Everyone who discusses Hempstead Turnpike agrees that there are safety concerns on the major roadway. But, what can be done about those problems is another matter.

It seems that the problems affecting the turnpike never go beyond mere discussion for a solution to making Hempstead Turnpike safer. If a solution exists at all, it would not be a simple one.

From Hempstead to West Hempstead to Franklin Square to Elmont, Hempstead Turnpike provides a thruway from Nassau County to Queens. But traveling the road poses dangerous situations as some vehicles speed down the turnpike, making it not only dangerous for motor vehicles but also pedestrians.

Jonathan Winant of Elmont has been a community activist for the safety of Hempstead Turnpike. Winant spoke at a meeting of the Elmont East End Civic Club about the dangers of Hempstead Turnpike.

Winant has received e-mails from people who share concerns about dangerous intersections. But, because of the problems of congestion and speeding, it is difficult to find a solution to the dangers that exist for motorists, residents and businesses.

Two recent accidents illustrated the dangers of Hempstead Turnpike. On September 11, a 36-year-old Elmont woman was struck by a 1990 Chevy as she attempted to cross from south to north on Hempstead Turnpike at Elmont Road. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Then, on November 24 at 8:30 p.m., an employee/resident of Belmont Racetrack, according to police, ran into the roadway north to south and then attempted to cross back in the path of a 2003 Ford Expedition, which struck him. He was transported to Franklin Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The problems aren't confined to Elmont. "Any multi-lane roadway, particularly those traversed by both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, raises myriad safety concerns," said Seth Bykofsky, past president of the West Hempstead Civic Association. "A heavily trafficked and often congested thoroughfare such as Hempstead Turnpike, which literally bisects many residential communities, merely compounds the problems."