USH Newsletter 9/24/25
Unite Sleepy Hollow: Our Plan for Halloween
We hear your concerns about Halloween in Sleepy Hollow. We love the festive spirit, but the reality of traffic, parking chaos, and overwhelming crowds can make October a real challenge for those of us who live here. At Unite Sleepy Hollow, we believe our Village can be a world-class destination without overwhelming our residents and threatening our safety.
That's why we recently visited Salem, Massachusetts – a city that successfully manages over a million Halloween visitors each year. Our goal was to learn their proven strategies for creating a safe, sustainable, and truly enjoyable season for everyone. Their challenges – heavy traffic, limited parking, and resident concerns – sounded eerily familiar to ours. But Salem has found solutions, and we're excited to bring those lessons home to Sleepy Hollow. We are committed to proactive planning to better manage our busy tourist season. Here’s what we learned, and how Unite Sleepy Hollow plans to make our Village's Halloween truly special – and safe – for years to come:
What We Learned from Salem’s Success:
Salem manages its massive Halloween crowds by focusing on public safety and smart planning. Here are some key takeaways that can guide our efforts in Sleepy Hollow:
Unified Leadership for Safety:
Salem operates under a coordinated system, that plans all events, traffic, and emergency services for the entire month. This ensures safety is always the top priority and everything works together, unlike our current fragmented approach.
"Get Out of Your Car" Strategy:
Salem actively encourages public transportation, with a major train station right in their downtown, and uses satellite parking lots with shuttle buses to keep cars out of the city center. This is crucial for managing traffic.
Clear Visitor Information:
They use a central website and mobile app to provide real-time updates on parking, traffic, road closures, and safety alerts. This helps visitors plan ahead and reduces congestion. They also have a marked heritage trail with tours that lead visitors throughout the city, providing direction and facilitating the flow of visitors.
Sustainable Funding:
Salem has its own local taxes and fees from events and tours that help cover the significant costs of public safety (police, DPW) during the season. This means visitors help pay for the impact they have, rather than leaving the burden on residents.
Pedestrian Zones & Public Spaces:
They have successfully implemented pedestrian-only areas and utilize large public for events, providing safe and enjoyable spaces for crowds.
Unite Sleepy Hollow’s Plan for Our Village:
Once elected and with your widespread community input, the Unite Sleepy Hollow team is committed to implementing these solutions to improve our Halloween season for residents and visitors alike:
Centralized Event Coordination:
We will work with Tarrytown and major event organizers (like Historic Hudson Valley and the Cemetery Fund) to create a unified plan and master schedule for all Halloween events. This means fewer surprises and better overall management for our Village.
Dedicated Transportation Solutions:
1. Satellite Parking with Shuttles:
We will propose partnering with local businesses (like Phelps Hospital and Regeneron) to create designated satellite parking lots outside the village, with dedicated shuttle buses running to key areas. This keeps traffic out of our neighborhoods.
2. "Headless Horseman Express" Train Partnership:
We will explore formal agreements with Metro-North to potentially offer special weekend trains and bundled tickets, making public transit the easiest way to arrive.
3. Residential Parking Permits:
We will work on a comprehensive plan to ease the traffic and parking burden on residents in all neighborhoods, including the implementation of residential parking permits at Edge on Hudson.
Improved Visitor Infrastructure:
1. Public Restrooms:
We will prioritize installing permanent or high-quality temporary public restrooms in key locations (e.g., Patriots Park, Beekman Avenue) – a basic necessity that is currently lacking.
2. Sleepy Hollow Common as a Hub:
Once completed, the Sleepy Hollow Common will be a central, safe staging area for events, music, vendors, and food trucks, easily accessible from both train stations and a proposed new walking trail.
3. A New Visitor Center:
We will explore establishing a visitor center to provide maps, guidance, merchandise, and accessible parking.
Fairer Funding Model:
We will actively pursue a higher share of sales taxes from New York State and Westchester County that reflects the significant tourism revenue and related expenses our village incurs. This ensures visitors contribute more directly to covering the costs of the season, reducing the burden on our taxpayers.
Pedestrian-Friendly Spaces:
We will propose a seasonal pedestrian mall on Beekman Avenue during busy October weekends, making it safer and more enjoyable to walk, and supporting our local businesses.
Our Commitment to Sleepy Hollow:
The goal of these initiatives is clear: to better manage the influx of tourists, enable residents to live their lives without constant interruption, enhance economic development for our local businesses, create a more robust tourist infrastructure, and ensure a safe and "spooky good time" for everyone.
We believe that with smart, proactive planning – like the lessons learned from Salem – Sleepy Hollow can continue to grow as a beloved destination while prioritizing the quality of life and safety of its residents. We are committed to an open dialogue and
encourage your feedback as we work to build a better Halloween season for our Sleepy Hollow.