Today Assembly Members Phil Goldfeder (D – Far Rockaway) and Todd Kaminsky (D – Long Beach) wrote a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation (“NYSDOT”) calling on the agency to reconsider its decision to exclude NY 878 from this year’s accelerated paving projects. The State recently announced an allocation of $75 million for repaving 428 miles of New York State roadway – noticeably absent from the project list is NY 878.

“The 878 is one of only three evacuation routes for the 130 thousand families living in Rockaway. The state’s policy of deferred maintenance allows this vital route to continue to deteriorate and puts our lives at risk. Rockaway families pay their taxes just like every other New Yorker and we deserve to see a portion of the state road repair funds dedicated to our critical infrastructure,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder.

“It is ridiculous that the first thing to flood, with even the mildest rains, is the designated emergency evacuation route” said Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky. “Between the crater-like pot holes and incessant flooding, this road is on life support and in desperate need of a major overhaul. I urge NYSDOT to reconsider this vital project for accelerated paving and to immediately fund a complete reconstruction of NY 878.”

The letter to Director Joseph Brown, Region 10 Director of the NYSDOT, said, “NY 878 serves as a designated evacuation route for…South Shore and Queens residents…in the event of flooding or other natural disasters….We strongly believe that more work must be done to make this road safe and easy to travel.”

According to the most recent state Traffic Volume Report released by NYSDOT in 2012, 38,000 vehicles per day traveled along Route 878 at the intersection with Bayview Avenue in Lawrence. By contrast, many of the upstate roadways included in the accelerated repaving project list experience Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) well below 10,000 vehicles, with Route 76 in Chautauqua County seeing as little as 1,025 vehicles a day, according to the report.[1]

NYSDOT has proposed a Nassau Expressway Operational Improvement Project to address traffic operational and safety issues, poor pavement and drainage conditions, and aesthetic issues along the route. However, this project isn’t expected to begin until 2023, with an anticipated completion date in fall of 2025.

Assemblyman Goldfeder has long fought to improve conditions along the vital roadway serving as one of only three points of evacuation for the Rockaway Peninsula in the event of an emergency. Last year, Goldfeder joined with Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel (R – Lawrence) in launching a petition calling on New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to invest in infrastructure and emergency evacuation signage improvements to Route 787. This petition garnered more than 3,000 signatures in support of the initiative. Goldfeder, Kopel and Kaminsky later held a rally to call on the state to make the repairs, drawing hundreds of local residents, business leaders, and first responders.

Residents can still sign on to Assemblyman Goldfeder’s petition by visiting www.FixOurRoadsNow.com.

(YWN Desk – NYC)