Improving safety in Garden City through traffic calming

BY CHARLES P. KELLY AND LAWRENCE MARCIANO, VILLAGE TRUSTEES AND MEMBERS OF THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION

Traffic Safety in Garden City is a key objective of all residents. In the past 10 months serving on the Traffic Commission in the Village, we have learned what a key role Traffic Calming can play in achieving that goal. With the critical support of Trustee Mary Carter Flanagan, we have made great progress so far.

Most important, over the objections of the current mayor, we passed a village wide satellite study to calm traffic throughout the village focusing on village roads only. That satellite study is now entering its second phase where we are developing concept sketches of traffic calming treatments in the specific locations selected and those will be presented to the Citizen Advisory Committees soon. There, we will obtain citizen input from the advisory committees. It is at this juncture that we examine specific problems on the streets identified by, among other things, qualitative (Survey 1,2,3 and CAC feedback) as well as quantitative data (speeds, volumes, accidents) and special needs (e.g., school bus stops). Then, with expert advice from our traffic consultant and resident input, we select the calming devices that will work best on those streets.

Trustee Flanagan has been the Traffic Commission’s best recruiter of citizens who will work with us, especially of residents from the most impacted streets. For example, cut through traffic is, because of the village’s central location in a county of over a million residents, a significant problem. Nowhere, and at no time, is this more evident than on Wetherill Road in the Mott Section on weekday mornings. Traffic is cutting over from Stewart Avenue to Old Country Road and, of course from Old Country Road through the Mott Section to the Courts and County offices.

Although our vote to place no left hand turn signs on streets intersecting with Old Country Road between Glen Cove Road and Washington Avenue is a start, the satellite study will provide far more targeted remedies to minimize cut through traffic and protect the children at the many bus stops in that area. Traffic calming devices include, but are not limited to, speed humps and chokers. Essentially, traffic calming devices discourage cut through traffic, reduce vehicle speed and protect pedestrians.

Similarly, rush hour traffic on Tanners Pond Road is a significant challenge. The traffic there is substantial and fast. Although we need more input from residents on that road, the volunteer from that area has made it clear that traffic calming devices would be most welcome there. A few speed humps can go a long way in making utilizing a road for cut through traffic, or even rush hour traffic, on a road less attractive. In addition, Tanners Pond Road has an “intersection” that has many challenges, specifically Newmarket Road and Tanners Pond Road which is coupled with the east exit road from Nassau Haven, Fenimore Road.

Whatever traffic calming device is selected for this intersection will certainly make the road less attractive as a rush hour street and as a cut through street. However, it will make the intersection safer for drivers and pedestrians. The Traffic Commission is approaching a challenging time when decisions will be made at meetings on remedies that will be expensive. We invite all residents to participate in these meetings.

The Traffic Commission has established pedestrian safety as the top priority under the traffic safety umbrella. Some remedies to enhance pedestrian safety will be expensive (e.g., multiple speed humps or a choker on a Village street) but some will not. For example, Trustee Flanagan has led our efforts to protect Middle School students walking from school to the library. Specifically, prompted by a request from the PTA, we have voted to put in better signage for students crossing from the school to the administration building.

Far more challenging and troubling is the next pedestrian crossing, across Cathedral Avenue at Seventh Street. This crossing is especially problematic because it involves crossing a T intersection when some traffic (westbound) has a green light. We are currently considering seeking a signal change from the County to include an “all red” segment. Meanwhile, we are considering a no right turn on red for north bound traffic to solve part of the problem. Thanks to Commissioner Jackson and other village employees, signage there has been improved in the last week.

Another example, parking at the Raymond Court Parking Lot was restricted to those events that were so popular that the Stewart School and Stewart Field parking lots were full and, therefore, parking at the RCPL was necessary. By controlling the times the RCPL was used and with the Recreation Department providing open gates and easy access to the fields from the Stewart School Parking Lot and a Police Officer guaranteeing parking was done properly in the Stewart Field Parking Lot, the impact of the RCPL on residents was minimized. Indeed, For the last six months (180 days), the permitted use under this standard amounted to 9 Sunday morning Thunder football games/events.

Residents should be clear that There are a number of areas that will be decided as part of the Traffic Commission’s Village Wide Plan for Traffic Safety to be issued this year. First, the priorities within the continued implementation of the Numbered Streets Study which has begun with the changes underway to the Dunkin’ Donuts crossing on 7th Street, the changes to the Village hall crosswalk on Stewart Avenue (8th Street) and the new signage at Fourth Street and Hilton Avenue.

Second, the finalization and discussions on implementation of the Cathedral Avenue Study which is a key part of Village traffic calming and safety.

Third, the final presentation of the Satellite Study’s targeted areas and votes on implementation of calming devices on those village streets.

Fourth, a decision on whether or not to Commission a County Roads study to formulate a comprehensive Village approach which determines what steps can be taken on these roads (e.g., New Hyde park road, old country road, Clinton road) to calm traffic there (e.g. reducing speed limits, banning or limiting truck traffic) consistent with the village’s rights and obligations under state law and in concert with adjoining municipalities.

Fifth, scheduling a public hearing to solicit input on the implementation of the County Proposal for the Rockaway Avenue/Merrillon Avenue interchange at the High School. Sixth, decide whether to obtain cost estimates for narrowing Stewart Avenue to two lanes by greening the right lane (except as it approaches Clinton Road eastbound and Franklin Avenue westbound as turn lanes are needed at those locations) and providing protected parking at the apartment buildings on the south side (east bound traffic).

We should note that these examples are only illustrative as we intend to cover all village streets in these traffic studies.

As we near the end of our first year on the Traffic Commission, we thank Trustees Digan and Flanagan for their work in making drivers and pedestrians safer in the village.