In response to the accident that took three lives and left another hospitalized a few weeks ago in Farmingdale, Senator Kemp Hannon (6th Senate District) and local resident Stacey Tranchina are calling for action from the Nassau County Department of Public Works.

Concerned about the number of tragic and deadly accidents that occur at the intersection of Quaker Meeting House Road and Puritan Lane in Farmingdale, they have both requested the department immediately undertake a traffic safety investigation to determine what additional safety measures are required for this location.

"It is my understanding that this area of roadway has a history of being particularly hazardous in the wet weather because of the pitch of the road and lack of drainage, accompanied by a blind curve," said Hannon "In the fall, I am told, downed leaves make it all the more treacherous. I recall just a few months ago a motorcyclist was killed at the same location when he was struck by a motor vehicle. I'd like to see immediate remedial action taken, to avoid any future deadly accidents at this site."

Stacey Tranchina of 16 Quaker Meeting House Road in Farmingdale has been witness to several serious and fatal motor vehicle accidents in front of her home and said she "lives in fear constantly."

"My children cannot play in the front yard," she added. "It's a twisting, turning road and there's no way if my children were in the street that anyone could stop."

The Tranchina family has been lucky to narrowly escape a few near crashes themselves thus far but Stacey said "somebody needs to look at this."

"It is not safe. There have been four accidents in less than 30 days and four deaths in the last 10 months."

Since June 2005, Tranchina has written several letters to Nassau County Police Department's 8th Precinct Commander, Nassau County Department of Public Works Deputy Commissioner and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. The most recent response, received by Tranchina on June 8 from DPW Deputy Commissioner Joseph Davenport, concluded that "the existing Town of Oyster Bay speed limit is reasonable for this roadway and the town's speed limit signs are properly posted and clearly visible."

The Nassau County Unit Head for Traffic Engineering later told the Farmingdale Observer there are also "curve warning signs with supplemental speeds of 20 mph on them and other delineators along that section of roadway. The gist of our letter was saying for the geometry out there and given the existing conditions, all of the traffic controls that are there are appropriate," the Nassau County spokesperson added.

In addition to a traffic study, Tranchina suggested replacing the Yield sign with a Stop sign for northbound Merritts Road at Quaker Meeting House Road and adding a Stop sign where Quaker Meeting House Road meets Puritan Lane. Davenport responded that a "review of the current accident data for this intersection did not indicate any problems that are correctable by modifying the existing sign at this intersection."

The Unit Head for Traffic Engineering added, "stop signs aren't intended to be used for speed control. They actually introduce potentially more serious problems by putting in stop signs in an attempt to control speed."

According to the Unit Head for Traffic Engineering, there is a $1.5 million capital project that is "already in the works to study, design and ultimately construct some improvements to that section of roadway."

While still in the study and design phase, the spokesperson said the project will examine "drainage and minor alignment issues" to improve conditions.

Quaker Meeting House Road winds along the southern border of Bethpage State Park. From the north it connects to Round Swamp Road and Bethpage Road. It splits to Central Avenue to the west and Merritts Road to the south. Puritan Lane ends at Quaker Meeting House Road. It is approximately one-mile in length and is divided by a double-yellow line. The posted speed limit signs are between 25 and 30 mph.

Most recently three people were killed when their automobiles collided head-on on Quaker Meeting House Road, 50 feet west of Puritan Lane. In August 2005, a motorcyclist was killed in a motorcycle accident. According to the police news release, the 39-year-old motorcyclist "lost control just after the intersection with Puritan Lane."