ARMONK, N.Y. With gas prices rising and the warm weather just around the corner, keeping the car in the garage and taking a walk or bike around town could be an ideal way to save money while getting some fresh air and exercise. Yet some residents in North Castle wish the town would be just a little more walkable.
The Armonk area is great to walk around because you have Main Street with the shops and sidewalks, said North Castle resident Chris Rabley. But if you wanted to get from one end of the town to the other, you just cant do it, theres no sidewalks or paths.
On the website WalkScore.com, Armonk received a rating of 82 out of 100 for its walkability. However, the town of North Castle received a score of 32 out of 100 and is defined as a car-dependent town. WalkScore.com factors in the distance between many local businesses in the town while adding in the amount of public transportation and walkways that are accessible to residents.
At this point, the North Castle Planning Board said they have no plans to install more sidewalks in town in the immediate future. Nanette Yaroscak, a resident of Armonk for almost 50 years, said its not necessarily sidewalks that she wants to make the town more accessible on foot.
I would like to see some more bike paths around town or alongside of some of the roads, Yaroscak said. That could also cut back on some of the issues of finding parking in town.
Joanne Henderson, a North Castle resident, added that a car is necessary to get around town.
Its very easy to walk around here but most of the places you need to drive from one area to the other and then find parking first and then go out and walk, Henderson said. It would be nice if they connected the two.
For Rabley, getting around on foot or by bike may be out of the question for a totally different reason.
Even if there was a bike path I wouldnt even really feel safe just because of how fast some people drive around here on these roads, Rabley said.
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