Trump administration says it'll work with state on Long Island traffic crashes

In a letter to a lawmaker, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he wants to coordinate with the state to better understand and reduce traffic crashes on Long Island.

Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) had earlier asked Duffy's office to study the problem and supply recommendations. Gillen's original letter to Duffy in March cited Newsday's finding that more than 2,100 people have been killed and 16,000 seriously injured in crashes on the Island over a decade.

Duffy's response, dated May 16, noted the federal government already works with state authorities to identify high-crash locations in New York and to distribute federal safety grants.

The federal Department of Transportation will coordinate with New York State's DOT and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee "to ensure that these resources will be used to better understand and reduce traffic crashes on Long Island," Duffy wrote.

"The Department remains committed to eliminating fatal crashes and working with you to achieve that goal," he wrote in the letter, which Gillen's office shared with Newsday Thursday.

In a statement to Newsday, the state DOT said "we welcome continued support from partners across government," but it did not acknowledge if Duffy had communicated with them about new studies or activities specific to Long Island.

Gillen has encouraged local governments on Long Island to apply to the federal DOT's Safe Streets and Roads for All program with proposals to improve roadway design, educate the public about traffic safety and other activities. That program, which has a June 26 deadline this year, is part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed under the Biden administration and awards grants between $100,000 and $25 million to counties, cities, towns and villages.

Long Island is also receiving about $1.2 million in funding directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this fiscal year for traffic enforcement campaigns, traffic safety programs and resources for medical examiners, Duffy wrote.

The state DOT spokesman said the department is undertaking or recently completed several safety improvement projects on Long Island, like a $7 million project to improve two intersections in Valley Stream and Huntington and a $27 million project at Exit 53 on the Long Island Expressway.

While the federal government provides funding and sets certain standards for roads, Long Island’s roads are owned and maintained by the state and local governments.