The families of two victims of fatal crashes joined together Thursday to call on the state to make Long Island's streets safer for pedestrians.
Jivanna Bennaeim lost her husband, Oren, in a crash on Middle Neck Road in Great Neck. Sandi Vega lost her daughter, Brittany, in a crash on Sunrise Highway in Wantagh. They held a news conference in Farmingdale at the site where a 14-year-old girl was killed last month at an intersection many consider to be dangerous. The crash occurred on Route 109 and Main Street.
The group Vision Long Island is among those calling for improved safety measures on busy streets.
"We're really bringing the Island together to address the needs of dealing with our dangerous roadways," says Eric Alexander, of Vision Long Island.
On Thursday morning, state Sen. Kemp Hannon and the state Department of Transportation announced plans to make the lanes at that intersection slightly narrower to slow down traffic. They also said the speed limit will be reduced and a red arrow street light will be added for left turns.
State Sen. Hannon and others say it's a good start for the intersection, but that even more lights should be added along Route 109.
Vision Long Island says it's hoping its Emergency Pedestrian Action Plan can be incorporated into a larger state plan for roads being developed for Long Island. It says it doesn't want to interfere with roads in more rural areas that might not need things such as narrower traffic lanes or sidewalks.