Monday night I had the opportunity to speak with a Political Science class at Mercy College. I met an adjunct professor while attending a Rotary Club meeting. I was hoping the Mercy Rotaract could help the Chamber of Commerce create a survey or perhaps open a line of communication with Mercy students about their experiences as drivers, pedestrians, and residents in Dobbs Ferry. When I began discussing this he asked instead that I come speak to his students as he found my approach to the parking, traffic, and pedestrian safety issues to be impactful and a real-life scenario in which his students could learn from.

Take-aways from Mercy Students:

1. The Old Croton Aqueduct is dark and in-usable to them in the evenings. This hints at a few things -  (a) they likely aren’t walking into town in the evenings, whether it is to visit local restaurants, cafes, stores, or friends which (b) it likely means they’re driving and parking on our streets. (c) They tried walking the OCA, it didn’t go well, but the interest to walk at night is there - so (d) if hypothetical solar powered lights were added, the path would likely get used by them, reducing traffic and parked cars in DF. 
2. They acknowledged that there are even distracted and speeding drivers on their campus. Meaning that they understand the impact of having the ever-living life scared out of you by drivers not obeying the law. Which is important beucase it means they’re in touch with our reality. 
3. They know just as little about Dobbs residents, as we know about them. This is not good and definitely needs to change. Mercy College is one of the largest non-profit properties in our community, we should know more of what they are doing, what events they are hosting, and how they want to help our community. The students overall were positive, had great questions, answers, and suggestions to how we as a community could solve the problems of pedestrian safety.
   

(Photo Credit: Nadia Fante)