Comments on: Suffolk County Executive Still Picks "Moving Cars" over Safety

By: Comments on NYMTC Long-Range Plan Due This Month « Mobilizing the Region

Comments on NYMTC Long-Range Plan Due This Month « Mobilizing the Region — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:57:27 +0000

[...] lengthy appendix includes even more projects. As usual, Suffolk County stands out by calling for 11 road widenings while other counties are reconstructing [...]

By: Clark Morris

Clark Morris — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:59:47 +0000

The priority is to provide the most economical way to move goods and people. In this case, could there be changes to the road that better speed buses making them a viable alternative? If there is a proposal for adding lanes, would a single track light rail with passing sidings attract the 1900 people per hour per direction in the peak needed to make it a viable option? Would encouragement of walking and biking change the modal split and provide transportation opportunities? Would full fare integration between all MTA supported agencies (LIRR, the various Long Island bus companies, etc.) encourage people to shift from driving for at least some trips? Would provision of bike and pedestrian facilities allow parents to send their children to some activities rather than driving them? Maybe we should tighten vehicle emission standards and enforce them.

By: Howard Cohen

Howard Cohen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:35:11 +0000

I think we should build safe highways for vehicles. Whatever that takes.
Once that is complete, we can look at safe inhancements for bikes, walk ways and even more buses.

But highway and roads are for vehicles

You want to exercise, don’t do it on a highway go to a gym or take a ride on an empty country road.

This way there is a good chance you will make it home that day,

There are over 750 bike deaths a year.
And over 500,000 emergency rooms visits from bike accidents.

why would anyone want to walk or ride with all the emissions that cars file the air with?

By: Jared

Jared — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:27:16 +0000

There’s nothing outdated about my views. Your the pompous one who is pie in the sky. Theres a lots of cars out there and they need a safe road to be on. No one travels to work on CR 58 by bike. CR 58 needs to be brought up to date to accomodate the new traffic at miniaml cost, and thats what Suffolk Cty is responsible enough to try to do.

I bike quite a lot, on bike paths. I love bike riding, probably more than you. Set up a bike routes on the North fork, parallel to CR 58, with all the striping that is required. But when people want to drive to work or pleasure on the North Fork, go to Riverhead downtown, they need a CR 58 that is not a bottleneck, creating extra polution. No one is talking about making this a new Sound Ave, just making the traffic on CR 58 flow as efficiently as possible. Suffolk County did this in Southampton, and thats all they want to do here.

Eric Alexander is a committee of one, who writes very well. Where does he have the authority to dictate policy to Suffolk County, or anyone else?

By: James

James — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:51:41 +0000

Jared, your outdated windshield perspective is unfortunate. The roads are so dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians BECAUSE adequate facilities for non-motorized transportation have not provided. It isn’t excuse to force them to utilize “back roads” that may or may not connect useful points of interest. Given all the growth planned for Suffolk County over the next few decades, how much sense does it make to accommodate this growth in a way that caters solely to the needs of motor vehicles, to the exclusion of all else?

By: Jared

Jared — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:26:08 +0000

Mr. Levy is courageous to tell it like it is. Have you even been on CR58, a road built 60 years ago, when there were only potatoes and farmers on the north fork?Its a slow disaster

Yes there are bikers in Suffolk County, but this busy road in a small space is not the place for them. Better if they can move bucolically thru the back roads of the north fork, thru the current farms. Whats wrong with that?

And please stop using this data nonsense of an aging population in Suffolk. I don’t see too many 70 yr olds on bikes these days, especailly on busy roads that are dangerous for bicycles. The seniors use cars like the rest of us

And reduce congestion in the long term?.. yes this CR improvement will work for 20 years…Ill take it.
Suffolk County did a great job on the south fork thru Southampton with Eric Alexaders advice, and they will do a great job here again

By: Clark Morris

Clark Morris — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:33:37 +0000

Someone should educate Mr. Levy that the goal of transportation is to move goods and people, not vehicles be they bikes, cars, buses, streetcars or commuter rail cars. The vehicles are are the tools and automobiles are not necessarily the best tools.