Could the future of Route 347 look like this?
NYSDOT’s Region 10 (the Long Island office) will be holding an open house next Thursday, January 29 from 4 to 9 pm to present and receive comment on the Vision Plan for a ‘Green’ Route 347. The open house will be held at the State Office Building in Hauppauge, 250 Veterans Memorial Highway. A formal presentation of the plan will take place at 6 pm.
This open house could be a turning point for Region 10, which introduced an old-fashioned plan to significantly widen Rt. 347 in Suffolk County about a decade ago. That plan has faced stiff opposition for its entire life on the drawing board and has evolved into a project that no one supports.
It is anticipated that the project team will introduce a vision that will incorporate land use and change the scale of the roadway through tree plantings, a planted median, a buffered bike lane, and new crosswalk design. It seems the Region 10 team, over the past year, has taken community and advocate input to heart in creating a vision of a green corridor with better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.
NYSDOT in Albany has publicly expressed hope that Route 347 could set an example for future road projects by incorporating smart land use decisions and smart growth development. Projects will have to do so to attain high rankings in NYSDOT’s new “Green LITES” sustainability classification system.
Image: From NYSDOT’s “Vision Plan” flyer.
I will be out of town due to travel for my work. While I haven’t studied the detail of this plan, please count my name among those who strongly support some sort of bike lane in the plan. During the warmer months I ride my bike to work 2-3 times per week.
Chris Jacobsen
19 Saltaire Road
Sound Beach, NY 11789
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I would welcome the improvement along rt347. traffic is horrible, you cant cross the street and it looks terrible from the northern state to middle country road. I live along this road and the noise is deafening. I have no light and it could take 10 minutes to make a left turn. I moved here from Queens and I enjoy walking to the stores and bike riding, two things I dare not do here. Trees and ivy covered barriers along with bike lanes would look more inline with the North shore as well as serve a needed purpose.