The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, elected officials and Vision Long Island celebrated one of the first projects completed under NY State DOT’s "Local Safe Streets and Traffic Calming" program last week at the Barstow Roundabout in Great Neck.

The Tri-State Campaign, along with other groups, helped the DOT create the program in 1999; the same year pedestrian deaths in Suffolk and Nassau County ranked one and two for traffic deaths among all NY State counties outside of NYC.

An old roundabout at Barstow road had operational and safety problems. Large pavement width made pedestrian crossing long and difficult, and cars were parking too close to and in the intersections. The new modern roundabout is complete with pedestrian barriers and new shorter crosswalks.

Nassau County Legislator Lisanne Altmann said, "Having lived in Great Neck since I was high school, I was skeptical that a new roundabout could solve the traffic problems at this intersection, but I was wrong. Not only has this roundabout improved traffic, it has made it much safer for pedestrians. Mayor Jean Celender deserves high praise for her forward thinking regarding this project."

Each year NY State DOT gives $2.7 million to town and county governments in Long Island for traffic calming projects, totaling $12 million to date. Towns and counties must apply to DOT for the funds. If a project is selected, it is funded at a 90% level. Other towns, such as Glen Cove, North Hempstead, and Huntington are building speed humps, raised medians, sidewalks and other cycling and walking infrastructure.

The Tri-State Campaign and Vision Long Island offer these recommendations for the program:

1. Offer more funding: $2.7 million dollars in not enough to fund requests from towns. In just a few years, the program has become popular, and annual requests are more than the program can pay for.

2. Create easier applications and allow a longer application period: the current application is too complicated, requiring cumbersome material like videotapes over a short application period. Towns have informed us that some requirements, like traffic counts, speed data, or air quality data should be part of the project itself, not the application.

3. Provide more assistance: Many traffic calming projects require changes to other street infrastructure, like power lines or water pipes. DOT should provide more assistance to grantees in dealing with the responsible agencies.
4. Incorporate a public education aspect: Public education and community outreach about the benefits and function of traffic calming projects is a necessary component of a successful project.

"The reauthorization of the Dept. of Transportation’s capital program in 2005 provides a good opportunity to renew the program and increase the funding for traffic calming on Long Island," said Kate Slevin, Tri-State Campaign associate director.

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