Proposed changes made at traffic commission meeting
A Nassau County traffic engineer detailed a conceptual plan intended to ease traffic congestion and improve safety at the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Clinton Road during a May 14 Garden City Traffic Commission meeting that drew a standing-room-only crowd.
Members of the Village’s four Property Owners’ Associations (POAs), representatives of the Garden City School District and Nassau County Legislator Laura Schaefer were also in attendance, as were numerous Garden City residents.
“My absolute intent is to work together to make as many people happy as we possibly can,” Legislator Schaefer said. “I’m not looking to upset anyone in Garden City.”
Garden City Trustee Robert Bolebruch, Traffic Commission chair, said the goal of Thursday evening’s work session was two-pronged: to allow the village to understand the reasoning and vision of the county’s plan and for the county to receive feedback from residents.
Aryeh Lemberger, a traffic engineer and planner with the county’s department of public works, said the proposed changes, including the creation of dedicated turning lanes and the shifting of through traffic lanes to ease the flow from all four approaches, are intended to help the Village of Garden City maintain its quality of life.
Proposed changes include:
Westbound on Stewart Avenue
• Shifting through traffic lanes for better alignment.
• Creating a right turn slip bay to bring right turn traffic, especially truck traffic, out of the through lane. This proposal would require the acquisition of property from Stewart Avenue School, approximately 19 feet of right-of-way acquisition in varying shapes on the school side from the intersection east to the school entrance driveway and approximately 10 feet of right-of-way acquisition on the south side of Stewart Avenue.
• Adding another westbound through traffic lane.
Northbound on Clinton Road
• Adding dedicated left and right turn lanes on Clinton Road northbound. This would require the acquisition of approximately 13 feet of property on the east (bank) side.
Eastbound on Stewart Avenue
• Acquiring a portion of the Stewart Avenue center median and extending the existing single left turn lane back toward Emmet Place.
• Shifting through traffic lanes over to better align with through traffic lanes on the opposite side of the intersection.
• Creating a dedicated right turn bay, taking motorists out of the existing through traffic lane.
Southbound on Clinton Road
• Moving the Stop bar currently set back to Osborne Road further south, toward the intersection.
• Eliminating Osborne Road access to and from Clinton Road and constructing a cul-de-sac on Osborne Road would require the acquisition of right-of-way property on the church and residence sides.
• Creating an exclusive left turn bay, which would require the acquisition of approximately 8 feet of right-of-way acquisition of school property on the east side.
• Adding safety improvements at the school crossing.
The plan would also require the removal of trees for road widening. However, Lemberger did note that the county does have a tree replacement program.
“As a whole, this intersection was optimized under this scenario to try to strike a balance at all approaches so that not one approach was bearing the brunt of the impact and not one approach was getting all the benefits,” he said.
The entire project could cost anywhere from $2 to $3 million and would take at least six months to complete, according to Lemberger, who also acknowledged the potential to do just certain elements of the proposal.
Numerous questions from members of the POAs and the traffic commission mainly focused on the implications of the proposed changes, particularly the potential for unintended consequences like increased truck traffic and decreased buffer areas and greenspace.
Garden City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen said the district is concerned with the impact any proposed changes would have on student safety and its bus transportation system, noting that the existing intersection already poses safety threats for students, parents and crossing guards. He welcomed a more in-depth conversation with Lemberger and his associates to brainstorm all scenarios.
No one from the traffic commission, Garden City School District or the POAs endorsed the proposal. Rather, the meeting adjourned with all parties agreeing that further dialogue was constructive in an effort to identify what, if any, changes to the intersection might be appropriate.
“This was very informative,” Lemberger said. “I look forward to working with the community, with Legislator Schaefer, the school district, the property owners’ associations to try to address the needs of the community in the best way possible for the community.”
He agreed to make available the county’s traffic study, which was used to formulate the proposed plan. Once the village receives it, the study will be made available on the village website.
