In a recent news story (June 29, 2001) The Westbury Times gave praises to the NYS Department of Transportation's Long Island Transportation Plan 2000. We were surprised the article did not specify that this plan will be spending $5 billion on high occupancy vehicle lanes on every major highway and widening 148 miles of roadway. This plan solves only 4 percent of our future traffic congestion.

This plan does not make sense. The HOV lanes we already have aren't working and road widening has proven to be ineffective. The study didn't even consider land use, nor did it model one alternative that didn't include widening major highways and local roads.

LITP2000 is a strategy that allows the DOT to continue widening our roads while neglecting the concerns of local communities and businesses that need to move people and goods on Long Island.

The DOT must bring the study back to the drawing board and research the expansion of trains such as light rail, station access programs, as well as land-use alternatives that place high-density housing and community buildings around transportation facilities with more north-south public transportation.

A 20-year plan that spends $5 billion to extend HOV lanes and widen roads, yet will only alleviate 4 percent of our future congestion is an abysmal failure. We, as citizens, must demand that the plan go back into the modeling phase and bring the citizens of Long Island in as real partners.

Lisa Tyson

Associate Director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition, and LITP2000 Technical Advisory Committee member.

Richard Schary

Vice Chair of zoning land use and funding subcommittee of LITP2000.