Senator Chuck Schumer Calls On Feds and NYSDOT To Improve Main Street

SCHUMER: DEADLY SMITHTOWN MAIN STREET IN NEED OF LONG OVERDUE REDESIGN; CALLS ON FEDERAL HIGHWAYS ADMINISTRATION AND NYSDOT TO WORK TOGETHER TO BETTER PROTECT PEDESTRIANS AND MAKE SHOPPING IN BUSINESS DISTRICT SAFER

Route 25/25A in the Heart of Smithtown Has Been Site of at Least Three Deaths When Pedestrians Were Crossing Road Over 18 Months; Street Design Threatens Safety of Pedestrians and Puts Strain on Local Businesses

Road’s Narrow Lanes Encourage Dangerous Driving, Obstructing Poles Make Cars Difficult to See, and Wide Lanes Make Crossing Dangerous

Schumer Calls on Federal Highway Administration to Work With New York State DOT to Create New Pedestrian Safety Strategy to Protect Pedestrians and Improve Downtown for Smithtown Businesses

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the New York State Department of Transportation to work with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and coordinate federal and state resources to help create a new pedestrian safety strategy on Route 25/25A (Main Street, Smithtown). Schumer’s call comes in the wake of a slew of pedestrian accidents at the intersection, including the latest in which a 9 year old girl suffered a severe head injury while crossing the street just last month. Schumer noted that there have been three fatalities on the roadway over the last 18 months, making clear that a significant overhaul of the intersection is imperative. In a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan MacDonald and Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, Schumer urged the agencies to work together to launch a new pedestrian safety strategy for the roadway to achieve greater safety for pedestrians and create a downtown that is more walkable and less treacherous.
 
“Walking across Main Street in Smithtown is a dangerous and deadly proposition and it is past time to address this problem plagued road,” said Schumer. “The tragic loss of life we have seen on this dangerous road not only has devastated families, but also has a significant impact on local businesses, by sending the impression it is not safe to shop on Main Street.”
 
Smithtown’s Main Street, like many towns across Long Island, also serves as a major traffic artery known as State Routes 25 and 25A. Although the downtown business community grew along this road, a strategy to accommodate local merchants and patrons did not. In 2009, eleven year-old Courtney Sipes was struck and killed by a hit and run driver while crossing the street. In February, Seamus Byrne, an Afghanistan veteran celebrating his 33rd birthday, was struck by a car as he crossed Main Street. Charles Doonan of Flushing died in August of last year after suffering injuries from being struck on Main Street in January of 2010.
 
This past Sunday, the Courtney Sipes Memorial Foundation sponsored the Smithtown Residents for a Safer Main Street, at the Smithtown Festival Day.  The goal of the organization is to promote safe driver and pedestrian behavior on Main Street and the group collected over 1,000 signatures this past weekend in support of such changes.  Last year, Schumer met with the Sipes family and supporters at the 2010 Smithtown Festival Day.  The Sipes family has been working with the Senator’s office to identify federal support for the desperately needed traffic changes on Main Street.
 
Schumer said that these accidents were due to a number of dangerous structural problems in the roadway that make it dangerous for pedestrians. These problems include: narrow lanes that cause drivers to smash mirrors when passing each other and swerve from lane to lane, encouraging aggressive and deadly driving; utility poles at many crosswalks across Route 25/25A, located within only a foot of the road’s curb, that block the view of pedestrians; and the forty foot width of Route 25 that makes it highly treacherous for pedestrians to cross the road.
 
Today, Schumer called on NYSDOT to tap federal dollars and expertise provided through FHWA to create a new pedestrian strategy for the roadway based on two key objectives – safety for pedestrians and downtown walkability for small businesses and Smithtown merchants. Schumer said that FHWA helps the New York State Department of Transportation administer federally-funded programs and could provide the appropriate technical staff in the coming weeks to help direct the group to resources that enhance pedestrian safety.
 
 
A copy of Schumer’s letter is below. 

Dear Commissioner MacDonald and Administrator Mendez,
 
I write today to urge the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to work with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and coordinate efforts and resources to develop a new pedestrian safety strategy on Route 25/25A (Main Street, Smithtown). This major roadway has been the source of six fatalities in the past seven years. It is imperative that NYSDOT and FHWA deploy the appropriate financial resources and expertise to resolve this outstanding problem.
 
