State Senator Bill Weber is calling on the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to pause plans for a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Route 9W and Oak Tree Road in Palisades, citing growing community opposition and concerns raised by local residents and officials.

In a letter sent Wednesday to NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, Weber urged the agency to halt further advancement of the project and conduct additional review before moving forward. The request comes one day after the Orangetown Town Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the roundabout proposal.

“We are asking for a pause,” Weber said. “We want to make sure all options are fully considered before moving forward with a project that many residents believe is not the right fit for their intersection.”

According to Weber, discussions about improving safety at the intersection began several years ago and initially focused on measures such as installing a left-turn signal. As plans for the roundabout moved closer to construction, residents said they became increasingly concerned after learning more details about the project’s scope, including temporary property acquisitions required during construction.

Among the concerns raised by residents are the large number of cyclists who regularly travel along the Route 9W corridor, particularly on weekends when cycling groups can number in the hundreds. Weber noted that Route 9W remains a popular route for cyclists traveling from New York City to destinations throughout the Hudson Valley and called for additional analysis of how a roundabout could impact cyclist safety.

Residents have also pointed to increasing truck traffic along Route 9W and future residential development that could further change traffic patterns in the area. Weber said those factors should be carefully studied before any construction begins.

Last week, NYSDOT hosted a public information session at Orangetown Town Hall. Many residents who attended expected a formal town hall meeting but described the event as an open house where agency representatives answered individual questions and displayed project plans without a group discussion or public question-and-answer session.

Weber’s Chief of Staff, John Mulgrew, attended the event after he and the senator met with residents and toured the intersection. According to Weber, opposition to the project has continued to grow as more residents become familiar with the proposal.

In his letter, Weber called on NYSDOT to suspend further engineering work, conduct additional traffic studies, and hold a formal public town hall after those studies are completed so residents can review the findings and provide input before any final decisions are made.

The senator’s position mirrors that of the Orangetown Town Board, which is advocating for consideration of alternative safety improvements, including enhanced traffic signals and other traffic-calming measures, before moving forward with what officials describe as a significant and potentially permanent change to the character and traffic flow of the Palisades hamlet.

“We don’t want this rushed through simply because funding is available,” Weber said. “If there is a problem that needs to be addressed, let’s make sure we are solving the right problem with the right solution.”

For now, Weber says he will continue working with residents, local officials, and transportation officials to identify a solution that improves safety while addressing community concerns.

“Our request is simple,” Weber said. “Pause the project, conduct additional review and analysis, and allow residents to be fully heard before moving forward.”