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Residents urge action after new Wellington Road prompts speeding; trustees promise enforcement and study traffic-calming
Summary
Residents delivered a petition asking Mineola trustees to address speeding and drivers running stop signs on Wellington/Garfield/Jackson after the roadway reconstruction; trustees said they will request targeted enforcement from the 3rd Precinct immediately and study speed displays and traffic-calming measures such as speed humps.
Tony Gadaleta told the Village of Mineola Board of Trustees that traffic on Wellington Road and the adjacent Garfield and Jackson corridors has worsened since the street was rebuilt, presenting petitions with signatures from neighbors and warning, "Somebody's gonna get hurt." Gadaleta told trustees he observed drivers blowing stop signs and speeding during school pickup and drop-off hours.
Trustees and residents discussed short- and long-term responses. Mayor (name not specified in the transcript) said the first step will be enforcement and that the board will ask the 3rd Precinct to sit on the corner periodically to deter dangerous driving. He also said the village could deploy movable solar speed-display devices that collect data and that the village has used similar displays elsewhere to prompt speed reduction.
A resident who spoke later summarized research in favor of physical traffic-calming: "Speed bumps or humps ... can reduce vehicle speeds by up to 40%," she said, noting speed humps are more graduated and less jarring for drivers traveling at or near the speed limit. Trustees said engineering review and funding would be required before installing physical traffic-calming devices and that such projects take time; enforcement and temporary measures would be pursued first.
The mayor asked staff to collect the petition and data and to coordinate with police on enforcement plans; he said the village would examine nonintrusive options such as additional signage and movable speed-display units while exploring engineering solutions. Residents asked the board to track results and return with recommendations if short-term enforcement does not reduce risky driving.
The board did not vote on a new traffic-calming installation at the meeting; trustees described immediate enforcement and data collection as the next steps.