Routes 25/25A in downtown Smithtown consists of four narrow lanes in a high volume pedestrian area. According to local merchants and experts, the lanes are approximately nine feet wide and often results in accidents and near collisions.  Though there does not seem to be one root cause of the aggressive and deadly driving behaviors on this road, it is clear that the current roadway’s structure lends itself to a dangerous pedestrian environment and fosters an unfriendly business climate for downtown merchants.
 
It is my understanding, from local community advocates, that the cross walks that pedestrians use when walking across Route 25/25A are in need of revision. Utility poles located at the many cross walks along Route 25/25A block the view of pedestrians crossing the street. Nearly all of these utility poles are within a foot of the road’s curb and therefore, create a safety hazard for pedestrians looking out for oncoming vehicles. Furthermore, the forty foot width of Route 25 makes it highly treacherous for pedestrians to cross the street. These characteristics, in addition to others, seem to have caused Route 25/25A to be one of the most dangerous roadways for pedestrians in Smithtown.
 
In the past year and a half, three fatalities have occurred on Route 25. In 2009, an eleven year old girl named Courtney Sipes was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. In January 2010, Charles Doonan of Flushing was struck on Main Street and died in August of the injuries sustained in that accident. And this past February, Seamus Byrne, an Afghanistan veteran celebrating his 33rd birthday was struck by a car as he crossed Main Street. It is my hope that these tragic events could be prevented in the future once a new pedestrian safety strategy is implemented on Route 25/25A in Smithtown.
 
A local working group of community, town, county, and state officials has been formed to help address this hazard and consider implementation of a new road design. I would urge the FHWA to coordinate their efforts with NYSDOT and deploy the necessary resources to fix this dangerous roadway. NYSDOT receives substantial support from the FHWA and is the administering agency for federally-funded programs which have the potential to bring significant resources to the local effort to provide a safer roadway in Smithtown and I urge you to explore their use. Additionally, I am requesting that FHWA provide the appropriate technical staff in the coming weeks to help provide guidance to the local group to identify and utilize existing resources to make safety improvements in Smithtown.

Kings Park's Lady Kingsmen Are Long Island Champions

By Anthony Vertucci

In a moment the 2011 Kings Park Lady Kingsmen softball team will treasure for their entire lives they defeated the Seaford Vikings and captured the first Long Island Regional Championship in school history.

Lindsay Taylor carried a perfect game into the sixth inning, picking up the all important 4-2 complete game victory to help send her team to the state championship. Taylor was quick to give credit to her teammates, as she uncharacteristically had no strike outs with all of Seaford’s outs coming from the defense.

“The defense made every play. They got a few hits here and there but we still stayed on top of it and got through it,” said Taylor, whose stellar play has been rewarded with a scholarship to Syracuse University.

Kings Park now heads to Glens Falls to compete for the New York State Championship on Saturday. They will have to win two consecutive games on the same day against different opponents to earn that distinction, but the girls have proven they are up to the challenge. The Lady Kingsmen won their first Suffolk County title by virtue of last week’s 8-2 win over Sayville.

Pulling ahead early proved to be the difference on Tuesday at Martha Avenue Field in Bellport, with three of Kings Park’s four runs coming in the first inning. Walks to Jessica LoBianco and Taylor, coupled with a double by Nicole Brieva, loaded up the bases. First basemen Reina Torlincasi sent a double up the left field line to clear the bases and give her team a 3-0 lead. Taylor retired the side in order to quickly end the bottom half of the first. 

“She’s been with us since eighth grade and she’s taken three league championships,” said head coach Kim McGinley of Taylor. “The girls had her back and they did it. She’s an outstanding ball player, both in the circle and at the plate, and she’s a fantastic leader.”

Kings Park tacked on their fourth run in the fifth inning with Paige Julich batting. Julich grounded out to give Taylor the opportunity to take home on the play.

Seaford’s first hit of the game came in the top of the sixth, as first basemen Caitlin Hewitt doubled to lead off the inning. Hewitt would advance on a groundout and third basemen Hannah Spinola would deliver an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-1. Seaford won the Nassau title on June 2 with their victory over Plainedge and was not about to go down without a fight.

After shutting down Kings Park in their half of the sixth, Seafood pitcher Lindsey Montemarano would help her own cause with a sharply hit ball to left. The ball rolled past the outfielders, and Montemarano’s hustle out of the gate allowed her to turn the hit into an inside-the-park home run.

