Compiled by: Sandy Eller
2014 Effort to Split Ramapo into Wards Nixed on Appeal A PLAN TO MINIMIZE the power of the Jewish vote in Ramapo has been defeated by an appeals court, which ruled that allegations of irregularities in voting and misconduct by the Town of Ramapo were unfounded. A 2014 referendum had Ramapo voters casting their ballots on whether or not to divide the town up into six separate wards, a process that would have watered down the Jewish vote. According to The Journal News, supporters of the ward plan said it was deliberately designed to offset the growing voice of Ramapo’s Orthodox Jewish community. While early returns seemed to indicate that the ward plan had been approved by a margin of 541 votes, close
to 2,000 affidavit ballots cast by unregistered voters flipped the results, with the ward plan voted down by 894 votes. The Town of Ramapo’s decision to invoke a rarely used law allowing unregistered voters to cast their ballots in the election became a source of controversy, as supporters of the ward system said that it created confusion and was engineered to defeat the ward concept. Supporters of the ward system said that they hope to be granted permission to bring an appeal to the state’s highest court in order to have the latest decision reversed.
Westchester-Bound Thruway Traffic Moving to New Bridge Earlier Than Expected JUST WEEKS AFTER the first cars crossed the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge as they traveled west to Rockland County, word comes that traffic headed in the opposite direction will be diverted to the new bridge weeks ahead of schedule, on October 6th. Currently, only four lanes of the eight-lane bridge are being utilized by Rockland County–bound traffic, while drivers headed east have remained on the Tappan Zee Bridge. According to the Thruway Authority, once the switch is made, all cars headed to Westchester will be routed onto the new bridge, making use of the four extra lanes that have remained empty until now. A concrete barrier will be used to separate eastbound and westbound traffic.
The move will allow the next phase of the bridge project to continue — demolishing the Tappan Zee Bridge. Once the bridge has been removed, construction crews will finally be able to complete the eastern span of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, which will consist of two separate bridges when it is finally completed in 2018. Governor Andrew Cuomo estimated that 50 million cars crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge in 2016. In addition to having extra-wide lanes, safety shoulders and lanes for emergency vehicles, the new bridge will also have viewing areas and a bicycle and walking path. Tolls on the new bridge will be frozen at the current rate until the year 2020, with no further information available on any potential toll hikes after that time.
Improve59’s Rosh Hashanah Initiative Stresses Safety for Both Drivers and Pedestrians THE SAFETY OF ONE of Monsey’s busiest roadways took center stage at a recently held event that took place in the Town Square Mall. Children who took part in Improve59’s Safety Awareness Day, held on September 17th, had the opportunity to learn about safety through colorful posters and coloring sheets, while adults had the opportunity to view a proposed plan to widen Route 59, synchronize traffic
98 / THE MONSEY VIEW / October 3, 2017 www.themonseyview.com / 845.600.8484
lights, improve sidewalks and encourage safe crossing throughout the busy area. Improve59 was launched earlier this year to enhance safety for pedestrians and motorists who travel the busy Route 59 corridor. In addition to kicking off the new year with the Town Square event, Improve59 is planning additional initiatives in the near future to continue furthering its goal of improved safety for all.