Westchester County resident gets action, successfully petitions Albany to get pothole-littered Route 9A repaved
ELMSFORD, N.Y. -- Just in time for winter, there is a plan to repave a major road that always gets pummeled during pothole season.
It's a one-and-a-half mile stretch of Route 9A near I-287 in the Westchester County town of Elmsford.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported Tuesday, elected officials are crediting a resident who was driven to make a difference.
The view from above shows the massive patchwork of potholes filled after last winter on Route 9A. The road, a pitted mess, gets pounded by thousands of heavy trucks each day.
Traveling on it drove Jennifer Glen to distraction -- and action.
"I've seen people almost try to cross over into my lane, trying to avoid the potholes on their side. So, it's pretty just hazardous overall," said Glen, who lives in Elmsford.
Money to fix the road was not in the state Department of Transportation budget, so Glen started a petition drive that garnered almost 2,000 signatures.
Route 9A a popular route to Westchester Medical Center. Glen said many first responders signed her petition.
One fire chief even sent her a note, wishing her luck.
"He thanked me, saying, 'Our patients will no longer have to suffer a bumpy ride on the ambulance getting here to Westchester Medical Center,'" Glen said.
"She kept pushing and pushing and pushing, and, thanks to your efforts, government listened," Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said.
It helps when your local state senator is the powerful majority leader. Andrea Stewart-Cousins identified funding and soon the stretch of rocky road will be milled and repaved.
Stewart-Cousins said Albany must do more to meet road maintenance demands from local communities.
"We will continue to help DOT address this backlog, continue to listen to our communities," she said.
"If you want something done or something rectified, you know, make your voice heard," Glen said.
Glen's drive to fix what's broken is just beginning. She's off to medical school next year.
The plan is to mill and repave at night to minimize traffic disruptions, and to finish before the first snow.