This made it a 4-2 game with no outs in the seventh and final inning. Taylor however ignored the pressure and continued to throw heat. A fly out and two groundouts later Kings Park were Long Island Champions and the celebration was underway.

“The kids are pretty psyched,” said McGinley. “They’re probably going to play A League of Their Own to get some laughs and just let them relax, and then hopefully we’ll go the distance. I don’t have a doubt.”

Friday morning the team will head up to Glens Falls for practice, opening ceremonies and a champions dinner. Their 9 a.m. opponent is yet to be determined, but if they are victorious in their first game they will go on to play for the championship at 2 p.m.

Main Street Smithtown "It has become an area, however, where pedestrians are fearful for their lives."

Smithtown petition calls for public safety on Main Street following Accidents and fatalities

By Phil Forte

SMITHTOWN – A petition started by Lisa DeMarco-Stevenson* of Smithtown asks that both short-term and long-term measures be implemented on Main Street (downtown Smithtown) to prevent future pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

Since 2009 Main Street has been the location of  multiple pedestrian deaths. Recently two children crossing at a crosswalk on Lawrence Ave were injured and one of the children was hospitalized with serious injuries after being stuck by an SUV. In addition to the pedestrian fatalities, injuries and automobile accidents,  last week two men were arrested for racing and aggressive driving on Main Street.  Main Street has a 30 mph speed limit.  

Prior to the May 5^th incident where two Central Islip sisters Melody age 9 and Mabel Burgos age 13 were injured, in February of 2011 Seamus Byrne, a Kings Park resident and an Afghanistan War Veteran, was killed while walking to his car after celebrating his 33^rd birthday.  And in November of 2009 11-year-old Courtney Sipes was killed while walking across Main Street in the designated crosswalk.

The petition being distributed by email urges state, county and town officials, to work collectively to develop a well-coordinated plan that will radically increase safety for pedestrians walking along Main Street.

“This is a popular downtown area lending itself to pedestrian use with shops, restaurants, bars, a theatre, library, parks and a train station nearby. It has become an area, however, where pedestrians are fearfulMemorial on Main Street where Courtney Sipes was killed and Melody and Mabel Burgos were injured. for their lives,” the petition states.

Main Street,  a state road under the jurisdiction of the  New York State Department of Transportation, is dangerous for a number of reasons, according to the petition.

“Four narrow lanes of traffic are only 9 feet wide; the two inside lanes are used for turning lanes, which causes traffic to back up and encourages sudden and aggressive lane changes; and the crossing distance for pedestrians to cross Main Street is over 40 feet, without an area of refuge.”

* Lisa DeMarco-Stevenson was unavailable for comments.

   Click here to read petition.

Processing Plant in Smithtown, Operating Since October 2010, Raising Some Questions

By Phil Forte

SMITHTOWN – Less than a year old, the Eco-Friendly Services’ (EFS) processing plant in Smithtown is receiving attention from residents and officials in the Town.

The plant*, which opened last August, is located in an industrial area at 168 Townline Road.  EFS contract’s with restaurants to purchase their used cooking oil for the purpose of recycling and reprocessing.  After reprocessing, the used cooking oil is sold to businesses burning No. 2 and No. 4 oil for the production of heat and electricity.

One of the more prominent issues with the plant is the possible consequences it may have on the environment, with regards to air pollution.  “What are the byproducts of this [processing plant]? There’s a lot of questions that need to be answered,” said Frank DeRubeis, Director of the Smithtown Planning and Community Development Department. “If you’re refining something there’s going to be questions. Where does that stuff go? What chemicals do you use? How will you store them in a given process? Those are the kind of things we are interested in.”

The process of recycling cooking oil, involves collecting used oil then discharging the oil into a container through a filter screen, heating such oil to 110 degrees Fahrenheit thereby separating the water from the oil and other contaminants.

The oil is collected by tanker trucks, which transport the oil from restaurants to the EFS plant on Townline Road.  EFS pays these restaurants by the gallon for their discarded oil. This process reportedly uses no additional chemicals and in turn,the finished product lessens the amount of sulfur in the air, making the oil more environmentally friendly than diesel or any other gas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sulfur is a major air pollutant and has significant impacts in human health.

