By:Chris Munzing
Legislator Denise Ford said Tuesday that changes could be coming to the dangerous stretch of road that connects Long Beach and Point Lookout.
Omar Ortega, of 573 Sandhill Road in Wantagh, was traveling westbound on his 2000 Suzuki motorcycle when, police say, he lost control of the bike, struck a curb and hit the pole on the north side of the six-lane road, just east of Greenway Road. The Point Lookout/Lido Fire Department responded to the accident scene, where Ortega was pronounced dead, police report. The motorcycle was impounded for brake and safety checks.
Ortega's death is another in a long line of accidents on Lido Boulevard. One resident whose backyard borders the road said the accident was nothing new to area residents. "I'm not even surprised anymore," said the resident, who declined to be identified. "They need to do something about all of the speeding and the accidents that happen here.
"There was even an accident during all of the police activity for this accident," the woman said. "With all the commotion, people were slowing down to look, and they hit each other."
Ford said she would be meeting with members of Lido Beach's various civic associations and, she hoped, members of the Nassau County Department of Public Works on Monday to discuss the future of the road.
She said that a traffic calming study commissioned by then-Legislator Michael Zapson last fall, which advocated reducing the number of lanes on Lido Boulevard from six to four, would be examined. The study also suggested a raised median with trees and a bicycle lane. Ford said, however, that after talks with fire and police officials, it was determined that the number of lanes would likely remain the same. She explained that some of the officials were concerned that their reaction time to emergencies would be slowed if there were fewer lanes, and that traffic jams on high-volume days during the summer could become much worse.
One feature of Zapson's plan that Ford would like to see included, however, is the raised grass median. This would make the road seem smaller and force people to slow down, without greatly hindering rescue efforts.
In addition to a median, Ford has advocated a plan which would also include better lighting on the street, more signs alerting drivers to the speed limits, more traffic lights and a larger police presence. "I firmly believe that better traffic signals and better signs will slow cars down," she said. "And we need enforcement from the police. People will slow down if they see a police car."
Ford added that $300,000 was budgeted for improvements to Lido Boulevard, and that it's just a matter of figuring out what to do with it. "We have to come to a consensus, and then just keep up the pressure until something is done," she said.
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