By JEFF LIPTON
The county initially stated that the study could be completed by early July, but traffic engineering officials said it could take another month to gather the necessary data.
Harold Lutz, the county¹s head of traffic engineering, said the county sent a letter to the Town of Hempstead requesting a copy of the study it did that led to the installation of the stop signs. ³That¹ll take some time, going over the accident data,² Lutz said.
But some residents said they don¹t have that much time, because the start of school, when traffic will be heaviest once again, is a little more than a month away. Some motorists contend that the stop signs have increased congestion considerably on an already heavily traveled road, saying that ever since they were installed a few blocks from Oceanside High School last September, traffic has been backed up, causing delays of up to 20 minutes on some blocks.
As a result, some area residents have requested the replacement of the stop signs with the installation of a traffic light at Waukena and Ocean avenues, one that would be in sync with the signal at Park Avenue.
³I don¹t know why they keep stalling on this,² said Holly Xerri, a resident of Frederick Street, off Waukena, who strongly favors a traffic light. She has said that a normally two-minute ride from her block to Oceanside Road now takes about 20 minutes.
³I wouldn¹t call it stalling, I would call it bureaucracy,² said her husband, Ray. ³It¹s been going on for a long time.²
He said that he and his wife have complained about the traffic delays since the end of last fall. He added that he doesn¹t understand why the town is in charge of installing stop signs and the county has jurisdiction over traffic lights.
³The question for [Nassau County Executive] Tom Suozzi is, Why doesn¹t Nassau County do everything?² said Mr. Xerri. ³Of course I¹m upset. Traffic is all backed up and it all started with the stop signs.²
He said that one of the obstacles may be that the Town of Hempstead is controlled by Republicans and Nassau County by Democrats, and they may not see eye to eye.
Officials said that state law requires that the town be in charge of stop signs and the county oversee traffic lights.
Last year, the Town of Hempstead performed its own traffic study and determined that the Waukena-Ocean intersection warranted stop signs. The town responded to requests from Ocean Avenue residents who wanted to more safely exit their street onto Waukena, because motorists usually obstruct the intersection, particularly during morning and evening rush hours, when they stop for a traffic light one block east, at Park Avenue. According to the town¹s traffic study, 28 accidents had been reported at Waukena and Ocean during a recent seven-year period.
But Holly Xerri disputes those statistics. ³I¹ve never, ever seen an accident over there,² she said.
³I want the stop signs taken down,² she added. ³Why wait for the study with the stop signs up? Why don¹t they wait with them down? If this drags on for another year and nothing happens, it¹ll really start to just ruin the quality of life in this town.²
Several Oceanside residents lodged complaints about the signs during a town hall meeting hosted by Town Councilman Anthony Santino (R-East Rockaway) on June 12. In response to residents who favored a traffic light at the Waukena-Ocean intersection, Santino circulated a petition, which had been signed by 279 residents as of July 19, according to Town of Hempstead spokeswoman Susie Trenkle. The petition stated that the installation of a light was needed ³for the safety, health and welfare of the residents of Oceanside.²
But Trenkle added that more than 70 residents from such streets as Ocean Avenue, Eaton Street and Gentel Street also signed a letter requesting that the stop signs remain up, and sent it to the town attorney¹s office.
Joseph Albiner, a Frederick Street resident, is one who favors keeping the stop signs because, he said, ³It slows down speeders.²
Artie DeGennaro, a Waukena Avenue resident, agreed. ³I¹m glad to see the stop signs because it slows traffic down for people who speed up and down the block,² DeGennaro said. But he admitted that since the stop signs were installed, he has had difficulty getting out of his driveway.
Lutz said that once the county receives the data from the town, the county¹s traffic engineers will complete an independent review. And if the study warrants a traffic signal, it would take months before it is actually installed, officials said.
That¹s not something Holly Xerri wants to hear. ³It doesn¹t make sense that the majority [of residents] have to deal with this because a handful of residents want the stop signs,² she said. ³In the meantime, school is going to start soon, and it¹s going to be really nuts over here once again.²
Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
