At Thursday's village board meeting, area residents collectively urged trustees to recommend that the Village Traffic Commission further probe the Franklin Avenue/Fourth Street intersection, particularly in light of a Nov. 5 car accident that claimed the life of a 10-year-old fifth-grader at St. Joseph's. While some admit installing a traffic signal might not be the solution, all feel the area bears further scrutiny.

Deputy Mayor Barbara Miller formerly recommended the commission look further into the intersection's traffic situation, which is oftentimes congested, particularly when Bookspan employees are exiting the parking lot and young residents are being picked up and let off to attend St. Joseph's School's religion classes and/or CYO practice.

A resident who recalls the frustration years ago when her own attended religion classes thanked the commission for entertaining and discussing the traffic issue even though it wasn't on the agenda.

"I can only urge that the trustees and this administration seriously do everything they can to have the county truly study this problem. I do not have anyone attending St. Joe's or CCD but did a number of years ago. I know back then it was a very serious situation trying to get in and out of Fourth Street with such heavy traffic on Franklin.

"It's not difficult to start in Hempstead and make it up to Sixth Street and hit 45 to 50 miles per hour without even thinking about it in the high-powered cars we have today. Perhaps we need stricter enforcement or more than just a crossing guard. Perhaps we need a police officer with a police car directing traffic and helping people in and out of Fourth Street. Or perhaps it would be cost effective to have the county do what they have to do to install a traffic light." The village currently has a police officer posted on Cherry Valley Avenue to help middle school students cross the avenue after school and/or sports practices.

A Cedar Place resident said she's concerned about all the village's major thoroughfares, not just the Franklin Avenue/Fourth Street intersection. "I'm not sure a light is the right answer but my gut feeling is saying it is. I request that all efforts be made to evaluate the situation and push this through as soon as possible.

"There are children who attend practices and games for the school's CYO program, CCD religion programs after school during rush hour periods, not to mention commuter traffic in general. It's literally a terrible situation. I take the road every day since I live right off of it. I'd like to heighten your focus on the issue. And of course Bookspan will become fully operational soon. We all know it's a great thing for the village and for business but it also brings an increase in the amount of cars in the area. We want to tell people, yes, they can work in our community but they must also observe the rules of a residential community," she said.

Town of Hempstead Councilman Joseph Kearney, following the fatal car accident and upon receiving several phone calls and letters from Garden City residents concerned about the corner, opted to write a letter to Joseph Pecora, Nassau County Department of Public Works commissioner.

"During the course of recent years past, the volume of vehicle traffic on Franklin Avenue has increased exponentially. This, coupled with pedestrian traffic crossing Franklin Avenue from Saint Joseph's Church and Saint Joseph's School, vehicular traffic traversing Fourth Street to Franklin Avenue and traffic entering and exiting the nearly completed Doubleday building, is a formula for another tragic event," he said.

"In the interest of the safety of the residents, the parents, children and faculty of Saint Joseph's School and the parishioners of Saint Joseph's Church, it is respectfully requested that a traffic survey be initiated and completed as expeditiously as possible, and a traffic light be installed."

Ross Mongiardo, Chamber of Commerce president, suggested mid-block crosswalks could help ease the situation. "We understand this is a county road and we can't make these calls alone. We do feel though that installing a traffic light bears further study."

Debbie Hayden, a Fourth Street resident, said the idea that Bookspan is not "operational" as of yet doesn't hold true in her opinion. "Living on that block between Franklin and Hilton and using that intersection constantly, I can attest that that is an active parking lot today. My suggestion is that we ask Bookspan not to use the exit onto Franklin until traffic patterns are better figured out," she said.

"The area is very congested between 3:45-5 p.m. when the CCD program is going on and Bookspan employees are leaving work. That accident Nov. 5 did occur during that time."

Historically, the community in the area of that intersection has not been in favor of a traffic signal at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Fourth Street, Kathy Galgano, a Fifth Street resident, noted. "But it seems that with the growing traffic patterns, Fourth Street residents, the pastor and the CCD moderator are all in support of at least a study to see whether a traffic signal is the right thing to do."

In a letter sent to the board of trustees and the traffic commission, Reverend Joseph Schlafer of St. Joseph's School urged the board to address the problem that has caused concern among parents for a number of years.

"I believe that the situation needs careful study and analysis by competent professional traffic experts to determine the best solution to the current situation. I think that a traffic signal survey by Nassau County, as well as a traffic regulation study by the Village of Garden City would both help to arrive at the best solution possible," he wrote.

Rev. Schlafer said he does not know what the correct answer would be but notes that, in addition to the recent fatality, another young parish member was hit by a car on Fourth Street last year when students were exiting the school parking lot.

"I have heard some people suggest that a traffic light would be an answer to the problem and others suggest that a traffic light could cause more problems than it solves," he said. "That is why we need the advice of experts to determine how to make this area safe for our children. I have been told that a variety of traffic control devices, such as traffic lights, blinking lights, more vigorous enforcement of the speed limit and perhaps other options are possible."

Robert Mangan, director of the village's public works department, said the village's traffic consultant studied the area near Fourth Street almost 10 years ago, recommending a traffic signal be installed even back then. Miller said the traffic commission is looking into the request.