Traffic safety improvements at West Hempstead High School

The West Hempstead School District’s PTSA has brought up safety concerns over the past several months for students at the intersection of Nassau Boulevard and Johnson Lane, near the parking lot of West Hempstead High School. The PTSA was able to collaborate with State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who helped to amend the traffic patterns on Sept. 13 to allow a pedestrian-only crossing outside of the school to mitigate issues at the intersection. The safety improvements were completed over the summer before the new school year.

“On behalf of the members of the West Hempstead PTSA, SEPTA, and PTA, we would like to thank Senator Kaminsky for his invaluable help in addressing the dangerous intersection of West Hempstead High School, Nassau Boulevard and Johnson Lane,” said Irene Martinez, West Hempstead’s PTSA co-president, in a news release. “We appreciate the efforts of both the Senator and Nassau County in making the much needed traffic signal improvements for the safety of our community, and particularly our students.”

The double-intersection had posed as a major safety hazard to students, pedestrians, and motorists alike in the past. Martinez told the district Board of Education that it was troublesome for people who tried to get through the intersection, especially during drop off and pick up times. Martinez contacted Kaminsky’s office during the 2018-19 school year with the hope of resolving this issue.

“It is imperative for us to ensure our students have a safe commute to and from school,” Kaminsky said. “Working in collaboration with our partners in the community and government, we were able to remedy safety issues and bolster the safety of our students and the West Hempstead community at-large.”

“The West Hempstead School District is pleased that the collaboration between the West Hempstead PTSA and Senator Kaminsky’s office resulted in a traffic crossing improvement at the High School,” the district said in a statement. “The safety of our students has always been our goal first and foremost. The Board of Education, Central Office and High School Administration would like to thank Senator Kaminsky for all his efforts on behalf of the community.”