By Dana Klosner-Wehner
“This light is long overdue, and it’s perfect timing with the hotels and stores that are coming in,” said Pat Nicolosi, president of the East End Civic Association.
“I think it’s great — we’ve been waiting for it for a long time,” said Veronica Ebhuoma, who lives on Wellington Road. “It’s difficult to cross the street. It’s safer for all the people who live there. A lot of people who live in the community have been fighting for it for a long time.”
Ebhuoma added, “It also makes it safer for motorists making a left turn from Wellington Road onto Hempstead Turnpike going towards Queens. There have been many motor vehicle accidents on the corner of Wellington Road and Hempstead Turnpike over the years. A traffic light will force the motorists on Hempstead Turnpike to stop and give pedestrians an opportunity to cross safely, and motorists on Wellington Road can safely make their left turns — or right turns, as the case may be — onto Hempstead Turnpike.”
“A lot of people saw a need for a light,” said Cheryl Lee, president of the Parkhurst Civic Association. “There were a few incidents when people were trying to make a turn or physically crossing the street. The Parkhurst Civic Association contacted Assemblyman [Tom] Alfano’s office. It’s part of the projected revitalization plan. The fact that it’s happening now is a wonderful idea.”
Alfano made a request for the light to the state Department of Transportation, prompted by residents’ requests to his office and a traffic analysis conducted over the summer by his staff. “I went out with a camera on a Saturday and a Tuesday,” said Scott Cushing, Alfano’s chief of staff. “It was very difficult for people to make a left; they had to cross two lanes of traffic. After consulting with Tom, we wrote a letter to ask people what they wanted. Three hundred fifty letters were hand-delivered to every house. We asked, ‘What do you want to see?’ Residents on Wellington and on Heathcoat were very interested in seeing a light.”
“It was part of our vision plan in terms of better lightage,” said Sandra Smith, chairwoman of the Elmont Coalition for Sustainable Development. “It’s needed for safety reasons for pedestrians as well as cars. ... It’s for the best.”
“This is a traffic pressure point area that is used as an artery for not only the immediate Wellington Road neighborhood, but for the Parkhurst community as well,” Alfano explained. “With the amount of traffic going through the neighborhood area, a traffic signal was needed to keep people safe. ... This is a great win for the neighborhood, and I’m really happy I was able to build this consensus to make this happen.”
The light will be installed in the next three or four months, Cushing said.
Comments about this story? JOConnell@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 206.
