TSTC conducted a study last month to measure speeding motorists on two sections of Sunrise Highway (NY State Route 27) in Freeport, Long Island. Using a radar gun, TSTC clocked motorists travelling westbound during the morning rush hour, first where Sunrise Highway intersects Benson Place, and then where it intersects Guy Lombardo Avenue. Readings were taken between 8:25 and 8:45 a.m. and between 9:00 and 9:25 a.m., respectively.

The first location has a 40 mph speed limit and sits just outside of a reduced speed limit zone as motorists approach Freeport’s commercial corridor. The second location is located right in the heart of Freeport’s downtown, with a posted speed limit of 30 mph. At both locations, Route 27 is a six-lane major arterial roadway that serves local and through traffic along Nassau County’s south shore.

The results of the study found the following:

Overall, more than 80 percent of motorists drove faster than legally permitted. At Guy Lombardo Avenue (30 mph speed limit), average speeds were slightly lower than they were at Benson Place (40 mph speed limit), but not slow enough; nearly all drivers (96.8 percent) drove faster than the posted 30 mph limit.

These results are far from surprising. Sunrise Highway was found to be the second most dangerous road for pedestrians in Nassau County between 2009 and 2011 (and the third most dangerous road in Suffolk County during the same period). Making matters worse for areas like downtown Freeport, these observations occurred during a morning rush hour, a time of relatively high road congestion. It is likely that drivers speed through Freeport on Sunrise Highway at even greater speeds during off-hours (i.e. weekday middays and late nights) when the road is less congested.

Study after study has shown that higher speeds are linked to higher pedestrian fatality rates. Thankfully, according to the New York State Department of Transportation, as well as the recently released Transportation Improvement Program amendment, efforts to reduce excessive speeding on Sunrise Highway in Nassau County may be underway. Unfortunately, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has yet to engage stakeholders along the corridor to come up with a plan that matches the vision of local communities. Leaders have been pursuing revitalization projects in downtowns like Freeport for years in the hopes that these projects will generate additional foot traffic, support local businesses, reduce congestion and enhance the local quality of life.

NYSDOT has made good progress on another of Long Island’s most dangerous roads, Hempstead Turnpike, but the Department failed to engage community members during the design process, leading to complaints about pedestrian fencing that limits pedestrian access along stretches of the corridor. In order to create a community-led vision that addresses the high speeding issues along Sunrise Highway, NYSDOT must engage with local stakeholders first.

Special thanks to Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors for his assistance in this project.