Southampton Village Board Implements Traffic Study Recommendation Restricting Right Turns on a Handful of Village Streets

The Southampton Village Board voted unanimously at its work session on Tuesday night, March 21, to implement the recommendations of a traffic study commissioned by engineering firm Nelson Pope Voorhis to help address safety and congestion concerns of community members who live on residential streets that have become busy cut-throughs for commuter traffic during weekday mornings and evenings.

The study recommended prohibiting right turns onto Hill Street from Somerset Avenue, Bishops Lane and Corrigan Street between the hours of 3 and 7 p.m.

The law is scheduled to take effect as soon as paperwork is filed by the village with the secretary of state. Southampton Village Administrator Charlene Kagel-Betts said that paperwork would be mailed to the state the day after the work session, March 22, and the necessary signage alerting motorists to the change would be posted in visible areas throughout the village within the next few days.

The new regulations also will mark the end of the controversial presence of a police barrier that had been installed for several months at the north end of Somerset Avenue, which had the effect of eliminating the street as a cut-through option for commuters. Kagel-Betts said on Wednesday morning that the Somerset barrier would be removed as soon as the signs alerting motorists to the new turn restrictions have been posted in the coming days.

The barrier was set up in response to concerns from residents who live on that street and have pointed out that the presence of two 90-degree turns on the street created a dangerous situation at times of peak commuter traffic.

Residents on nearby streets were opposed to the barrier and have repeatedly called for its removal, saying it amounted to unfair treatment and a special exception made for some residents in the area but not others, adding that it had the effect of sending more traffic down streets like Bishops Lane and Corrigan Street.

Some of those residents spoke during the work session on Tuesday night, renewing calls to remove the barrier as soon as possible.

Trustee Roy Stevenson, who lives in that area, shared his thoughts on the decision to implement the recommendations.

“I’m pleased to see this difficult situation has come to a resolution,” he said, adding that he considers the recommendations a “fair solution.”

He also pointed out what many residents, the mayor, and other trustees have repeated several times: The only way to truly alleviate the traffic problem in the area is to have multiple entities, like the state, county, town and village, address it together in a variety of ways.

“The best solution to this problem is beyond the capacity of this board here,” he said.