White Plains, NY – Westchester Legislators Catherine Parker (D-Rye) and MaryJane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson) urged the Astorino Administration today to install temporary street lights along a stretch of the Playland Parkway as soon as possible. The County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) has said that it will be replacing the street lamps in place now along the roadway, but many have been out of service for over a year.

In the past few months there have been several car accidents on the parkway, which has narrow lanes and no shoulders, and is heavily trafficked by fast moving vehicles.

Last spring, the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) began addressing the issue of replacing the lights on the parkway where they are out, located mostly between Theodore Fremd Avenue and Boston Post Road.

“The absence of lights along Playland Parkway cannot be tolerated any longer, and I am calling on County Executive Astorino to have some temporary lights in place right away, before another accident occurs,” said Parker. “The increase of traffic on long nights with inclement weather make the unlit parkway a real ‘darkway’—and a major public safety hazard. We need lights up now.”

Legislator Parker noted that she first asked the Administration to look into replacing the Playland Parkway lights in February 2014, soon after she took office. In May 2014 she wrote a memorandum of legislation to have the street lights replaced, and it was brought up for discussion in July 2014 by the BOL Labor, Parks, Planning & Housing Committee, chaired by Legislator Harckham, and the Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Shimsky. At that time, Administration officials told BOL members that there was some confusion as to whether the lights along parts of the parkway were under the jurisdiction of Westchester County, New York State or the federal government. And inside the Administration, both DPWT and the Parks Department say the other department is responsible for the lights.

“While we are waiting for answers, there is no reason for this roadway to remain a danger to motorists,” said Parker.

Last month, Legislator Parker emailed the Administration and asked that temporary lights be put up along Playland Parkway, but as of today she has not received a response—and the lights are still out. Some lights that were replaced along the Playland Access Road in late May 2014 have also since gone out.

“This is yet another example of aging County-owned infrastructure needing attention,” said Shimsky. “With the re-opening this month of the Ice Casino at Playland creating more traffic along the parkway, the Administration should ensure that those traveling to the County’s much-loved park are not put at risk.”