Residents decry state of roads in Franklin Square

"It's like going through a minefield! Most of these avenues -minefield! Meacham Avenue - minefield! Everywhere it's destroyed!" That was how Nicholas Anjos, an Eastern Meat Farms deli clerk, described the roads in Franklin Square. 

Anjos and other Franklin Square residents say that many roads throughout the community have   potholes, cracks and other damage that make them frustrating and unsafe to drive on. There are even sections of road that are unpaved, they say.

Among the roads that residents are talking about are Franklin Avenue, Palermo Court, Scherer Boulevard, New Hyde Park Road and Dogwood Avenue. Several roads, such as Dutch Broadway, have not been repaired for a number of years - work was last done on Dutch Broadway in 2009. Residents say they want to know when Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead will act to repair the roads - and why nothing has been done already. 

According to Mary Studdert, of the Nassau County Department of Public Works, the average lifespan of a road before it requires repaving is 10 to 15 years. But a number of Franklin Square residents interviewed by the Herald said that several local roads started to show signs of significant wear and tear long before this benchmark.  

"I agree 100 percent that the roads in Franklin Square need to be repaved," said resident Phil Cerafice. "The areas I think are bad are Scherer Boulevard, from Franklin Avenue to Hempstead Turnpike, and Franklin Avenue, between Hempstead Turnpike to the light by Meat Farms. Taxes are high enough. There's no excuse why the roads in Nassau County should ever get this bad." 

 "We're paying taxes, so what are the results?" Anjos asked. "We should have a little more road work, and I've heard that some schools are losing out on their programs and stuff like that. If the money isn't going to the schools, and it's not going to the roads, where is it going?" 

In response, county officials said thatNassau's road maintenance budget for 2017 is about $3.6 million, but residents must remember that the county handles  only major thoroughfares, such as Merrick Road, while towns and villages maintain local roads, and the state is responsible for parkways and highways.

According to the Town of Hempstead website, the town maintains 1,200 miles of roads and 143 parking lots. Residents "rely on the [town] Highway Department to keep them moving," the site states. Road maintenance includes clearing leaves from catch basins that collect rain,  to prevent flooding, as well as clearing fallen trees after storms.

When roads are repaired, many times the fixes don't last, according to Franklin Square resident Peter Sterling. "There are some parts of Fenworth and James Street, they come and patch it all the time, and it keeps opening up," he said. A more permanent solution, rather than a temporary patch, is needed, Sterling added.

The county "administration has an aggressive program to fill potholes throughout Nassau in order to maintain the highest level of safety for vehicles and pedestrians on county roads," Studdert said. "Pothole repairs on Nassau County roadways are made within 24 to 48 hours of being reported. In addition, county employees patrol county roadways to locate and address any issues."

Residents with complaints about the condition of county roads should call the county DPW at (516) 571-6900 or register a complaint through the NassauNow mobile app. To report problems with Town of Hempstead roads, call (516) 489-5000.