County approves $25K for Mattituck, Greenport traffic safety studies
The Suffolk County Legislature voted Tuesday to approve $25,000 toward studies to address traffic safety issues in Mattituck and Greenport.
The funding is part of a $7.5 million grant for economic development projects across the county that are aimed at keeping young people on Long Island.
A traffic study had already been in the works for the intersection at Main Road, Love Lane and Old Sound Avenue in Mattituck and an updated study was requested for Route 25 and Main Road in Greenport.
The town previously found a study would cost about $22,000 and had planned to split the cost with the county and state.
Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said that while it has been referred to as a traffic study, it’s actually an engineering study that will evaluate options for addressing unsafe conditions.
Once complete, the town will be able to identify how best to make improvements and create a path for undertaking a capital project to make those changes happen, he said.
“Getting it done won’t be easy and will likely be a costly proposition which would include several partners — the state, town and county,” Mr. Russell said. “Getting this study done is the necessary first step in that process.”
Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski requested the traffic study be included in the funding and said it wasn’t a hard lift to do so.
“It’s not difficult to request anything with traffic safety,” he said. “Every part of the county understands how important these things are. The concerns of this intersection are duplicated elsewhere in the county.”
Mr. Krupski said the town was right to address the issue and try to improve it.
In April, the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association presented recommendations to make the intersection at Main Road, Love Lane and Old Sound Avenue less dangerous. The suggestions were the result of roundtable discussions and other sources of community input, the group’s president, Mary Eisenstein, said.
The civic proposed adding a “no left turn” sign from Love Lane to Main Road. It also suggested installing an island and stop sign westbound on Main Road where it exits onto Love Lane, a stop sign or yield sign westbound onto Main Road from Love Lane, and a stop sign on Love Lane at the three-way intersection.
“The civic association is very happy,” Ms. Eisenstein said. “There was over a year’s worth of work.”
Photo: Love Lane in Mattituck. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)
