Community leaders and municipal officials joined with planning consultants in the Coram/Middle Island area of Suffolk County over the past few weeks to articulate a new vision for NY Route 25.

The road is one of several highways within the town of Brookhaven that the NY State DOT would like to widen.  Civic leaders have pressed DOT to consider traffic calming and a more pedestrian-friendly approach for years, without much success.

With the series of open meetings and site visits that the new visioning process set in motion, the community has essentially seized the planning initiative itself.  The DOT sent a representative to the sessions, but was not a leader in eliciting local preferences.  Sessions were attended by town council members and by Brookhaven Supervisor John LaValle. Municipal buy-in to a “new urbanist”-style plan that pedestrian attractions, good architectural design standards and a balanced view of the road’s transportation, economic and social functions will go a long way to winning overall agreement for a solution that does not significantly add capacity to Route 25 and fuel sprawl development in the area. 

Other highways the DOT would like to widen in Brookhaven are NY Routes 347 and 112.Thecounty aims to expand Suffolk Route 16 in the town.

Connie Kepert of the Longwood Alliance and the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization and Town Councilmember Eugene Gerrard were leaders in the effort.  Vision Long Island developed the process and engaged the planning consultants.

The community’s vision will be available on-line shortly at middlecountryrdproject.com. 

Brookhaven Groups Not Waiting for DOT ( May 28, 2001)

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