By:Carrie James
County's recommendations for Salisbury Park Drive in final stages, officials say
For several months, members of the East Meadow Civic Association's Traffic Safety Task Force have had to sit on their hands, so to speak, because nothing can be done to improve Salisbury Park Drive until Nassau County's Department of Public Works finishes its Salisbury Park Drive Safety Study.
Recently, members of the task force, including county Legis. Dennis Dunne (R-Levittown), met with county officials - including Howard Taylor, counsel for the county executive's office, and Joe Pecora, department of public works commissioner - in hopes that they could convey the importance of completing this report as soon as possible, said Richard Baggs, task force vice president.
"We've been waiting for the recommendations report based on their study and the recommendations we've given them," said Baggs, who studied the road in detail, combing through 10 years of accident reports.
"We can't make any final reports on the roadway without their data," said Robert Zafonte, president of EMCA and the task force. "At this point, we're in a state of flux. The town has responded. The police has responded, but without this report nothing else can be done. We don't have any other road in the county with this many problems."
In October 2000, the task force made an initial report to county and town officials, said Baggs. In February and March, the task force presented a second report after they had examined accident reports that included seven fatalities in a 1.3-mile stretch of Salisbury Park Drive. With that report, the task force asked for 12 road improvements that included such things as improved signage and road markings, more policing and maintenance of possible sight restrictions.
Since that report, the county has implemented two safety improvements to the road, said John Zaher, spokesman for the county executive's office.
"This study will make several recommendations to improve the roadway's safety," Zaher said. "Some of them have already been implemented. The county replaced the traffic signals [Carman Avenue and Salisbury Park Drive] and also installed speed-limit pavement markings on the roadway."
The report is in its final stages and should be ready for release by the Department of Public Works commissioner at the end of July, Zaher said.
As part of the department's study, Zaher said, county traffic engineers reviewed all pavement signs, did a traffic count, looked at accident data and traffic-control devices on Salisbury Park Drive and any connecting streets, including Carman and Stewart avenues.
The task force found in its report that more than 500 accidents occurred on Salisbury Park Drive between 1990 and 1999, with 68 percent of them involving injuries. Of those accidents, 37 percent occurred at night between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m., and 28 percent over weekends.
Since the report's release in February, the task force has received support and assistance from the police department and the Town of Hempstead, Zafonte said.
"The three things we asked for from the town we got them and in a very timely manor," he said. "The sight issues have all been taken care of, and they have helped with safety."
The police department has increased patrols in the area, and in three months, officers have issued roughly 300 summonses, with 60 percent related to speeding charges.
"We're really seeing the beginning of what we hope is aggressive policing," Baggs said.
Even with the few improvements that have occurred since the task force first brought the issue out, town Councilman Gary Hudes said people are taking notice and slowing down.
Many people who use the road to travel between Levittown and Westbury, Hudes said, have gotten the word that they should slow down on Salisbury Park Drive because of the police enforcement.
"The police have really done a good job of making people aware of the speed limit," Hudes said. "The disappointing part is that we are still waiting for DPW's [Department of Public Works of Nassau County] recommendations. We can't say the county hasn't done anything ... but the question is and what is frustrating is the time it's taken DPW to release recommendations so we can continue to make improvements on the roadway."
Since the road is county owned, Hudes added that the Town of Hempstead can't implement any changes without a recommendation from the county.
"The town is ready to act on the recommendations to help Salisbury Park Drive, but first they have to release the report," Hudes said.
