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Wantagh Parkway Bike Path to get Guardrail
Originally published in the 2009 October 30 edition of The
Wantagh-Seaford Citizen. A steel cable system will be installed along Wantagh Parkway’s bike path, state Senator Charles Fuschillo told The Citizen last week. “Governor Paterson came to my office yesterday to give me this good news,” he said in a telephone interview. “The DOT will start the design and planning phase in the spring of 2010.”
The state Department of Transportation and Governor David Paterson received thousands of petitions and e-mails, as did elected officials including Senator Fuschillo, state Assemblyman Dave McDonough, county Legislators Dave Denenberg and Dennis Dunne, asking for a guardrail between the bike path and the Wantagh Parkway after public outcry to the tragic death of 19-year-old Matthew Scarpati of Dix Hills. He was hit and killed on the bicycle path this past July by an out-of-control motorcyclist. The state initially said it must review accident data and in August closed the right lane of the parkway and installed a rumble strip in efforts to provide a barrier between motorists and bicyclists. In a meeting in September with the DOT and the Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan representatives, members and officials expressed concern over the safety issues on the parkway. DOT officials said the state was “studying the matter and would have a decision in place shortly.” Lisa Day of Wantagh, who joined forces with Gina Russo and her Facebook group that was created to put up a guard rail, told The Citizen that she and Ms. Russo met with four DOT officials on Monday, October 19, who made a presentation on the guardrail being considered along with crash and safety statistics. Ms. Day said the DOT met with Legislator Denenberg on Tuesday, October 20, to present the same information and on Thursday, October 22, “Senator Fuschillo called a meeting with Matthew Scarpati’s family and Governor Paterson was there and gave them the good news that the guardrail is a definite go,” wrote Ms. Day in an email. “The videos presented by the DOT on the cable system look to be a much better solution,” said Assemblyman McDonough. He and Senator Fuschillo are pleased the “rumble strip will stay and we’ve asked the state police to have a greater presence there. It’s a tempting strip but not a straight shot. You must be careful.” Ms. Day said “it’s the best news we can get. I let out a huge, huge sigh of relief. I will no longer have to worry when I see my husband and neighbors go out on the path.” |
