By Andrew Coen
Residents will get the opportunity to have a say in how to improve the traffic conditions at the complicated and confusing Hewlett intersection during a public forum scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library.
Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside), whose 7th district encompasses Hewlett, will be the host for the forum seeking community input on an upcoming traffic study to improve the triangle. Toback will join representatives from the Nassau County Traffic Engineering Department, Planning Department and Eschbacher Engineering for a presentation and discussion of the traffic study in an effort to alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow patterns affecting West Broadway and Broadway.
Toback said the collaborative effort aims at finding viable solutions to the problem. ìThis meeting is designed to solicit input to see how different people in the community view the problem,î said Toback. Toback said heís hopeful the county will have a plan to address problems resulting from the timing of the traffic lights by late spring, when he will return to the public for opinions.
ìI think everyone agrees that the intersection negatively impacts the quality of life in the community and something needs to be done as soon as possible,î Toback added.
The upcoming engineering study of the Hewlett triangle comes after years of complaints by local residents and an acknowledgment by elected officials that the tri-intersection has one of the most complex traffic patterns in the county. Toback said officials would like to figure out ways to relieve congestion while maintaining the safety of pedestrians and motorists.
Some improvements have been made in the past, with the implementation of turn lanes and crosswalks in front of Burger King and the reconfiguration of traffic light signals in 2003 in an effort to increase safety for Hewlett High School students who cross the streets during lunchtime. The safety measures were in response to three Hewlett students being struck by cars near the school on Everit Avenue in separate incidents over a few weeksí span in 2002.
Hewlett-Woodmere School District officials did not wish to comment on the upcoming meeting or traffic study.
In late 2004, after more than 400 petitions were gathered by Village of Hewlett Harbor Trustee Mark Weiss expressing displeasure with the traffic delays at the triangle, Toback met at the intersection with Hewlett High School PTA leaders and Hempstead Town officials during the busiest time of day for traffic to inspect the conditions first-hand.
The intersections of Broadway, Piermont Avenue,
West Broadway and even Harris Avenue have a combined eight traffic phases or cycles, lasting 20 seconds per cycle, including one 20-second period in which all traffic is stopped so pedestrians can cross the street. By the time all phases have been completed, traffic is backed up for blocks, officials said.
Weiss said one of the reasons he decided to get involved was a feeling of frustration he sensed in the Hewlett business community that the traffic was resulting in a loss of business because shoppers were avoiding the area. He also said the triangleís problems have produced more traffic in Hewlett Harbor because drivers were avoiding the congested area.
ìWe have a quality of life issue, a safety issue and a commerce issue,î said Weiss. ìYou have to be able to get in and out of the community in order to be an attractive community.î
Suggestions from community leaders have included moving the bus stop from the southwest corner of Broadway and Franklin Avenue to the southeast corner, and installing pedestrian barriers - similar to those in Manhattan - to prevent students crossing in the middle of the street.
Police officials have also offered to visit Hewlett-Woodmere
schools to conduct programs on pedestrian safety.
The Feb. 28 meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 1125 Broadway in Hewlett. In the event of bad weather that day, the makeup date will be March 6. For further information on the meeting, call (516) 571-6227.
Comments about this story? Acoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
