The state has finished a $3.1 million project to enhance pedestrian safety along nearly 16 miles of state Route 110 in Huntington and Babylon towns, officials said this week.
“Route 110 is a vital north-south corridor on Long Island, serving commuters, shippers and pedestrians alike and it is imperative that people are able to safely walk to downtown shops and attractions,” state Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas said in a news release Monday.
“This is more than a transportation safety project; it is an investment in the future of our local communities,” Karas said
The first phase of the project focused primarily on the pedestrian-heavy downtown areas of Huntington and Amityville.
In Huntington, refuge islands — curbed areas in the middle of the road — now offer pedestrians a place to stop safely while crossing wide parts of the road.
in South Huntington, workers realigned left-turn lanes into the Walt Whitman Shops to improve sight distance, giving drivers a better view of pedestrians.
Other safety enhancements made throughout the Route 110 corridor include:
- New marked crosswalks with pedestrian signals and countdown timers
- Upgrades to all pedestrian facilities, including sidewalk ramps, to ensure compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards
- Installing traffic signals with one signal head over each lane to lessen motorist confusion
- Installing clearer and more prominent guide signs
The second phase of pedestrian enhancements will ensure further compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act on more than 60 pedestrian ramps. It will also raise medians, realign left-turn lanes and improve traffic signals as well as add a new signal at Overhill Road in Melville. Work is set to begin late this summer.
“I am pleased to hear the state has finished phase one of the pedestrian safety measures to be implemented along Route 110,” Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci said in the news release. “This is one more step in revitalizing the Route 110 corridor, giving business another reason to invest in our community.”
The project is part of the DOT’s corridor approach to pedestrian safety, according to the news release. Past pedestrian crashes are analyzed so that targeted improvements can be made where they will be most effective. The Phase I improvements were finished $100,000 under budget.
Toward the southern end of state Route 110, two new traffic signals were installed at Lindy and Nathalie avenues in North Amityville and one at Sterling Place in the Village of Amityville.
In Amityville, the intersection with Albany Avenue and Mill Street was reworked to make it easier for pedestrians to cross, with a new crosswalk, new sidewalk, and new pedestrian signals. Curb extensions are now in place at Oak Street and Union Avenue, giving more space for pedestrians to stand safely and allowing them to have a clearer view down the road before crossing.
Pedestrian fencing, complete with concealing vegetation, was erected in North Amityville to discourage jaywalking in an area where businesses and shopping centers are far apart.