Residents: Limit Tractor-Trailers On South Oyster Bay Road
LONG ISLAND (CBSNewYork) -- One Long Island town is looking to combat current state jurisdiction allowing tractor-trailers and big rigs on a highly-trafficked local road.
Residents and local officials of the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County held a meeting today to discuss what can be done to limit tractor-trailer traffic on South Oyster Bay Road -- a 3-mile stretch running through Syosset, Plainview, Hicksville and Bethpage and intersecting with the Long Island Expressway.
"South Oyster Bay Road is a residential road. There's a school on that road. It's a very dangerous situation and this is all to accommodate Federal Express, who's building this facility," one man said at the meeting.
The New York State Department of Transportation allowed tractor-trailers on the road in December 2014, designating it as an "access highway." The presence of the larger vehicles has sparked a flurry of complaints from residents, citing safety concerns and environmental issues.
"Their PR was missing," Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs said. "They never informed residents, they never informed elected officials and thereby it caught everyone by surprise."
One resident said the big rigs left a big mess on her outdoor furniture -- dust and soot that she had to clean every day.
Another man told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall the tractor-trailers cause too much noise and could pose safety concerns for the schools on South Oyster Bay Road.
Town of Oyster Bay board members said the only way to fight the state's jurisdiction would to be to change the weight limits allowed on the road.
Police said properly enacted laws will be enacted and truck drivers could get tickets for violations.
"So what the Town is doing now is a good step because it limits what is allowed on a road," Jacobs said. "At the same time, the real decision-making is on the New York State level."
In August, the DOT told CBS2 it only puts the breaks on an access highway designation if the road has a severe history of accidents. FedEx told CBS2 it expands its network in response to increasing customer demand and complies with all local, state and federal regulations.
The Town will hold another public meeting on the proposed weight-limit resolution Tuesday evening.