There's a white (ghost) bicycle at the southwest corner of Tarrytown Road and Aqueduct Road (close to the Apple Farm). It's been there for nearly 10 years. The reason: Greenburgh resident Merrill Cassell lost his life in a bicycle accident at that location. The Cassell family has always placed beautiful flowers near the ghost bicycle to remember Merrill. Merrill was more than a cyclist. He was active in the Greenburgh community, a friend. And he frequently e mailed me with suggestions how to make Greenburgh better.
Today there will be a ceremony and rededication honoring the 10th anniversary. It will be held at noon at this location.
Remembrance ceremony and ghost bike memorial rededication honoring the tenth anniversary of the death of Merrill Cassell.
Please join Maximilla & Tania Cassell, State Assembly Members Thomas Abinanti & David Buchwald, County Legislator Alfreda Williams, Town Supervisor Paul Feiner and Bike Tarrytown
Noon, Saturday, November 9, 2019
Southwest corner of Tarrytown Rd and Aqueduct Rd, Greenburgh, NY
Background
Merrill Cassell on the North County Trailway bridge over the Croton Reservoir, October 15, 2006. (Click photo for higher resolution.)
Ghost bike memorial for Merrill Cassell. Dedicated December 5, 2009. Photographed July 21, 2019.
On November 6, 2009, Merrill Cassell killed while cycling on Route 119 in Greenburgh. He was hit by a bus near the intersection of Aqueduct Rd because the driver passed too closely.
A ghost bike memorial was erected at the location on his birthday, a month after the crash. During the ceremony, State Senator Andrea-Stewart Cousins promised to introduce "safe passing" legislation.
"Merril's Law" was signed by the Governor in the summer of 2010. It requires people driving to provide "a safe distance" when passing people cycling.
Making Route 119 Safe
Route 119 is a dangerous road for everyone, causing 90 injuries per year. 25% of those crashes happened in the area where Merrill was killed -- the short stretch between the I-287 ramps and the Metro North tracks. And another 40% of crashes happen in Downtown White Plains.
It's so bad, few people willingly walk or bike along or across it. To fix conditions, we started the Route 119 Complete Street Design Plan to help figure out how to improve conditions for people walking, cycling and riding transit. And it's why we're advocating for the Route 119 Plan to be better.
The town has been working with other local governments and bicycle advocates. We're going to lobby NYS to build a bike path from the South/North County trail in Elmsford to the Mario Cuomo bridge. The Mario Cuomo bridge will have a new bicycle path on it next year. If a bike path would be built on Route 119 it would enable cyclists to bicycle from the Bronx and Putnam Counties to the bridge and to Rockland County safely.
PAUL FEINER