheelies and things like that.
In one park, which I won’t name, they actually built jumps through the woods and have a whole little course that they ride. A lot of the kids are nowhere near 16. They don’t have helmets on.
There have been deaths in this area. It’s something that has to be taken seriously.
When I was in high school, mopeds had a couple-year run, but they were built differently. These are only supposed to go a certain number of miles per hour, but some have been modified so they can go much faster than they’re supposed to.
There are kids riding on sidewalks and riding the wrong way.
The other day there were two kids on the Post Road sidewalk trying to ride side-by-side. They came across other pedestrians, and one kid almost wiped out trying to get around them.
It’s dangerous, and we’re trying to do a lot more education about it, including education through the schools, because the schools have had issues with them as well.
MyRye.com, Doug French (26:54)
What about the gap between what residents think can be done versus what realistically can be done to solve a problem? What’s your outreach or communication to educate the public on some of these gaps?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (27:06)
We try to explain the rules, the legal aspects and the dangers—for example, that they should have helmets.
People send us things from Rye Moms and some of these other websites. There was a Rye mom who wrote, “My kid’s only 12 years old, but his friends have e-bikes, so he wants an e-bike. I know it’s against the law, but I want to get him one.”
You have to follow the rules and be safe.
You’d be amazed how many kids put on the helmet, and as soon as they get around the block, the helmet comes off.
As I said, I see them trying to do wheelies and jumps. If they get hit by a car, it’s not going to be pretty.
MyRye.com, Doug French (27:49)
Right.
Let me let you catch your breath for a second while I remind our audience: If you have a topic or person you’d like to hear on the MyRye.com podcast, Conversations with Doug French, just email me at French@MyRye.com or let me know around town.
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We’re going to jump ahead to looking forward, Brian. You’ve listed your priorities with the committee as school crosswalk awareness, overall pedestrian and bike safety, and improving driving behavior.
Anything you want to touch on there?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (28:28)
Those have been our goals for a while.
I once took a person who had become a new City Council representative—not on the current council, but previously—to a sidewalk because I was trying to explain what we’re seeing.
I said, “Stand at the sidewalk like you’re about to cross and see how many people stop.”
She was amazed that nobody would stop for her to cross.
People waved to her. People honked at her because they knew her. But not one of those people stopped.
MyRye.com, Doug French (28:58)
I shouldn’t laugh, but it is—
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (29:00)
It’s what happens.
At Osborn School, we painted sight triangles at the driveways to keep people from parking there so people coming out could see the cars and see kids crossing.
There’s one resident who has actually installed her own signs on the road because people continue to park right at the edge of the driveway, so nobody can see the kids crossing.
They know it’s not legal. The police come and ticket it, and then the next day they come back, move the signs and park right there again.
That’s what we’re trying to get people to understand: Follow the rules. They’re there for a reason. It causes a lot of unsafe conditions when people don’t.
MyRye.com, Doug French (29:44)
A group has come forward with a walkable community plan. You said you’re on the Comprehensive Plan Committee. Is that something where your committee would look at ideas that come from other sources?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (29:57)
Yes. One of the branches of the Comprehensive Plan is going to be mobility, traffic, pedestrian safety and other means of travel.
Rye, all in all, has a pretty good sidewalk system compared to other municipalities. It’s not perfect. It is old.
There are areas, like Milton Road by Sand Street, where there are sidewalks only on one side of the road and none on the other. It would be difficult to put sidewalks on the other side.
But all in all, Rye has a pretty good sidewalk system.
There are always ways to improve it, but the problem is things cost money.
We’ve looked at different trails. We worked with the county to put in the trail along Playland Parkway, and that gets used a lot by walkers, dog walkers and bicyclists.
So we’re looking at where we can put in trails and sidewalks.
Sidewalks are supposed to go in on Forest Avenue between the Parkway and Manursing.
That’s a long process. People are now seeing what it takes—what I go through all the time—to get through government channels. If you have grants, there’s so much paperwork and so many levels you have to go through before things can get done.
I’m sure you saw it when you were mayor.
MyRye.com, Doug French (31:13)
Absolutely.
And once the sidewalks are in, it’s up to the homeowner to keep them shoveled, correct?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (31:18)
Right, which is an issue.
A lot of people recommend or ask for sidewalks at certain locations, but not in front of their own house. They want them in other spots.
The people whose property the sidewalk goes in front of—depending on how the sidewalk is being paid for and whether there’s a grant—could be responsible for paying for some of it, as well as daily maintenance.
