August 17, 2011:  On Kraft Avenue the paving is finished, the street is striped, and the parking places are marked.  At the corner of Cedar Street, new traffic lights stand ready for activation.  Sensing loops, designed to detect traffic and trip the lights, are embedded in the streets near the intersection.

According to Village Administrator Harold Porr, drivers can expect to see the traffic lights begin functioning sometime around Labor Day.  "Once the sensing loops are secure, we'll activate the lights," he said.  "We may put them on flash for a short time to test the signals and help motorists acclimate to the new traffic signal."

Porr stated that circulation of traffic on Kraft Avenue and Cedar Street will improve when the traffic signals are fully functioning.  "I think people will get accustomed to it.  The intersection will be a lot safer," he said.  "It has been almost impossible to make a left turn off Cedar Street."

Citing the accomplishment of the village's goals of safety and appearance, Porr commended the vision and work of Rocco Circosta, superintendent of public works, on the lighting and area landscaping.

Porr also said that the village has begun a public discussion to address street lighting concerns on Kraft Avenue and in the business district.  The lighting in place downtown reflects the results and recommendations of a study conducted in the 1980s.  "This used to be a pretty sleepy village and the softer lighting tones served it fine, but now we've changed.  We have a much more vibrant downtown than we've had before.  We have a lot more people coming off the trains.  We have people coming home from work later than they used to."  The village will consider each of those aspects in its plans for lighting the downtown area.

The issues of brightness, energy efficiency, and aesthetics will drive the discussion and decisions about street lighting.  Porr said the village must decide how bright the new lighting will be and whether the hours of lighting will increase, and if so, by how much.

He also indicated that the village will consider how much lighting should be in the downtown area.  "Probably the most important issue is energy efficiency," he said. "Right now we have incandescent bulbs, probably about as energy inefficient as you can get."

Porr said that the work to come up with the best solution will balance lighting needs with aesthetics and a form of lighting that is more energy efficient and less costly to run.  Since aesthetics are important to the village, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy will provide input in an advisory role.

"The discussion about street lighting has already begun," Porr said.

Pictured here:  The corner of Kraft Avenue and Cedar Street where work crews completed new paving last week and a new traffic light will soon be activated.

Photo by A. Warner