Brooks Applauds Passage of Southern State Parkway Safety Study Bill
June 14, 2017
On Tuesday evening, the New York State Senate passed legislation that directs the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to conduct a study of the Southern State Parkway. Senator Brooks, a co-sponsor of this legislation, carries a similar bill in the Senate (S.4541).
Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Brooks said, “Far too many lives have been lost on the Southern State Parkway. The configuration of ramps and signs on the parkway pose a serious risk to drivers, and a study is needed in order to assess these problems so that we can modernize and upgrade the parkway."
As one of Long Island’s most heavily traveled roads, a fatality occurs every other month on the Southern State Parkway largely due to antiquated exit and entrance ramps and poor signage. This legislation seeks to identify solutions and correct these problems to prevent collisions and the instances of wrong-way drivers on the Southern State Parkway. This study would evaluate design and safety of entrance and exit ramps and the visibility of signage, while identifying federal funding that may be available for highway safety improvements.
“All Long Islanders and their families should have the assurance that they are safe when traveling on our roads, and this piece of legislation does just that.”
A video clip of Senator Brooks speaking on the Senate floor can be found here.