Community Watchdog

Nicholas Caracappa wants traffic signals on the corner where he lives changed

I reside at the busy intersection of Hawkins and Boyle Roads. This past year, the Town of Brookhaven increased the danger-level significantly by replacing the red-yellow-green left-turn arrows on the four-way traffic signals to green arrow/green light. That allows cars to make left turns into oncoming traffic because they have a continuous green light. There have been over a dozen accidents. That’s more incidents than the past 20 years combined. We have contacted the town several times. We have a petition. Still nothing.
-- Nicholas J. Caracappa, Selden

Town officials are steadfast: The changes have made the intersection safer, they say.

“The restriction of...the red arrow, with that volume of traffic, causes people to do dumb things,” like trying to beat the light, town spokesman Tom Burke said. A safer option, he said, is to give drivers “a safe turn with the green arrow and then an optional safe turn with the solid green light.”

Based on statistics culled from police reports and state reports, town traffic safety officials said the intersection averaged five accidents a year before the changes in March last year. After the changes, they said no accidents occurred at the intersection.

However, Sixth Precinct Commander Insp. Frank Stallone said department statistics for Hawkins and Boyle indicate 11 accidents in 2006 and 13 last year.
“I don’t see much difference” in the accident rate, he said.

Town and police numbers don’t match, Burke said, because the town’s traffic safety experts dissect the police accident reports and count only the ones that occurred directly at the intersection.

Stallone said officers generally indicate the nearest intersection where an accident occurs on police reports, including those that happen a short distance away. He described the intersection as “busy and complicated,” one that requires two school crossing guards.

Police defer to the town’s traffic experts, but Stallone called for a review of the changes because of resident complaints. The town “reviewed it and came back with the same result.” he said. “I’m not sure you can do anything safety-wise that will change that one way or another."

WATCHDOG WEIGH-IN: Who’s right? Is the intersection better or worse since the changes? Email comments to watchdog@newsday.com. Results will be posted on newsday.com/watchdog.

Also related to this topic:

*NY Department of Motor Vehicles-Traffic Control
*Selden Civic Association: