County installs speed indicators in Elmont

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After months of planning, county Public Works employees installed two speed indicators on Dutch Broadway earlier this month in an effort to reduce speeding on the road.

According to Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages, who advocated for the signs and oversaw their installation on Aug. 2, the signals were installed at the intersections of Ridge Road and Dutch Broadway and at Dutch Broadway and Elmont Road, where a four-car crash last Halloween led to one vehicle careening off the road and striking four teenage bystanders. Nassau County police officials reported at the time that two of the victims were in critical condition, one of whom had to be airlifted due to the severity of her injuries.

Speaking to the Herald, Solages said he was glad the signs were installed before the new school year begins on Sept. 4 because “as school starts, people have to be reminded that they have to drive slow and not be distracted.”

He added, “Safety of our roads is of the utmost importance to me.”

In fact, Solages said, he pressured Town of Hempstead officials to install a stop sign at the intersection of Leighton Road and Ridge Road, near Elmont Memorial High School, because residents have been complaining about speeding in the area for years.

The problem likely begins closer to the Queens border, Solages said, where the road opens up to become a two-lane road. As a result, he said, another crash occurred on Aug. 3 — one day after the signals were installed — near the Queens border.

A traffic study of Dutch Broadway is expected to be finalized soon.

Ronny Reyes contributed to this story.