By Nicole Falco
Parents and District 24 officials lined either side of Mill Road outside the Robert W. Carbonaro School last Friday morning, imploring drivers to adhere to the 20-mph speed limit. Even as the concerned residents and officials rallied, a motorist was issued a speeding ticket by one of two patrol cars at the scene.
"It's awful," said Lorraine Pergola, a Carbonaro parent. "The crossing guard fights with people, she pleads with them to slow down, and the next day they speed right past her again."
While the recent accident occurred after school hours, Renee Socci, PTA co-president, described Mill Road as "absolute chaos" throughout the day. "There are parents who live down the street who drive their kids to school so they can get them to school safely," Socci said.
The accident rekindled bad memories for one Valley Stream parent. Eleven years ago to the day, Sarajean Grainson's son, Nicholas Piazza, was struck on Mill Road as he and three friends walked home from South High School. "He was walking with three boys, she was walking with three girls," Grainson said. "They both got hit by small black cars within 11 years of each other on the same day, three hours difference.
"We all did this 11 years ago," Grainson said of the rally. "That's what makes this so disgusting."
Piazza, now 27, has had seven surgeries since the accident, and will require an eighth to repair the damage done to his leg.
Elected officials respond
The community's elected officials, including village Mayor Edward Cahill, Town Councilman James Darcy, county Legislator Francis X. Becker, state Assemblyman Bob Barra and state Sen. Dean Skelos rallied alongside parents and school officials, including Dr. Edward Fale, District 24 superintendent, Dr. Lisa Conte, Carbonaro principal, and Board of Education trustees Carole Meaney, Ian Wraith, Paul DePace and Larry Trogel.
Mill Road falls under Nassau County's jurisdiction. Becker said that the county has tried a number of things over the years to make the road safer and deter speeding, including putting up 20 mph signs to denote a school zone and reconfiguring Mill Road at Ivy Place to include a turn lane for drivers making a left onto Hungry Harbor Road. The county has considered adding traffic lights and speed bumps, but has been reluctant to do so because those measures could prove to be counterproductive, Becker said.
"The bottom line in many cases is it comes down to enforcement, but because we have a shortage of police officers, we can't have as much enforcement," he said. "The best deterrent is to have police officers giving out tickets."
Councilman Darcy, who was instrumental in getting digital speed monitors installed on either side of Mill Road near the school, agrees that enforcement is the best deterrent, but still believes the county can do more. "How about rumble strips, not necessarily deep ones?" he asked.
Mayor Cahill, who lives near Mill Road, recalled that when he first moved to Valley Stream 40 years ago, police would use portable stop signs on Mill Road at Wood Lane and Hollywood Avenue.
According to Dr. Conte, the school participated in the Nassau County Walk to School Pilot Program, last year, to address the issue of speeding. A study was done and it indicated that there is a definite need for "intervention at the intersections and roadways" around the school. A follow-up study was done by the RBA Group, a consultant firm for the state Department of Transportation. Possible long- and short-term solutions were developed, but the school is awaiting further direction from the state, Conte said.
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
