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| Pols want NYS DOT to complete full "Nassau Expressway" or State Route 878 (299011) | |||
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Pols want NYS DOT to complete full "Nassau Expressway" or State Route 878 |
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Posted by Gold_12th on Wed Oct 15 20:57:36 2014 New York State Route 878 - Wikipedia articleNews article... Calling for the immediate overhaul of the Nassau Expressway, County Legislator Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) and State Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) have scheduled a rally at Five Towns Mini Golf & Batting Range, at 570 Rockaway Turnpike in Lawrence, on Sunday at 10 a.m. to press their point. More than 3,000 people, according to Kopel, have attached their names to a letter sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo concerning the status of construction work on the roadway — otherwise known as State Route 878 — in two areas where it is known by different names: Rockaway Boulevard, in Queens, and Rockaway Turnpike, in Nassau County. The entire expressway runs from the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue, in Ozone Park, Queens, to the Atlantic Beach Bridge, in Lawrence. Kopel and Goldfeder want the expressway to be completed, with its northern section, near the Belt Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens, connected to its southern portion, which runs from the Atlantic Beach Bridge to Rockaway Boulevard. The legislators said that connection would allow traffic — 40,000 vehicles per day, according to nycroads.com — to bypass Rockaway Boulevard, easing congestion and ideally creating a safer emergency evacuation route. “I hope we can garner some real action,” Kopel said. “Politicians respond to votes, and this [rally] is right before an election. I would like to see some real, honest commitment to it.” The New York State Department of Transportation is scheduled to spend $6 million of the $61 million in the state capital budget that has been set aside for an overhaul of the expressway. While the smaller project, which will include road repair and drainage upgrades along the section that runs from Lawrence to the Atlantic Beach Bridge, is slated to begin later this month, according to DOT officials, the second phase of the overhaul — which would use the remaining $55 million — isn’t expected to get under way until 2025. “In my district, we have had two full evacuations in three years, both on short notice,” Goldfeder said. “These roadways can’t handle rush hour traffic, let alone a massive evacuation. If it’s a matter of funding, let’s discuss it during budget time. We continue to kick the can down the road, and it’s getting more expensive.” Marty Rosen has owned Five Towns Mini Golf & Batting Range since 1978, and in that time he has seen the area’s population grow substantially. Rosen, who said he was part of a group that got the traffic lights on Rockaway Turnpike synchronized years ago, explained that the volume of traffic on the expressway that funnels onto Rockaway Turnpike has increased to the point where that traffic-signal pattern is now outdated. “At the Five Towns Shopping Center, there are two [traffic] lights that allow [motorists] to enter and exit the center, while at the same time traffic is building on the roadway,” Rosen said. “This causes traffic jams, and puts everyone on the [roadway], as well as businesses, at a disadvantage.” Lawrence Mayor Martin Oliner has for several years also sought solutions to alleviate traffic congestion on Rockaway Turnpike. Oliner said he thought the rally would accomplish “very little,” but added that anything that brings attention to the issue is a step in the right direction. “I don’t think anything will get done until there is a transportation bill and we make sure we don’t get shafted,” he said. “The rally is a good idea. Everyone should focus on this project. But we can’t have half measures.” Cedarhurst resident Monica Rzewski said she hoped the rally and the accompanying letter campaign would push the overhaul project forward. “Yeah, it’s a nightmare on that road,” she said. “Every day I come home from work and it’s backed up for 20 minutes between Kas Carpet [on Rockaway Boulevard] and Costco [on Rockaway Turnpike]. It’s terrifying that it’s our hurricane evacuation route.” liherald.com New York State Route 878 - Wikipedia article |
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