A proposal by the state to reconstruct a large stretch of the Boston Post Road has caused a firestorm.
The proposed project will alter one of the oldest roads in America from Dillon Road, near the border of Larchmont and New Rochelle, to Hornidge Road, between Rye and Mamaroneck.
The most notable changes include slimming the road to one lane in each direction with the addition of a continuous center turn lane and bike lanes on each side. Additionally, the speed limit will be standardized to 30 mph across the entire stretch.
Some in Larchmont and Mamaroneck are not happy.
A change.org petition titled “Save The Boston Post Road,” started by Coxe and Graziano Funeral Home in Mamaroneck, has over 1,400 signatures.
“These proposed changes will … place undue hardships on travelers, significantly increase local travel times, create havoc on the arteries feeding into the Boston Post Road, and create many other hazardous obstacles and impediments to travel,” the post reads.
Other residents, like Jonathan Silvers, who has been a vocal presence on Nextdoor recently, have echoed those sentiments.
“We all want a safer Post Road,” he wrote on the online forum. “We want pedestrians and cyclists to be safe, we want traffic to move reasonably well, and we want our local businesses to thrive. Those goals should not be in conflict.
“Unfortunately, the proposed redesign will create new problems that will affect virtually everyone who lives, works, shops, or travels along this corridor.”
The plan was laid out for public scrutiny in April at an open house meeting at Mamaroneck High School. The village of Larchmont is currently collecting surveys from people who would like to weigh in on specific aspects of the project, and what features they would like to prioritize.
Closer to Rye, the plan also aims to address two intersections — at the Post Road and Route 127, and the Post Road and Greenhaven Road — by either adding traffic lights and additional buffer space with vegetation or roundabouts.
Bids on the project will likely begin in late 2027, with construction starting in early 2028.
