The safety of all who enter our village is a primary concern of the village administration. One area which directly affects everyone is traffic, and there are several ways in which we can seek to control it: most notable, its speed and congestion.

Regarding the speed of traffic in the village, we have applied for a "Traffic Calming" grant from the New York State Department of Transportation. The funds from this grant will be used to purchase our own radar speed enforcement machinery, similar to the one we now have on loan from the Town of Oyster Bay, which registers a car's speed and reminds drivers of the speed limit in that area. The grant will also provide funds for installing the most modern embedded sensor technology at heavily traveled crosswalks - sensors located in the street bed that activate yellow flashing lights to alert drivers of the presence of a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

I am pleased to announce that the village is forming a Traffic Safety Committee, whose mission will be to identify traffic safety issues and bring them to the attention of the Village Board for prompt review and resolution.

Two areas which are of immediate concern because of traffic congestion are the areas around Howitt Middle School (Grant and Van Cott Streets), and St. Luke's School (Prospect Street). Fred Zamparelle, DPW Superintendent, and I recently met with Howitt School Principal, Luis Pena, to receive his input and discuss the village's concerns regarding the traffic conditions on Grant Street. One result of the meeting was our agreement to help ensure the safety of children crossing the streets on their way to and from school by installing stop signs on the east and west corners of Grant and Williams Streets and Van Cott and Grant Streets. We will also be installing new fluorescent crosswalk signs, and white boldly striped "piano-key" style crosswalks. We have also asked that the school district continue with ongoing notices sent home to parents to help ensure safety. With regard to Prospect Street, we are continuing to address the parking situation and we have installed "15 mph School Zone" signs around the St. Luke's School area in an effort to help slow down traffic in the area, making it safer for pedestrians.

I encourage you to bring to our attention any traffic "trouble spots" you see in the village. You can do that by calling Village Hall, or by attending a Village Board meeting. Also, please remind school children to look twice before crossing a street, only cross at the corner when the light is green, and seek the assistance of a crossing guard where available. We want everyone to enjoy our beautiful village safely.