Letters

At its recent meeting in January, the Village Board of Trustees addressed the question of traffic flows on Somerset Avenue [“Southampton Village Board Looks at Options for Mitigating Cut-Through Traffic on Somerset Avenue After Accident There, 27east.com, January 14].

This question has vexed the residents of Somerset Avenue and its surrounding streets as traffic, frustrated by the congestion and delays on County Road 39, seeks short cuts to and from Hill Street through surrounding residential areas. The increased traffic flows have had the inevitable result of making these poorly lit residential streets dangerous for pedestrian traffic — a fact tragically demonstrated by an accident on Somerset Avenue in December that resulted in serious injury to a pedestrian who was walking her dogs in the early evening.

The village’s response to these conditions has been irrational and inconsistent, and may even expose the village to liability. In December 2022, and without prior consultation with neighboring residents, the village erected a barrier blocking access to Somerset Avenue. This resulted in tension between neighbors as reported by Cailin Riley on January 2, 2023 [“Somerset Barriers Are Source of Tension in Southampton Village,” 27east.com]. To reach an equitable solution, the village commissioned an expert study and implemented its recommendations, which essentially amounted to prohibiting right turns onto Hill Street in the afternoons.

But it seems that this recommendation, though signposted, was not enforced by the Village Police, who allege understaffing, difficulty in ticketing offenders and other seemingly spurious excuses. As a result, traffic flowed unchecked through the residential neighborhoods resulting in the tragic accident referred to above — an accident that might have occurred on any of the residential streets, but by misfortune occurred on Somerset Avenue.

What occurred next is astonishing. Instead of enforcing the recommendations of the previous study, the Village Police commissioned a new study. Residents of Somerset Avenue were consulted, but not those of other streets, and then, at its December meeting, the Board of Trustees announced a preferred plan that would have the same effect as the previously disputed barrier, blocking southbound traffic from entering Somerset Avenue. This is an expensive plan to be paid for in part by residents who oppose the plan.

The motivation for this new plan seems to have been solely the tragic accident on Somerset Avenue and the inexplicable reluctance of the police to enforce existing regulations.

Alternative traffic calming solutions like speed bumps, cameras, improved lighting, and construction of sidewalks were perfunctorily dismissed. Surely, this high-handed behavior to prefer the residents of one street over their neighbors violates the responsibility of the police and the trustees. Perhaps they will reconsider before proceeding.

David Barnard

Southampton Village