By Nick Buglione
Though his weekly drive to Parkway Community Church, on Stewart Avenue in nearby Hicksville, usually takes just five minutes, road closures associated with the Long Island Marathon forced Cardozo to take an alternative, out-of-the-way route packed with redirected cars.
"Last year, you could go east and west on Carman Avenue when there were breaks in runners," Cardozo said. "This year you couldn't. The side streets had a lot of traffic of just people looking to get out."
Similar complaints were filed by other residents and business owners throughout Salisbury in the days after the marathon, which now features a route that includes more local streets, particularly in the East Meadow-Salisbury area.
For years, much of the marathon's mileage unfolded on a back-and-forth trip on the Wantagh Parkway. But runners complained that the route was boring, and county officials, interested in bolstering the event's popularity, agreed that it wasn't spectator-friendly.
So, in 2004, the route was changed to encompass more surface streets, including a winding run through the so-called Hub, an area Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi has been extensively publicizing for revitalization. Citing traffic, safety and sanitation concerns, East Meadow community leaders initially expressed reservations about the new route, though last year's marathon went off without a hitch.
This year, however, residents complained that stretches of major roads like Carman Avenue and Salisbury Park Drive were shut down completely until as late as 2 p.m., unlike last year, when travel was limited only intermittently, depending on the flow of runners.
What's more, residents said they were given little notice about the closures this year. "We had a lot of complaints, especially from the elderly people," said Pat Brace, who lives on Middle Lane in Salisbury. "Everything we get is at the stores on Carman Avenue or up on the turnpike, and there was no way to get to either. There were a lot of grumbles, especially on that day."
Helen Meittinis, president of the Community Association of Stewart Avenue, a Salisbury civic group, said closures from the marathon cost businesses on Carman Avenue dearly. "They took a hit and suffered financial losses," Meittinis said, noting that employees couldn't get to work and patrons couldn't shop. "Some of them were forced to close because of the loss of business."
Meittinis also said the marathon raised safety concerns, considering that Nassau University Medical Center and Nassau County jail, home to the county Office of Emergency Management, are situated on the stretch of Carman Avenue that was closed for the duration of the race.
NUMC spokeswoman Shelley Lotenberg said the marathon didn't impact hospital operations. "I did not receive any complaints or calls of disruptions of service," she said.
Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) said she received a number of complaints about the marathon. "There was no real communication," Gonsalves said. "We were told the route was going to be the same as last year, and we didn't get any complaints last year."
Soccer and baseball games scheduled for the fields on Salisbury Park Drive and Carman Avenue had to be canceled this year, and residents of the Knolls, a senior community on Salisbury Park Drive, couldn't leave their homes for hours. "People were prisoners in their own homes," Gonsalves said. "I'm hoping that next year [marathon officials] come back to us [to talk about the route]."
Ted Bial, marathon director, said extensive efforts were made to notify businesses and homeowners of the race. "In the beginning of March, I sent out a letter to 160 or 170 businesses along the whole race route," he said. "Signs went up at least three to four weeks on Carman Avenue before the race. Falling short of knocking on everyone's door, I don't know what else we could do."
Bial added that the police department decides when roads are closed and reopened. "Is it an inconvenience for the people who live along Carman Avenue?" he said. "I'm sure it is."
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
