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NYSDOT Making Pedestrian Safety Progress Along Hempstead Turnpike

After years of consistently being named the most deadly road for pedestrians in the region, Hempstead Turnpike has finally been getting the treatment it deserves from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Last year, NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald announced both short and long-term solutions to make the lethal roadway safer for all users, and implementation of some safety measures began in September. And while there have been some Sandy-related delays, many of the safety improvements are close to implementation, including:

  • installation of raised medians at eight locations
  • relocation of six NICE bus stops closer to crosswalks
  • addition of five new crosswalks and
  • altering traffic signals to calm traffic

While the DOT deserves applause for addressing pedestrian safety along the 16 mile corridor, one idea that should go back to the drawing board is the installation of fencing along a 1000-foot median near the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. NYSDOT claims the measure is necessary to prevent so-called “jaywalking” by making the fenced section impossible to cross.

But fencing doesn’t just limit pedestrian access, it also reinforces the notion that the road is too deadly to cross. A smarter way to address pedestrian safety for this stretch of Hempstead Turnpike would be to implement raised landscaped medians instead of fencing, and install additional mid-block crossings in areas with particularly long distances between signalized intersections. Doing so will not only help calm traffic and increase safety for all users of the road, but enhance pedestrian mobility as opposed to limiting it.

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[…] NY State DOT Installs Pedestrian Safety Improvements on L.I.’s Hempstead Turnpike (TSTC) […]

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[…] stretch of roadway. After years of advocacy, in 2012 NYSDOT began to make Hempstead Turnpike safer for pedestrians by adding raised medians and crosswalks, relocating bus stops closer to crosswalks and altering […]

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[…] stretch of roadway. After years of advocacy, in 2012 NYSDOT began to make Hempstead Turnpike safer for pedestrians by adding raised medians and crosswalks, relocating bus stops closer to crosswalks and altering […]

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[…] as well as specific intersections. The first of those efforts is under way on Hempstead Turnpike. A study of changes that could be made to Sunrise Highway, primarily in Nassau, is under way and […]

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[…] safety and livable communities advocates, NYS DOT began implementing a number of safety improvements, such as raised medians, new crosswalks, and better pedestrian crossing […]

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[…] its efforts to make Hempstead Turnpike safer for pedestrians, the New York State Department of Transportation […]

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[…] pedestrians for five consecutive years, is finally getting the treatment it deserves. In September, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) began installing raised […]

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[…] is making progress on some of Long Island’s most dangerous thoroughfares — Hempstead Turnpike, one of the region’s most dangerous roads, is getting much-needed safety upgrades, and […]

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[…] most dangerous  road for pedestrians in downstate New York. NYSDOT is to be commended for their recent attention to Hempstead Turnpike, which was spurred in part by substantial media coverage of the crashes. […]

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[…] where fatalities are clustered, an even stronger case can be made for critical changes like better pedestrian crossings, traffic calming measures and enhanced speed enforcement strategies, while also advocating for […]

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[…] follow the lead of universities — they should also leverage their good work. For example, Hempstead Turnpike, one of the region’s most dangerous roads for walking, runs right through the Hofstra campus. […]

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[…] near the site of a fatal crash in an attempt to “deter unsafe crossings.” As MTR has pointed out before, using physical barriers to prevent pedestrians from crossing sends a message that pedestrians […]

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[…] of providing a buffer would be to reposition existing guardrails wherever possible — though we feel that this would only serve to reinforce the notion that the roadway is a deadly place and […]

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[…] and biking. In Region 10 on Long Island, where NYSDOT has made a point to highlight pedestrian safety improvements to Hempstead Turnpike, planned spending over the next four years as a percent of total transportation dollars […]

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