Community Corner

Smithtown's Main Street Safety Talks Re-Emerge on Facebook

The Facebook group "Smithtown Residents For A Safer Main Street" sees its first action since September 2012.

For the first time since September of last year, Main Street safety activist Lavena Sipes posted a status update on the Facebook group Smithtown Residents For A Safer Main Street, the page for residents to speak on how to improve pedestrian and driver safety on Smithtown's Main Street.

Sipes' status update was mostly aimed at garnering feedback on the changes made to Main Street in May 2012.

That is a good thing in that there have been no incidents, fatalities or serious injuries to generate discussion or debate since May, 2011 (shortly after this group was created) and since improvements were made by the DOT to Main Street! 

We shouldn't, however stop the conversation about how to keep our roads safe. 

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In May of last year the New York State Department of Transportation made changes to Main Street including multiple painted lanes to make left turns, markings to extend and re-paint the crosswalk at Lawrence Avenue, and markings to paint a median. 

Sipes also made mention of the DOT's implementation of improved lighting and audible crosswalks with countdown clocks in her status update.

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Within moments of Sipes posting the status update, group member Dominic Testino left praise for one of the changes the DOT made.

"I do like the merge of lanes from two into one just west of 111," Testino wrote. "It causes traffic to slow down just enough to keep everybody alert especially since that merge is right where the town's shops and a majority of it's foot traffic takes place."

Patch would like to pose the same questions Sipes asked on the Facebook group to the readers here: "What do you think about these changes? Is the traffic pattern a concern? Do you think it's safer? What else do you think should be done?"


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