Just Sayin': HOV lane is still 55 mph

I would like to point out to my fellow drivers that the high-occupancy vehicle lane of the Long Island Expressway requires vehicles to have two or more occupants during designated times. It is not the "fast lane."

If you choose to exceed the speed limit of 55 mph, then you should exit the HOV lane and enter the left lane, the "passing lane."

Tailgating me in the HOV lane from Lake Success to Riverhead will not make me drive any faster, and it won't make me move out of the HOV lane.

Further, the speed limit remains the same whether or not the HOV rules are in effect. Just because it's 9 p.m. doesn't mean it becomes the free-for-all lane.

Kevin Mulrooney, Williston Park

We must protect our water

Long Island's drinking water source is in serious trouble. Rising nitrogen levels have had devastating effects on parts of the Island. From 1987 to 2005, there has been a 200 percent increase in the Magothy aquifer's nitrogen pollution, caused by sewage and fertilizer. Seventy percent of homes in Suffolk County rely on septic tanks and cesspools.

These septic tanks were designed to remove only pathogens, not nitrogen. What can we do?

Today's state-of-the-art septic tanks remove far more nitrogen and can do so safely. Houses built today should be required to use these. Also, our sewage treatment plants can be upgraded to remove more nitrogen, and we can cut down on fertilizer and pesticide application.

Anthony Guella, Copiague

Where to park the car?

The municipal parking lots for Massapequa Park near Massapequa High School seem to be constantly filled with student vehicles parked illegally. When I've called the village, officials say they enforce the parking regulations. But I've observed that students move their cars from spot to spot.

It would be a simple thing to set a time limit. It's almost impossible to get a spot for shopping during school hours.

I don't understand how local merchants put up with this.

Ronald Beckerman, Massapequa
 

The parking situation at the Long Island Rail Road station in Wantagh has become dire. I have a handicap sticker for osteoarthritis, and at 7:30 a.m. there are no handicap spots remaining. This forces me to park at least a quarter-mile away and walk. Ouch.

Recently, even that parking was unavailable, providing me with an extra challenge as far as finding a legal parking space.

I hate to whine, but what recourse is there for the commuter?

Chris Lyon, Seaford