The Roslyn community has a petition circulating with hundreds of signatures to send to Governor George E. Pataki and Joseph H. Bordman, commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation.

The petition requests the DOT to honor the original commitment to keep four lanes of traffic open during the reconstruction of the Roslyn Viaduct and to hold another public hearing since there have been changes made to the original design.

According to members of the Roslyn Viaduct Bridge Task Force, the main opposition to the lane plan, the petitions are being signed in the belief that reducing the available traffic lanes to three lanes will cause a serious disruption, create congestion and delays and result in an inconvenience, as well as alternative routes being carved through the residential communities.

Village of East Hills Mayor Michael R. Koblenz and the board of trustees have taken the lead by drafting a lawsuit against the DOT until the matter has been resolved.

Co-joining the lawsuit are the Villages of Roslyn Harbor and Roslyn Estates. Trinity Episcopal Church, located just east of the viaduct, is currently considering joining the lawsuit.

Task force members also maintain that property alongside the church on Northern Boulevard will be condemned, traffic will disrupt church services at this historic Stanford White structure and members exiting the church will no longer be able to travel west onto the Northern Boulevard viaduct entrance.

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman has agreed to host a public hearing in the near future to bring the matter to the attention of the public.

"The New York State Department of Transportation has been unresponsive to the request of the Task Force members to bring the matter back to the public for an open forum," said Janet Galante, a former mayor of Roslyn who is also a Bridge Task Force member. "The change in plan is flawed. It is most unfortunate that the Village of Roslyn has not taken the steps necessary to bring this matter out into the open."

Other task force members commented on the lane situation and the response of the DOT.

"There are means of continuing the four lanes during construction," said Jack Russo, who is also a Roslyn Water District commissioner. "Saving money is important, but not at the incredible expense of the safety and well-being of the residents and businesses and the quality of life in our communities."

"I am disappointed that the DOT has not given the Bridge Task Force members an opportunity to vote on the change in the proposal, nor has it brought the matter to the forefront of this historic community and its residents," added Konrad Klauer. "We have spent years on this committee and yet we have come to a standoff. It is most disappointing."

Renovation on the Viaduct Bridge, which was first constructed in the late 1940s, is expected to begin in the winter of 2005. DOT officials have said that the entire project will take up to 30 months to complete with the cost expected be in the range of $60 to $80 million.

In the past, DOT officials have said that the department tried to keep four lanes open during the long construction period, but that an in-depth traffic analysis of a possible three-lane bridge would have only a minor impact on traffic.

During construction, the DOT plans to have a reversible lane open during rush hours, which itself will result in four lanes of traffic. The DOT will also offer a 24-hour towing service and a transportation management specialist on calls at all hours, seven days a week.