Letters

Once again, a proposal has been launched to close off Somerset Avenue at the western edge of the village to prevent access to Hill Street [“Southampton Village Board Looks at Options for Mitigating Cut-Through Traffic on Somerset Avenue After Accident There, 27east.com, January 14].

As has been proven, street-by-street restrictions are not the solution for dealing with the ever-increasing pressures of vehicular traffic on our narrow village streets. On most days, during trade-parade time, this results in stand-still, exhaust-spewing forward-inching traffic on Bishops Lane, Corrigan Street, Halsey Street and Somerset Avenue. Unless a momentary opening allows for speeding through at 40 to 50 miles an hour.

Also not the solution are the numerous traffic signs around the village cautioning “No Right Turns onto Hill Street between 3 p.m. and 7.p.m.,” which are routinely ignored by drivers. Often being caught up in the westward traffic, I saw how often these signs had to be ignored by the drivers until they got to the final sign, mere steps before making their illegal right turn onto Hill Street.

To use Village Police to enforce such traffic regulations is an inefficient and expensive use of our police, and thoroughly outdated. Electronic surveillance is an effective deterrent. It also avoids acrimonious encounters between drivers and officers handing out tickets.

In addition, installing speed bumps on Somerset Avenue and on Bishops Lane between Magee Street and Hill Street will slow down traffic. It works great on Lee Avenue, where two speed bumps close together frustrate any driver who is tempted to speed down that long, arrow-straight street.

Very few houses on Pleasant Lane and Somerset Avenue are actually occupied year-round. Creating an enclosed enclave will shift more traffic to nearby streets, which is unfair and short-sighted. And also unneighborly.

Heide Löfken

Southampton