I read with interest Dr. Frank Tassone's column "Decision Time on Transportation" in the March 4 edition of the Roslyn News. The Village of East Hills has worked closely with the Roslyn School District for the past several years on traffic and safety issues concerning the Roslyn Middle School. Our cooperative efforts have yielded a reduced speed limit on the LIE Service road, assignment of crossing guards by the Nassau County Police Department, and a recently awarded New York State grant to install new traffic signals and signage that will create a "school safety zone" at this location.

In this column, Dr. Tassone made reference to the planned widening of the LIE through our area, indicating that construction was imminent. However, what was not stated is that the Village of East Hills has active litigation pending against the New York State Department of Transportation, as part of an overall effort to modify many of the objectionable environmental, traffic and safety aspects of the LIE project. The matter is pending before the Hon. Ute Lally in State Supreme Court, Nassau County. We are hopeful the court will be supportive of the village and our residents regarding our proposed modifications to this project.

In the meanwhile Dr. Tassone is no doubt wise to plan and budget for the bus transportation exigencies that will result from construction. However, although work on some of the overpasses is expected to begin this year, the DOT's own schedule and the village's litigation, mean that the major phases of construction are further in the future than has been suggested.

The Roslyn School District is correct in planning ahead regarding the impact of this project on bus transportation and in pressing for additional state aid to cover the cost. However, the community should keep in mind that the Village of East Hills is still resolute in its position to address the critical traffic and safety issues within the framework of our litigation, prior to the commencement of full scale construction.

Michael R. Koblenz

Mayor, Village of East Hills