Street fighters blast DOT Middle Country Road dubbed country's 'deadliest' by angry protesters
By Karen Forman	write the author
October 15, 2008 | 04:20 PM Civic activists hit Selden's streets Monday to protest dangerous conditions on Middle Country Road, considered by some the country's deadliest road. Local residents and representatives of various civic organizations — including the Selden, Wading River, Calverton and Middle Island associations, as well as the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization — united to highlight dangers on this stretch of Route 25 including reckless driving and risky road conditions. Protesters hoped to be "taken seriously" by the state Department of Transportation, according to a press release from the Selden Civic Association. "The DOT ... has told Selden that they have finished our road and are moving on," said Debbie Felber, president of the Selden civic. "We cannot afford to wait for the future vision plans of our town ... we need help today to save a life tomorrow. We want people to come to Selden to shop, but we want them to be safe — and right now, they're not." Sporting handmade signs that called Middle Country Road the "deadliest road in the country" and warned that "we cannot wait until 2030" — referencing the forthcoming Brookhaven 2030 master development plan — protesters faulted drivers for speeding, running red lights, making illegal U-turns and lane changes and parking on the road's shoulder; during the protest, UPS and FedEx delivery trucks parked on the Route 25 shoulder next to "No Standing" signs. Felber also cited serious congestion around the Islamic mosque at Middle Country Road and Park Hill Drive in Selden. It's the only mosque in Suffolk County, she noted, and there's no light at the intersection; when services are offered, the high number of attendees requires a police presence for traffic control. Protesters brought several ideas to slow traffic along Middle Country Road. Protesters said they want a traffic light installed in front of the Starbucks at 1251 Middle Country Road, as well as medians in certain areas to discourage left turns; they also want the shoulders eliminated to stop their use as alternate traffic lanes. The DOT would have to implement such changes on the state-owned road. "The DOT needs to take responsibility for their mistakes," said protester and ABCO President Mary Ann Johnston. "They are aware of the situation that they created here and they refuse to do anything about it. Middle Country Road has become the L.I.E. with curb cuts." Tom Talbot, president of the Middle Island Civic Association, noted state officials held public hearings soliciting input from area residents, but "three years later the DOT unveils their plan and it addresses none of our concerns." "This is the Selden Speedway," Talbot added. "I'm afraid to go out anymore. Our neighbors have become our enemies." Department of Transportation spokeswoman Eileen Peters said Tuesday the DOT would be "pleased to conduct a safety investigation and meet with ... civic leaders." "We will do whatever we can to improve safety," Peters said. Whatever is going to be done needs to be done immediately, according to Monday's marchers. Protester Kelly Fabian Klein, a teacher at Newfield High School, noted that "everyone I know either knows someone who was killed on the road here or witnessed an accident." "One morning, a truck driver was killed in a hit-and-run as he tried to turn into the 7-Eleven," Klein added. "I was driving to the high school and saw the body bag in the road. I looked up and saw all the school buses passing by and all the kids looking out the window at the body bag." According to county police, the Selden-Centereach stretch of Middle Country Road has witnessed six fatal crashes since 2004. Felber, citing statistics she says she received from the SCPD's Sixth Precinct, noted more than 1,000 accidents reported on that same stretch of Route 25 over the last four years. "I saw three major accidents here last week," she said. "This has got to stop." No lawmakers attended the Columbus Day protest, and Joe Turdik of the Selden Civic Association said that's part of the problem. "We need government officials to get involved," Turdik said. "I know this is a New York State road, but where is Councilwoman Kathy Walsh?" Walsh (R-Centereach), a member of the Brookhaven Town Board, said she hadn't been notified about the protest, but noted that "I don't think anyone would deny that this is a very dangerous roadway." Felber said the protesters' next step would be to march outside the DOT's Suffolk County offices. "We're going to take our voice right to them," she said. During Monday's protest, several passing motorists honked or gave a thumbs-up, but one yelled "Go home!" and another, passing at approximately 40 miles per hour, threw a full cup of soda from his car window, striking Turdik in the leg and splashing his "Save our Streets" sign. "Now it's not only dangerous to drive on the roads, but it's dangerous to stand out here on the sidewalk," he said. "I could have gotten hit in the face. This just shows the lack of pride people have in the area."