Better road safety is just around some corners

For any region like Long Island that’s so dependent on the automobile, traffic safety ought to rank high on any civic priority list. With motoring deaths up in recent years — along with uncalled-for speed and rising driver distraction — that priority becomes increasingly urgent. Many changes for safety’s sake are way overdue.

The Town of Brookhaven is therefore to be applauded for embracing the ever-more-popular "Vision Zero" approach to the layout and design of its streets and roadways. The ambitious target is zero fatalities and severe injuries, to be achieved by addressing roadway design, restricting speed, changing behavior, and using technology — in all, a multidisciplinary strategy.

The crisis driving this effort is stark. Statewide traffic deaths rose by nearly 26% from 2019 to 2022. Long Island had 245 of these fatalities in 2022, with 164 in Suffolk County and 81 in Nassau. In Brookhaven, the number of fatal crashes rose by 38%, from 2019 to 2023, when the number reached 51, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.

The town board is hiring a Florida-based consultant, NV5, to draft traffic safety recommendations; the contract cost is $475,000, 80% of it covered by a "Safe Streets and Roads for All" federal grant program. Typical strategies include such infrastructure changes as narrower streets, roundabouts, added bike lanes and better traffic signals.

Town Supervisor Dan Panico told Newsday that the consultant will list at least 55 intersections where safety improvements are most needed. But he also acknowledges that the push should include basic enforcement by way of crackdowns on distracted and impaired driving — an important element to note as we head into the traffic-heavy Labor Day weekend. Presumably, the town will be eligible for more outside grants to keep up the progress.

Reforming behavior is always challenging, but the effort is necessary. "Every neighborhood I talk to has speeding issues," Panico told Newsday. "Everybody needs to put down their phone ... and slow down in residential communities."

As it happens, this is one area where New York City, which adopted a "Vision Zero" plan 10 years ago, set a good governmental example over the years. Traffic-related fatalities have reportedly been reduced by more than 12%. Bike lanes and a reduction in the speed limit to 25 mph on most city streets were part of the program. Commendably, Suffolk County has its own plan, launched last year and focused on road upgrades. Huntington Town officials are planning improvements for pedestrian safety near schools and parks. Islip and Oyster Bay are also looking to Vision Zero changes.

These are all sensible plans for a time when the actions of motorists, cyclists and even pedestrians sometimes seem crazed and irrational. Local municipalities should move forward, borrow ideas from other jurisdictions where suitable, and keep up the Vision Zero momentum.

When it comes to planning and carrying out safety upgrades, a bit of extra speed can be a good thing.