| Issue 53 | September 29, 1995 |
Little Opposition at Long Island HOV Hearing
While a small number of Roslyn area residents mounted feisty opposition to plans for extending the Long Island Expressway's carpool, or "high-occupancy vehicle" (HOV) lane at a public hearing in Lake Success last week, they were outnumbered by 350 construction workers who attended to support the project. The Long Island Association -- a major business group -- also strongly backed the highway expansion. The Department of Tranportation plans to build a $500 million pair of HOV lanes (west- and east-bound) extending the existing Suffolk HOV lanes into Nassau and further eastward in Suffolk. Critics point to the existing lane's lackluster performance. A report issued last Spring by a DOT consultant said usage of Suffolk's HOV lane had dwindled since its opening, though a recent letter from NY DOT Region 10 director Ed Petrou to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said that the lane had achieved record usage this August. Time will tell if this summer's surge is a phenomenon of vacation traffic or not. A recent survey of county political candidates found that only about 8% of Suffolk incumbents and challengers felt HOV lanes were worthwhile means to fight traffic congestion. 70% of Nassau candidates favored more public transit. Formal comments on the project will be accepted until Oct. 10: NYSDOT, Veterans Mem. Hwy, Hauppauge, NY 11788 Newsday
