An initiative to improve safety along a 10-mile stretch of the Southern State Parkway will bring 22 license plate-reading cameras to the highway.
Collecting data from license plate readers will allow police to check license plate information against various databases and identify drivers with outstanding warrants, as well as gain general insights into traffic patterns and behavior. The cameras are also meant to function as visible deterrents to speeding as well as reckless driving, which authorities say has plagued the southern state.
Funding for the project will come from a $900,000 SAM (System for Awards Management) grant to the New York State Police, which was secured by State Senator John Brooks.
“I am proud to work with the New York State Troopers to implement license plate readers along the Southern State Parkway,” Brooks said in a written statement. “For far too long, this 10-mile stretch of road has proven to be a hazard to motorists and has led to a litany of fatal accidents as a result, so we must do everything we can to protect our community. By installing these license plate readers, we can ensure that our police officers are better able to handle the dangerous conditions presented by the SSP and ultimately ensure that Long Islanders are protected.”
Brooks has also proposed legislation that would increase fines for traffic violations on the parkway.
“The Long Island Contractors Association will continue the critical work of making the Southern State Parkway a safer place for all Long Islanders,” Marc Herbst, executive director of LICA, said in the statement. “We are proud to have worked hand-in-hand with Senator Brooks in crafting the package of legislative priorities, and we will continue to advocate for additional funding to prevent further loss of life. We will not stop until there is change.”
In August, LICA Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages released a report on the use of public-private partnerships that could be used to make safety improvements in the southern state, including the addition of a special toll lane.
The avenue, particularly a 10-mile stretch between exit 17 in Malverne and exit 32 in Farmingdale that has earned the nickname “Blood Alley,” is in dire need of work to improve highway safety, according to the report by the American Association of Highway and Transportation Builders and commissioned by LICA.
The report says dangerous conditions on the parkway, which contributed to 4,166 accidents on the 25.5-mile highway in 2019, include sharp curves, short acceleration and deceleration ramps, the profusion of smaller exits and the proximity of three main ones. They cross from north to south. highways Suggests considering a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane throughout the southern state and rebuilding the highway to current engineering safety specifications.
Using a public-private partnership (P3) could help finance the parkway’s reconstruction with a stream of funds supported through a HOT lane, the report says. Similar to a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane like the one found along the Long Island Expressway, a HOT lane includes tolls that can adjust prices according to congestion levels, and the existing six lanes remain free. of toll
