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Comprehensive study of stop signs in MPK called for by some residents Some Massapequa Park residents are saying that it is time for the Village to review the proliferation of stop signs in the community before it moves forward with authorizing the placement of any others. Currently the Village has stop signs at 445 locations, some of which are four-way stop signs. Most are on the Village's streets but some are located in parking lots. "Enough is enough, the Village is going overboard and okaying every request for a stop sign," said resident Jim Maguire, who said that he believes there has not been enough thought or study into putting up stop signs. But those residents who ask for stop signs and get them are generally very pleased with the ease with which the Village officials approve them. "We need to slow down traffic on my block, which is streaming over from the (Sunrise) mall," said Richard Barrigans who, with his neighbors attended a hearing on placement of stop signs on his block. Barrigans has lived at Grand Boulevard and Pittsburgh Avenue since 1986 and said there have been many accidents at the location, including one in which a telephone pole was split in two, with one piece going airborne and flying into someone's home. The Village Board approved a 4-way stop at that location. Although one resident agreed that signs at that Grand and Pittsburgh intersection are a good idea, he also argued that maybe too many are being installed. "This Village is dependent upon our volunteer firefighters and every stop sign we put in is slowing them down," said resident John O'Brien who said the administration needs to consider an overall traffic plan in the Village before okaying any other signs. Mayor James Altadonna said that safety matters more to his administration than the number of stop signs. "Where warranted, I will always put the safety of my residents and their children ahead of the perception that there are too many (stop) signs," he said, adding that not all sign requests are granted. The Village recently rejected a request to put a sign on Mansfield Drive. Under a previous administration, the Village did undertake a comprehensive traffic study. In 2001, a $10,000 draft of an intersection control study was done by Cameron Engineering & Associates, but the recommendations were never adopted. (See Sidebar for details of the study) "Some of the recommendations were followed, but this administration has chosen to take a qualitative approach such as taking speed and traffic volume into consideration," said Altadonna. "That study is mostly a visual rec- ommendation and some of those recommendations have been taken." Guidelines for stop signs are set by New York State. Under those guidelines, stop signs should not be used as speed control devices to, for example, slow down traffic. Their use is designed to provide safe flow of traffic at intersections. In other news the Village: •announced that grievance Day is due to be held from 4 to 8 p.m., Tues., Feb. 19, allowing residents to challenge their property's tax assessment.
All meetings are held at Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park.
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