Four of the five deadliest roads for pedestrians in the tri-state area are on Long Island, according to a new report from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which ranked Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County as the deadliest.
Fourteen people were killed on Hempstead Turnpike between 2009 and 2011, according to the report, which found that five of 10 deadliest roads in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were on LI. Hempstead Turnpike was ranked No. 1 for the fifth consecutive year.
Over the three-year period that the organization analyzed data, it discovered that 1,242 people died crossing roadways, including 110 in Suffolk County and 84 in Nassau.
The report comes nearly one year after the New York State Department of Transportation implemented several short-term safety measures to help curtail deaths on Hempstead Turnpike. Officials analyzed recent deaths and suggested the state repaint all 236 crosswalks and widen 126 others, and increase red light times at 86 intersections to give pedestrians more time to cross the street.
“We have seen again and again that relatively low-cost improvements such as the improvements being done to Hempstead Turnpike can save lives,” said Tri-State Transportation Campaign Executive Director Veronica Vanterpool.
Jericho Turnpike/Middle Country Road in Suffolk County accounted for 11 deaths and was ranked the third most dangerous road in the tri-state area. Also making the list was Sunrise Highway in Nassau County and Route 110 (9 deaths), and Sunrise Highway in Suffolk (8 deaths).
Coming in at No. 2 was Broadway in Manhattan with 12 pedestrian fatalities, according to the report.
The group also reported ominous findings for Suffolk, which saw a jump in pedestrian deaths from 2010 to 2011 despite heightened awareness on the issue. Forty-seven people were killed in Suffolk in 2011, compared to 34 the previous year. The death toll in Nassau dropped from 32 deaths in 2010 to 19 in 2011.
