Mastic, Shirley and Mastic Beach communities seeking solutions as traffic becomes 'unbearable' in the area
Tonight, the Mastic Park Civic Association will hold a comunity meeting to discuss the traffic issues and come up with possible solutions.
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People who live in Mastic, Shirley and Mastic Beach are once again raising concerns about the traffic conditions on Mastic Road, William Floyd Parkway, Montauk Highway and Sunrise Highway.
They say the congestion has become unbearable and is creating safety hazards.
Tonight, the Mastic Park Civic Association is holding a community meeting and invited elected officials at all levels of government to join them in a discussion to find solutions.
This has been an ongoing problem for years, but community members are raising the issue again because of new planned developments in the area.
Community members said some of the most problematic spots include William Floyd Parkway at Neighborhood Road, Mastic Road and Mastic Boulevard and William Floyd Parkway at the train tracks just beyond the Mastic Shirley Long Island Rail Road Station.
People who live in the area are calling for additional lane widening and grade crossings over the tracks.
Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro told News 12 that the town has done everything it can to address the traffic issues.
"The problem stems from the fact that there are only two crossings over the Long Island Rail Road tracks to get off the Mastic peninsula," he said. "When you have that population density trying to navigate those two pathways at peak hours, it backs up."
Losquadro said the town has invested money into addressing the problem by replacing the traffic signal in front of the Mastic Firehouse, widening lanes, adding shoulders and curbing as well as formalizing the intersection at Herkimer Street that forks off Mastic Road.
Losquadro called on both Suffolk County, which owns William Floyd Parkway, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to help out.
MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan responded in a statement to News 12: “The MTA believes that the best way to improve safety and traffic throughout is to eliminate at-grade crossings, not create additional ones. That is why, in conjunction with Suffolk County, the MTA is studying ways to eliminate four separate crossings. The MTA also welcomes the construction of underpasses or overpasses to replace at-grade crossings provided they are funded through non-MTA sources by appropriate road jurisdiction.”
News 12 reached out to Suffolk County for comment, but has not yet heard back.
Today's Mastic Park Civic Association meeting is taking place at the Mastic Fire Department at 1080 Mastic Rd. at 7:30 p.m.
