Two New York lawmakers say the Southern State Parkway that winds between New York City and Jones Beach is badly in need of an upgrade. State Senator John Brooks and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solanges have introduced a bill that would launch a safety study and renovation plans.
Solages says the road was built for a different time.
“As time goes on, our driving practices and culture have warranted us to look at the Southern State and engineering and look for ways to update it to protect our fellow New Yorkers.”
However, transportation experts say it may be too late for changes.
AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair says, “It’s too twisty, it’s too hilly, it’s too narrow. There are a lot of problems with the roadway, and being able to fix those problems would be just about impossible. You’d have to be able to flatten it, straighten it, widen it.”
Sinclair says that even if the high expenses could be covered, there are already too many homes and schools that push right up against the Parkway.
“Signage and perhaps more lighting and warnings at those entrances and exits would help, but beyond major design changes and construction changes on that roadway, I don’t think there’s that much you can do.”
The New York State Department of Transportation says the Parkway is the most dangerous on Long Island. A 2016 state study says the Parkway had 10,500 accidents over a five-year period.