Those who travel Broadway in Massapequa and North Massapequa are well aware of the fact that many motorists tend to travel faster than the speed limit. Thousands of cars, not to mention pedestrians and bicyclists, traverse Broadway every day. The speedway also presents a danger to the many young students walking to and from the two schools that are located nearby.

According to Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, work is now under way on designing a "traffic calming" project for this particular section of Broadway.

"One of the major complaints I hear from residents who travel Broadway-North Broadway concerns speeding," Venditto said. "The goal of 'traffic calming' is not only to slow down vehicles, but to create a safer environment for both motorists and pedestrians."

Venditto said that, in the past, the town has tried a number of measures to control speed on Broadway, including an electronic speed-warning device. Additionally, local law enforcement has been diligent about patrolling the road, but the problem still exists.

With this new project, the town promises to take more innovative measures to get speeders to slow down. Engineers already have a preliminary design that includes eliminating one lane of traffic in each direction and adding a left-turn lane, adding bike lanes, creating "inset" parking in front of some commercial establishments, installing overhead mast-arm speed control radar signs that display the speed of all vehicles, and re-timing traffic signals to better accommodate the new lane configurations and emphasize vehicle control speed.

These ideas were revealed to the public at an informational meeting held Feb. 5 at John P. McKenna Elementary School in Massapequa.

Provided a consensus is reached, construction is scheduled to begin in October, with the length of the construction period estimated to be three to six months. According to Venditto, the contractor will do everything possible to minimize any disruption to traffic flow and the tranquility of the neighborhood.

"The concept of traffic calming is one that has proven successful in other communities. Upon completion of the project, Broadway will be up-to-date in form and function, not to mention aesthetics, and will be a safer road for all who travel on it," Venditto said.

For more information about this traffic-calming project, call 624-6350.