Mamaroneck Mayor Moves Board Session to 5:15 p.m. After Boy Struck

Mamaroneck Mayor Sharon Torres moved the Village Board of Trustees meeting to an earlier start time so parents can discuss pedestrian safety after a nine-year-old boy was struck by a car last week. The change shifts the work session start from its usual evening slot to 5:15 p.m. on Monday, October 26.

The boy was hit shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Thursday at the intersection of Halstead Avenue and North Barry Avenue. Police said he was taken to Westchester Medical Center and did not appear to have serious injuries. The driver was charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Residents sent a large volume of messages to the Board following the incident. Torres acknowledged these concerns in a message to the community, stating that the Board and village staff share the residents' worries. She noted that the standard meeting schedule often runs late, which makes it difficult for families with young children to attend.

The pedestrian safety discussion is scheduled as the final item on the agenda. Torres estimated the conversation will begin between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. The work session is expected to end by 7:30 p.m. Police Department representatives and the assistant village manager will present before residents speak.

Torres warned that speakers may face time limits due to high attendance. She said staff will not answer individual questions during the meeting. Unanswered questions will be tracked and answered later via the village website, social media, email, and future meetings.

The mayor also offered to meet separately with groups of parents who live near the intersection this week. These smaller sessions would allow for more detailed discussion without the time restrictions of a public board meeting.

The meeting will take place in the Village Courtroom at 169 Mount Pleasant Avenue. Residents can watch live on LMC Media or email comments to MayorandBoard@vomny.org. The village is currently developing a $4 million project to improve Halstead Avenue, with the North Barry intersection as the priority. Torres said the design is 60 percent complete and includes improvements requested by residents.

This incident follows a fatal crash on June 20, 2024, where a six-year-old boy and his mother were killed by a school bus at Mamaroneck Avenue and New Street. That event increased attention to pedestrian safety in the village. Torres did not explicitly reference the 2024 deaths in her recent message but acknowledged the community's ongoing focus on safe crossings.