Traffic safety concerns and noise pollution are creating "serious quality of life problems" for those who live anywhere near Brush Hollow Rd., said several Westbury residents at the Village Board of Trustees meeting last week. Although trustees addressed the issue at the meeting, and offered several possible solutions, they stressed that their power was limited as Brush Hollow Rd. ultimately falls under Nassau County's jurisdiction.

Arthur Dobrin, a resident of Westbury for 30 years, told trustees, "The amount of pollution, the amount of noise, the threat to our children caused by speeding trucks, these are all very serious problems." He continued, "This past summer, I couldn't keep the windows open in my house because I would be woken at 4 a.m. to the sound of trucks barreling down the street."

Inez Wynkoop, whose house stands at the intersection of Cross St. and Union Ave., concurred with Dobrin's complaints. "When trucks come down Brush Hollow Rd., by the time they hit Union Ave. they are traveling at an enormous rate of speed. When the traffic lights change and they try to stop, the sound created by the brakes shakes the whole house. In the middle of the night, it sounds like thunder."

Trustee Peter Cavallaro assured residents that he was sympathetic to their plight, and told them that the Village was doing everything in its power "to make sure that the Brush Hollow Rd. corridor is not impacted by any more traffic than it has to be, but the county has the only jurisdiction when it comes to posting signs, setting speed limits, and enforcing them."

A lieutenant from the Truck Enforcement Unit of the Nassau County Highway Patrol told The Westbury Times that, "Unfortunately, there are certain factors hindering us from fully enforcing speeding laws." The lieutenant, who requested that his name go unmentioned, explained that there are a total of four police officers doing truck enforcement for the entire county, where at one time there were as many as 16. "We get complaints from all over the county, we go in for a week, slap the truck drivers around, then we have to move on. We can't stay in one place," he said.

Village Clerk Thomas Savino said that "For what it is worth," the Village of Westbury was actively seeking to enlist the county's help to improve the situation. The village recently received notification that the county would be conducting a study of high traffic areas. "We have applied to have them study traffic conditions on Brush Hollow Rd.," Savino said. "There is no guarantee they will accept the application, but we did apply."

In the meantime, Trustee Alphonse J. Campbell urged residents to remember that this is an election year. "Politicians respond to numbers," he said.

Mannie Sweat, president of the Central Westbury Civic Association, said that he is already working to gather petitions from the community which he will present to the mayor, deputy mayor and trustees, who may, in turn, present them to the county. The Central Westbury Civic Association has also requested that officers from the 3rd Precinct frequent the police booth on the corner of Union Ave. and Cross St. more often. Additionally, Sweat said he is working with Savino to move the Westbury and New Cassel Auxiliary Police from their headquarters at the Westbury Recreation Center on Post Ave. to the police booth on Union and Cross from the hours of 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. "I believe that police presence on that corner, whether it be members of the Auxiliary Police or officers from the 3rd Precinct, would be very beneficial," Sweat said.