One of the greatest concerns expressed by residents in the Village of Garden City reflects a Long Island-wide issue: traffic. With plans for the beautification of Franklin Avenue designed to slow traffic and put an end to the "speedway" feel so many have long complained about, concerns have been raised that the speeding cars will then opt to race on other residential streets through the Village. Adding to the impending Nassau HUB project and Nassau County's plan to "improve" the flow of north-south traffic, Villagers fear that the gridlock, bottlenecks, and headaches will only get worse.

Arnold Finnemore suggested during discussions of the Streetscape Program at the Board of Trustees meeting last week that the speed limit be reduced on Franklin Avenue from 30 mph to 25 mph. Sue Davis asked the board if "the County reluctantly lets us have lay by parking, etc. --will we have to give something back on other streets?" She cited the County's Master Plan which includes plans for increased north-south traffic as a foreshadowing of the County's intentions to get the traffic through streets like Franklin Ave. and their desire for the speedway to then become another road in the Village.

Dorothy Episcopia also expressed concern over the County's plans for the HUB and "improving" north-south traffic and referred to the presentation by the County to the EPOA for the Stewart/Clinton intersection. She expressed the concern that in order to slow the traffic on Franklin Ave. a "situation of one hand washing the other" might arise. Episcopia said that in terms of "cause and effect," if the Village takes a "major route in the middle of the Village" and implements the plans for traffic calming, that "traffic is like water and its gotta' go somewhere."

The idea of "swapping" an unpleasant traffic situation on Franklin for an unpleasant traffic situation on another road in the Village was addressed by the mayor. Mayor Tauches stated, "This is the first time I've heard this concept of swapping --giving this for that-- I don't know where it's coming from. If you do know us, then you know where we're coming from. We're your neighbors and I think that people have to be confident that we will protect the interests of all of our residents. We need traffic calming in the entire Village." He also stated that the Village "did not give an inch to the LIRR, DOT with the cantilevers" and that the Village is not about to give in to pressure for increased traffic on any road. In order to accomplish the calming throughout the Village the mayor said that they would "start at the periphery and work our way in." Franklin Ave. is only a piece of the traffic puzzle according to the mayor.

Episcopia at the Feb. 12 presentation had made the connection between the traffic slowing due to construction work on Franklin Ave. and the work on the Mineola Boulevard Bridge which will be occurring simultaneously. Also, the Herricks Crossing work will impact traffic, which has already raised concerns about traffic in the north area of the Village. With the work on Franklin planned for this summer as well as these other projects, many are becoming concerned that Summer 1998 will be remembered for its traffic nightmares. At the Feb. 12 meeting it was stated both by Consultant Kuhl and the trustees present that traffic management plans will be implemented to ensure the smooth procession of vehicles through the area and that traffic flow management will continue even after the project is complete. Kuhl also pointed out that the lay by parking work is from the edge of the sidewalk in, rather than cutting into the street, so the impact on traffic shouldn't be tremendous.

William Haynes suggested that the plans for the HUB and the traffic issues involved with that project could actually be beneficial for commerce in the Village. He asked if part of the arrangement with the HUB will be to provide transportation for people to come into the Garden City area. The mayor explained that the HUB plans are still evolving and added that they would be cautious about integrating the County's plans with the Village's.

A $200,000 six-month study by the County and the Town of Hempstead examines the traffic concerns in the area of the proposed HUB, the 2.9 square mile strip of land between Old Country Road to the north and Hempstead Turnpike to the south and Clinton Road to the west and Merrick Road to the East. The study offers three options for providing a means of transporting people through the area. One suggestion is an elevated monorail consisting of four-person cars. The second option listed is a larger elevated monorail with cars for 30 people per car. The third is being called a "light rail system" which would travel at ground level except to pass over roadways.

The route for the rail system (whether monorail or light rail) would begin just outside the Village of Garden City at the Roosevelt Field Mall and pass over the Meadowbrook Parkway heading east to where proposed housing units, part of the "Roosevelt Centre project" might be located. The route would proceed to Nassau Community College, then Museum Row in Mitchel Field, by the Omni Building, over to the Coliseum, and then end at the EAB Plaza which will be expanded soon. Another possibility is that the rail would continue to Hofstra University and then loop back to Roosevelt Field.

References to a possible second HUB center to be located in Carle Place are also made in the study. Another RR station is proposed for the Main Line and a "hook-up" at either the Mineola railroad Station or the Hempstead Station are other options. There seems to be no discussion of a stop within the Village of Garden City and the proposed HUB in Carle Place is opposed by County Legislator Richard Nicolello who represents Carle Place.

The proposed rails would cost anywhere from $20 to $28 million for construction of the system, depending on the specific system they choose, and would take years to be built. Because of the federal government's reduction in funding of such projects, suggested methods of raising money would be increased County sales tax, a new taxing district, or increasing fees on things like vehicle registration.

With residents of Garden City hearing about the magnitude of the HUB project, the willingness of the County to spend such significant amounts of money on it, and the close proximity of the construction work to the Village, there is an increasing sense of anxiety about the future of traffic in the Village.

Trustee Hecken stated that he had consulted with officials involved in the County's two basic projects, the HUB and the Nassau County Master Plan and was told that the County would avoid site specific plans and would not counter Village authority in the development of their plans.

On a smaller level, the Traffic Commission has been working to aide traffic concerns in Parking Field 7S. Trustee Collins stated that the pilot program for the lot has been successful. Police officers have issued 24 tickets in the 1 hour parking spaces, 28 tickets in the 2 hour spaces, 34 in the three hour spaces, and 83 other tickets in that parking lot between Feb. 5-Feb.18. Stew Greenberg, Althea Robinson, and Mayor Tauches all volunteered to do a walking tour of the Seventh Street businesses to encourage employees and owners to park in other lots. The signs will be raised in the parking lot to accommodate sport utility vehicles and new signs will be placed in the driveways. The next Traffic Commission meeting is March 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Traffic will continue to be an issue addressed by the Village and input from Village residents is always welcomed in letters to the Board of Trustees and Traffic Commission, comments at meetings, and here at Garden City Life in letters to the editor.