Dan's Papers - October 3, 2008

With the Hamptons International Film Festival starting October 15 and bringing with it large numbers of visitors, traffic safety concerning both pedestrians and vehicles is again a concern for local town and village police forces.

Visitors coming not for the beaches but for movie venues within the towns present a whole new host of safety problems. With movie-goers in a rush to queue up for films, there is an increased chance for some dicey if not dangerous situations on the streets where we live. An East Hampton Village policeman said, for example, that too many "city-oriented" people run across to Starbucks in East Hampton in a hurry to warm up during the festival. Also, out-of-towners tend to scramble for parking without realizing that pedestrians have the right-of-way. Last year a village official said there were one or two unfortunate situations where cars struck pedestrians.

Village of East Hampton Administrator Larry Cantwell stressed to pedestrians visiting to be aware that even when they enter the crosswalks they are in a danger zone with four lanes of traffic. He stressed that drivers must yield to the pedestrians in the crosswalks. Concerning the three crosswalks Cantwell stated that the village is in the process of trying to acquire new high-tech warning lights that are actually in the pavement along the crosswalk, that will flash automatically when someone enters the crosswalk. The village is also installing higher laminating lights to cover both sides of the three crosswalks on Main Street.

The festival's traffic concerns compound an ever-growing local problem of pedestrian safety. In East Hampton, the "five corners" intersection of Route 114, Buell and Toilsome Lanes has been causing drivers grief for some time. In a recent survey, a traffic consultant brought in by the village recommended a traffic circle to reduce the danger of the many blind spots there. Drew Bennett reportedly recommended that if you could somehow create a traffic circle there, "It would slow traffic down and provide good traffic circulation." Since Route 114 is in fact a New York State road, it would be up to the state to survey the problem and take ultimate action. In 2005, the State of New York Department of Transportation concluded such a study by taking actions and creating the present situation, which many locals believe made the intersection even more dangerous. A town official said, "No doubt it was better the way it was; now there are weird angles."

At a recent East Hampton Village Board meeting, the board expressed its concern over the speed at which many cars zip down Route 114. Bennett reportedly stressed that issue in his report. Other concerns are whether fire trucks would be able to navigate a traffic circle safely. without jumping curbs. However, it seems no one at the meeting was particularly happy with the 2005 State action. Cantwell said the village "is working on getting the roundabout," and admitted the intersection of Routes 114 and 27 (near the Library) will have to be re-examined because of the huge summer traffic there, but that there currently are no plans in the works.

Another spot where there are safety issues is where the East Hampton Post Office and Route 27 come together. Pedestrians who park on the north side of 27 to go to the post office or CVS have to cross a busy state road with no crosswalks. Another problem in that same area is that sidewalks heading west on the north side Route 27, past the windmill and toward the village, do not offer crossing options where lanes merge and Pantigo Road becomes Main Street. With two lanes becoming one and people rushing in and out of town, there is concern. A police officer said, "The pedestrians are required to walk to the traffic light at Egypt Lane to cross, which, obviously, not enough people do."

Sag Harbor Mayor Greg Ferraris does not believe actions need to be taken in Sag Harbor, at the complex intersection of Main and Bay Streets at Long Wharf, where many motorists play chicken as they approach from a half dozen possible points of entry.

"In my opinion, and many others', one of the main factors that drives the village of Sag Harbor's popularity is that it is pedestrian-friendly," he said. Concerning traffic in and around Main Street, and the idea of traffic circles, the mayor added, "The implementation of a traffic circle or roundabout at the north end of Main Street would potentially increase traffic flow, but at the same time divide the vibrant Main Street from the crown jewel of the waterfront. There is a certain synergy that is created amongst a pedestrian Main Street that would be lost with a constant flow of traffic." Then what to do for safety? "There is no better traffic-calming device than a strategically located stop sign, which has significantly reduced accidents while making Long Wharf more appealing to pedestrians." To the idea that many feel stop signs clog up traffic, the mayor responded, "I have been told that these stop signs have dramatically increased traffic jams along the Route 114 corridor, which has angered some weekend commuters. My response has been and will always be, 'Don't come this way.'"

So as the film festival draws near, and it gets darker earlier, a heads-up is recommended to both drivers and pedestrians alike. Although the East Hampton police officer recalls no fatalities, he has unofficially seen "a lot of close calls."