In addition to the Garden City Police Department’s already rigorous traffic enforcement program, several modifications have been made to address excessive speed and other aggressive driving violations throughout the village.
Some of these include: one officer being added to the Traffic Enforcement Squad; officers assigned to overlapping tours have been assigned to traffic enforcement details; a decoy vehicle has been deployed to known high-speed locations; a portable speed indicator sign has been assigned to high complaint areas; and while their main function is patrol, members assigned to the Patrol Division have been directed to address stop sign violations on their posts as well as other violations that commonly occur in residential areas.
During the first six months of 2021, officers have issued more than 5,000 traffic tickets. The officers’ traffic enforcement efforts have had a significant impact on the reduction of the number of auto crashes in the village this year as compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Results of the Cathedral Avenue Traffic Calming Study were presented at the July 15 Board of Trustees meeting.
Village’s LIRR Committee Share Concerns
Trustee Bruce Chester and six residents comprise the village’s LIRR Committee. At a recent meeting with representatives of 3TC/LIRR and the village, two main concerns were discussed: railroad workers parking on village property and the bright work lights along Merillon Avenue. The Garden City Police Department has been advised to ticket anyone illegally parked. According to Police Commissioner Kenneth Jackson, personnel have been assigned to monitor the issue, particularly along Main Avenue where resident complaints include LIRR employees parking in two-hour parking zones for a prolonged period of time and also parking in front of fire hydrants.
Village To Plant Trees In The Fall
The Recreation and Parks Department will be going out to bid towards late summer, with expected tree plantings in the fall. According to Commissioner Paul Blake, the department did not do a planting in the spring because some growers had their stock damaged last August during Tropical Storm Isaias.
“By holding off until the fall, we will be getting better trees than we would have in the spring,” Blake said.
There is currently a list of approximately 185 trees to be planted in the village this fall. Last year, the village lost more trees than usual due to Tropical Storm Isaias.
“That’s why we’re planting more than we usually would,” Blake added.
Since Sandy, the village plants, on average, 120-140 trees each year—and removes approximately 100-120 in a typical year too.
In-person Board Meetings Return
During July, August and September, the Board of Trustees meets once a month. The next meeting is set for Thursday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Sept. 16 beginning at 7:30 p.m. All meetings will be held in the board room at village hall unless otherwise noted. The July 15 meeting was the last meeting to also be held via Zoom.
—Submitted by the Village of Garden City
