National Park Service considering changes to driving on Fire Island

The National Park Service is considering changes that would potentially allow more off-road driving for Fire Island residents and workers during the non-summer months, a move that residents hope will allow for greater transportation flexibility while still protecting the character of the barrier island.

The Park Service held a pair of meetings — one in person and another virtually — with residents this week where they presented three alternatives to Fire Island's driving regulations, which have remained unchanged for 37 years.

The first would leave the current regulations, which were established in 1987 and aim to preserve the roadless nature of the barrier island and protect its seashores, unchanged.

Many homes can only be reached via boat or by driving on federal land, which requires a permit. No driving, even with a permit, is allowed during the summer months.

A second option would increase the cap on year-round residential driving permits from 145 to 200 while the cap on business and construction vehicles would grow from 80 to 145, officials said. The cap for public utilities and essential services would be removed. Meanwhile, the seasonal driving window would be modified to allow residents all-day driving privileges during the school year.

A third option, officials said, would allow all eligible year-round residents and construction/businesses to obtain a driving permit while the caps would be removed. But full-time and part-time residents, along with municipal employees and those providing essential services, would only be allowed to drive on weekdays while businesses could drive all week through the first Friday in May.

There would still be strict requirements to obtain a permit, such as proof of residency or business on Fire Island.

Residents have previously shared with the Park Service that they need loosened permit regulations, making it easier to drive.

Thomas Ruskin, president of Fire Island's Seaview association, said there is support from many in the community to incorporate portions of the three options presented by the Park Service into one final plan.

For example, Ruskin, who has lived on the island for more than 60 years, said the Park Service's process for determining who is qualified for a driving permit is working fine.

But, he believes the number of permits needs to be adjusted slightly up to reflect the island's growing population and that the driving season should halt well before the end of the school year, as the area has already seen its population grow exponentially by that point.

"I am hoping that [the Park Service] earnestly listen to the community leaders and take into account what we say, because we know what happens inland better than anyone else," Ruskin said. "They are very good at what they do and how they protect the federal tracts. But the community leaders are responsible for their communities."

The Park Service has considered implementing updates since at least 2002. Without a developed road system and limited traffic, the communities of Fire Island have retained much of their original character, Park Service officials have said.

There are 433 year-round residents living in 222 households among 17 communities on the Seashore, and the population swells to roughly 15,000 in the summer, the Park Service said.

In total, more than 2.2 million visitors come annually to the Seashore, which encompasses 19,580 acres of upland, tidal and submerged lands along a 26-mile stretch of the 32-mile barrier island.

The Park Service is accepting public comments about the proposals through Dec. 4. A decision is expected by next summer.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.