Sagaponack: A wrong turn for bike signs?
By Beth Young
Southampton Press (New York)
November 18, 2008
A plethora of fluorescent green bike path signs that appeared in Sagaponack [New York] in recent weeks has drawn the ire of residents of the village, who say the signs mar its scenic vistas.
The large signs, some diamond-shaped with pictures of bicycles on them, and others, rectangle-shaped with “Share the Road” written on them, were placed in various locations in the village by Southampton Town. But after resident Ann Sandford counted 49 signs along a 0.6-mile stretch of Narrow Lane, she and other residents of the village said “enough is enough.”
Barbara Bornstein was upset enough by the signs that she called Southampton Town’s Traffic Safety and Public Transportation Director Tom Neely to tell him so herself.
She said that the signs, placed side by side along the road, were dangerous, and added that she hoped that Mr. Neely could find a way to intersperse them and use money designated for bike baths to curb high-speed traffic throughout the village, making the roads safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and horseback riders.
“We are reviewing the sign plan that was installed,” said Mr. Neely on Tuesday. “We did a field study with the engineering company and the contractor. We are looking to modify some of it to lighten up the amount of signage.”
Mr. Neely said that the number of signs was designed to meet federal guidelines for the program, which was funded to the tune of $148,773 by the U.S. government.
The bike route starts at the Bridgehampton train station and heads east along Narrow Lane. It follows Old Farm Road to Hildreth Lane and onto Sagg Road before continuing on Narrow Lane to the Southampton Town line.
The bike path project is comprised primarily of 100 new signs, along with flashing warning beacons at the railroad underpass on Narrow Lane. Some minor road regrading was also done to ensure bicyclists a smooth ride.
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$9,703,055,606,000.00
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$31,684.74 Per Citizen |
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