“The reprocessed oil isn’t putting sulfur into the atmosphere,” said Bruce Ettenberg, President of the Commack Civic Association, who visited the plant last Sunday for the first time. “It’s a small plant and it operates with out workers or staff.” (Truckers load and unload product)

“It’s safer. The containment around the area prevents any outside contamination if a spill were to take place,” Ettenberg added. “There is no smell or outside emission.”

One major issue with the plant raising eyebrows in Smithtown is the possible zoning violations the plant may house.  According to an application submitted to the Department of Environmental Conservation, “The applicant proposes to operate a Used Cooking Oil Processing Facility within a 1,000 sq. ft. area inside an existing building on an existing industrial site. Operations consist of straining out particulate matter and then removing water from the oil to establish the finished product, which is then shipped off site.”

“There has been no permit filed for a change of use on site,” DeRubeis said. “We are pro-green. Whether it’s wind, recycling or alternate fuels or things like that, we are supportive of those kind of things but at the same time we want to take a hard look and make sure that everything is done correctly.”

The town has yet to comment on any possible zoning violations.  ESS has not yet responded to Smithtown Matters’ inquiry.  

Update on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 2:42PM by .

* Correction - The processing plant has been open since October of 2010. 

Epic Comeback Not Enough for Smithtown West in Suffolk Finals; Fall to West Islip in Overtime

By Anthony Vertucci

When Alex Dodge scored the tying goal for Smithtown West with 34 seconds left in regulation to cap an incredible comeback it appeared as if a Bulls victory was written in the stars. It was not meant to be however, as the undefeated West Islip Lions scored in sudden death overtime to take the victory and their eighth consecutive Suffolk Class A title.

Islip took a 5-0 lead in the first quarter, which included goals from Drew Federico and Tom Moore. Smithtown finally got on the board at 3:39 in the first with a goal from Matt Schultz, his first of four goals Wednesday afternoon.  The game took place at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University.Matt Schultz

Brendan Smith and Mike Sagl led Islip with three goals each. Smith’s scoring included the game-winning goal with 2:28 remaining in the first and only overtime period.

Today marks Smithtown’s star attacker Kyle Keenan’s final game for Smithtown. “It was a great season. We really became a total team this season and it just shows today what we can do, how we came back and rallied as a team,” said Keenan, who had three goals and five assists in the game. “We played a team brand of lacrosse and that’s how we were in the position to win. It was a great game that just didn’t go our way.”

After taking a seven-goal lead Islip began to show some cracks in their defense, of which Smithtown capitalized. Goals from Keenan and Schultz brought the score to 9-4 heading into the half. Ryan Joseph scored at 10:23 in the third quarter, after which both squads showed impeccable defense by holding each other scoreless for the next nine minutes. Schultz pulled his team within three at 3:48, but Conor Braddish fired right back to make it 10-6. With 28 seconds remaining in the quarter Keenan had his second goal of the day to once again decrease Islip’s lead to three.

The teams had only met one previous time this season, a dramatic 8-7 overtime victory for Islip on May 6. Today’s victory keeps Islip’s (14-0, 16-0) perfect season on track, and increases their undefeated streak to 40. Last month’s loss was Smithtown’s (12-3, 13-3) third in the regular season.

“We had opportunities they just weren’t going in. Maybe it was just being at the big dance and not used to being there,” said Smithtown head coach Sean Keenan. “Second half we showed what we could do. If we played a full game like we did in the second, maybe the outcome would be a lot different.  They played a great first quarter and it came back to haunt us. We just came up a little shy.”

The fourth quarter belonged to Smithtown, as they continued their comeback with a goal from Ryan Joseph.  Nick Aponte, who also had three assists for Islip, scored several moments later to give his team the 11-8 lead. With just 3:35 left in the game, Smithtown had to act fast if they wanted to overcome a three goal deficit. Frank Reda and Kyle Keenan answered the call to bring Smithtown within one with two minutes remaining. The big goal came with 34 seconds left on the clock after Keenan set up Dodge for the game tying goal. The Smithtown fans erupted as the game went to overtime.Smithtown Fans Erupt As Game Go Into Overtime

With the game headed to sudden death most of the crowd was on their feet. Islip goalie Kyle Turri, made a fantastic stick save off an attempt from James Pannell to keep the game alive. Smith’s goal at 2:28 clinched the game and the Suffolk Championship for Islip. 

“We had our chance in overtime; their goalie made a great save,” said coach Keenan. “All the kids just played great. We played with heart and desire the entire season and we never gave up. It’s a shame we had to end the season that way.”