Community Watchdog

Just an additional comment regarding LI street signs.

It would seem to me that safety should be a top prioriy in view of the increase in traffic accidents
In NJ, they have a sign and a turnaround at major intersections.Not possible to do here, of course. But the bext best thing would be more specific signage way in advance of the exit or major cross street to enable drivers to have enough time and clearance to make their move to get over safely, without cutting of another vehicle.

We have noticed more & more that the signs are RIGHT at the turn off & not far enough ahead.
Aren't lives worth the resaerch & money more than things like Trump on the Ocean, which local governments seem to have plenty of time to dispute?

--Suzanne Germaine, Massapequa Park

See Sunday's column for more comments.

Last week, we asked readers what they think about overhead street signs and if street signs should be bigger.

Dozens of readers said YES to overhead signs and bigger ones. State and county officials agree that overheads would be helpful to drivers. But don’t expect to see an explosion of them at Long Island intersections anytime soon.

The state has a handful of them on Route 110 and Route 25. State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Eileen Peters said, “We do consider them, if it’s appropriate and there’s no conflict with utilities in the area. We do install them where it’s feasible and appropriate.”

Mostly, the state uses advance street signs before major intersections, a system also used by Nassau County.

Gilbert Anderson, Suffolk Public Works Commissioner said the county follows federal highway signage regulations, but if a request was made for an overhead sign at a particular intersection, “We would consider it.”

Nassau Public Works Commissioner Ray Ribeiro said there’s no argument overheads are effective. But with undergound cables, utilities, sewers and other obstructions, it’s almost

The Community Watchdog column on Sunday asked a question: Is bigger better? What do you think about overhead street signs at intersections? Are bigger signs helpful?

Responses sent in by readers are overwhelmingly in favor of bigger signs. You can see some of the comments here (click Comments on last Wednesday’s blog from March 5 and Monday’s blog from March 10.)

This Sunday, we’ll run some of the emails Newsday readers submitted on the issue.

Pat Gangitano of Massapequa says overhead street signs would provide better visibility for drivers.

Why aren’t street-name signs hung overhead alongside traffic lights? In Massapequa, there are several locations, including the intersection of Sunrise Highway and Unqua Road, where this would be beneficial. It’s often hard to hunt for a small sign on a street corner when you’re driving on a busy road. How is sign placement determined?

Aside from freeways and expressways, the use of overhead street-name signs is determined on a case-by-case basis. The New York State Department of Transportation prefers local municipalities install street-name signs on corner posts for consistency.

“The key is to reduce confusion,” said DOT spokeswoman Eileen Peters, noting Long Islanders are used to seeing street-name signs on corners. “If we’re inconsistent with sign placement, then drivers are constantly wondering where to look when they approach an intersection.”

According to Federal Highway Administration guidelines, intersections with overhead street signs are often locations where roadside space is at a minimum due to private property, steep hills or other troublesome geography. Other factors include traffic volume, the number of lanes, sight distance, speed and lighting.

To avoid overhead signs at intersection like Unqua and Sunrise, the state will often use advance street-name signs to alert drivers a road is 100 or 200 feet away. At the request of residents last summer,“We installed signs with eight-inch letters,” Peters said. “But a few months later, residents asked for even bigger signs, so we’re installing ones with 12-inch letters this spring.”

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