If a tree root lifts up the sidewalk, they’re responsible for repairing the sidewalk and such.
So people want sidewalks, but they don’t necessarily want them in front of their own house.
MyRye.com, Doug French (31:55)
Here in the MyRye.com podcast studio, above my shoulder is actually a charcoal illustration of Purchase Street—the famous bend as you come down Purchase Street.
Anything happening downtown that we should be aware of?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (32:07)
Right now, there’s a bunch of utility work and other work, and that’s going to happen throughout the city.
That’s DPW and not us, but a lot of infrastructure is in need of repair. Con Edison is doing more things, and there’s more need for sewer and water work. Some of the pipes are over 100 years old.
So there’s going to be different construction.
We’ve looked at some other things along Purchase Street. There’s always been tinkering with parking and seeing what else we can do.
Right now, we’re not doing anything except at the intersection of Purdy, Theodore Fremd and Purchase Street.
MyRye.com, Doug French (32:45)
What’s happening there?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (32:48)
They’re in the process of updating the signal there and looking at what can be done.
MyRye.com, Doug French (32:54)
To make it safer to walk? Because that is kind of a wide span.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (32:57)
Right. It will have pedestrian signals, and they’re looking at changing the signal phasing and other things there.
MyRye.com, Doug French (33:03)
Okay.
We’re going to move to the lightning round. This is just one word or very short answers.
What’s one word that best describes the biggest traffic challenge in Rye right now?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (33:14)
Observance. Observance of the rules.
MyRye.com, Doug French (33:17)
The roads have been great; they’ve been terrible. What’s one word on the road conditions compared with previous years? Road conditions today versus previous years.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (33:25)
Very good.
The problem is every time someone moves into a new house and they have a new utility connection, the roads get dug up again. Some of the patchwork isn’t always the best.
MyRye.com, Doug French (33:40)
People may not realize it, but Midland, Theodore Fremd, Wappanocca and the Parkway are all county roads, correct?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (33:47)
Yes, along with North Street, Old Post Road, Hammond—there are a number of county roads.
MyRye.com, Doug French (33:54)
So we’re relying on the county to have them paved and upgraded and so forth.
All right, one word that most motivates you to keep doing this after 25 years.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (34:04)
Dedication.
I see it for a living. I see the results of what happens because we do accident reviews and crash analysis and things like that.
But safety is the biggest issue.
MyRye.com, Doug French (34:16)
One word residents should remember before they complain about traffic—or, not complain, but before they raise a question about traffic.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (34:23)
Patience.
It takes a while to get through the different levels of government, whether we have to work just within the city or go to the county or state.
It takes a while. Not everything gets done right away, and things have to be legalized in the codes and so forth.
It’s not as simple as putting up a sign in two minutes.
MyRye.com, Doug French (34:46)
And on a personal note, do you have a favorite spot for coffee?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (34:49)
I don’t drink coffee. I don’t drink anything hot.
But I’d say Jerry’s. I get other things instead of coffee.
MyRye.com, Doug French (34:54)
Okay. Do you have a suggested topic or guest that we should have on here?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (34:59)
I’ll have to think about that one.
MyRye.com, Doug French (35:00)
All right. Any final thoughts, Brian?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (35:02)
Maybe someone from the police department, in terms of their view on traffic safety and other issues.
MyRye.com, Doug French (35:07)
Right. Okay.
Any final thoughts for our listeners?
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (35:11)
No, I think we covered it all.
My two things would be patience and following the rules. And e-bikes are our hot topic of the month right now.
MyRye.com, Doug French (35:21)
Well, Brian, I really enjoyed it. Who would think we could do more than 35 minutes on traffic and pedestrian safety? But we did.
It was very informative and enjoyable. Thanks again for your insights, and really, thanks for your service to the community. It’s been a long slog. This is a tough topic in this community, but you’ve done a great job. Kudos to you for your leadership.
Thank you very much, Brian.
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Thank you all for listening, and we’ll see you next time on the MyRye.com podcast, Conversations with Doug French.
Thanks again, Brian.
Brian Dempsey, Chair of the Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (36:03)
Thank you, Doug.
Thank you for another informative podcast. We all complain about these issues so it’s nice to know there is an actual committee which will look into them. I would like the committee to encourage people to walk on the left side of the road facing the traffic as is recommended by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, but the 311 site seems to be set up for complaints, rather than suggestions.