SCHUMER CALLS FOR FULL FEDERAL AND STATE SAFETY AUDIT OF LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY TO FIX UNSAFE HIGHWAY SHOULDERS THAT ARE PUTTING NASSAU POLICE OFFICERS' LIVES AT RISK
Schumer Wants Federal Highway Administration and State Transportation Department to Begin Comprehensive Road Safety Audit to Address Unsafe Highway Shoulders on Long Island Expressway
Tragic Death of Officer Michael Califano Latest in Series of Accidents and Injuries to Long Island Officers on LIE; At Least 25 Officers Have Been Hit by Vehicles on LIE
Schumer: Police Officers Face Threats Everyday; Highway Shoulder Shouldn't Be One of Them
Yesterday, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Federal Highway Administration and New York State Department of Transportation to immediately conduct a Road Safety Audit (RSA) on the Long Island Expressway in Nassau County to address long-standing safety hazards faced by law enforcement personnel conducting routine traffic operations on the roadway. Schumer called for the audit in the aftermath of the tragic accident that killed Nassau Police Officer Michael Califano and a series of injuries and accidents involving law enforcement officials during routine traffic stops over the course of the last decade. Califano was conducting a routine traffic stop on the shoulder of the Long Island Expressway, near exit 31, when his patrol car was struck by a passing truck that moved onto the shoulder and killed him. The accident that killed Califano, is the latest in a series of accidents in Nassau County on the Long Island Expressway that have injured police officers during traffic enforcement efforts.
"Police officers face threats every day, but unsafe highway shoulders shouldn't be one of them," said Schumer. "The tragic and untimely loss of Officer Califano should serve as a wake-up call to Federal Highway officials and the New York State Department of Transportation that we must conduct a safety overhaul of the Long Island Expressway in Nassau County."
Road Safety Audit's (RSA) are conducted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in partnership with state Departments of Transportation and other stakeholders to identify safety hazards and develop recommendations for overall safety improvements to highways. An RSA is a formal process that consists, among other elements, of selecting an RSA team and stakeholders, performing field reviews, conducting an analysis and preparing an RSA report, and presenting and incorporating findings from the audit into a final project to increase safety. In calling for the RSA, Schumer requested that the Nassau County Police Department be identified as part of the RSA team, with FHWA and NYSDOT.
In his letter to the FHWA and NYSDOT, Schumer noted that numerous problem areas on both the Westbound and Eastbound portions of the LIE make patrol operations highly treacherous. In particular, he cited a portion of the LIE described by police as "the valley", between exits 39 and 40, which is a mile long stretch of road with little to no median or shoulder room for operations and "low dim" lighting. Despite the lack of a shoulder or median, it appears that significant land exists to expand the shoulder along much of this portion of road and create safer conditions for Nassau patrolman conducting traffic stops.
According to the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, at least 25 police officers have been the victims of collisions on the LIE during routine traffic stops over the last ten years. More than a dozen of the officers involved in the accidents have been forced out of work due to disabilities resulting from the crashes. Tragically, 7 of those 25 officers were hit twice in their careers and at least 5 are now unable to work because of their injuries. In addition to the death of Officer Califano in early March, in 2008, Nassau Officer, Kenneth Baribault, was left partially paralyzed and with brain damage after being struck by a drunk driver on the shoulder of the LIE. Officers Califano and Baribault's accidents were only two of the more than two dozen accidents involving officers on the LIE.
In his letter to FHWA and NYSDOT, Schumer requested the RSA be conducted in conjunction with the Nassau County Police Department and focus on problem areas recognized as most dangerous to law enforcement. Additionally, Schumer requested that any hazard mitigation recommendations that come out of the RSA for Nassau law enforcement be given the high priority for federal highway funding so that construction improvements can begin as soon as possible.
March 28, 2011
Victor M. Mendez
Administrator
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
Joan McDonald
Commissioner
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Road
Albany, NY 12232
Dear Administrator Mendez and Commissioner McDonald:
I write today to urge the Federal Highway Administration and the New York State Department of Transportation to immediately commence a Road Safety Audit for the Long Island Expressway (LIE) to determine where hazards to law enforcement officials lie and to make recommendations for safety improvements.
For years, Long Island roadways have been among the most hazardous in the nation in terms of traffic fatalities. For police officers, the Long Island Expressway is especially treacherous and we see numerous incidences each year where officers are harmed during routine traffic stops along the LIE. Earlier this month, Nassau police Officer Michael Califano was struck and killed in the line of duty while making a traffic stop at westbound exit 39. Office Califano was in his patrol car on the side of the highway when it was struck by a truck, killing Officer Califano. Ironically, the area where Califano was struck is considered one of the "safer" spots to conduct a patrol stop, compared to numerous other spots on the LIE where incidents have occurred. There is no doubt that Officer Califano was a pillar of the community who lived his life in service to the community. We owe it to Officer Califano, and all our brave law enforcement officials, to improve the safety of the LIE. In addition, better safeguards for the highway would benefit all drivers and passengers who travel the LIE.
Specifically, the Nassau County Highway Patrol bureau has documented numerous problem areas on both the Westbound and Eastbound portions of the LIE that make patrol operations highly treacherous. In particular, a portion of the LIE described by police as "the valley" - between exits 39 and 40 - is a miles long stretch of road with little to no median or shoulder room for operations and "low dim" lighting. However, there appears to be ample land available to expand the shoulder along much of this portion of road. Moreover, it defies logic to not provide the necessary lighting at night to make patrol operations safer for police.
According to records provided by the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, at least 25 police officers have been the victims of collisions on the LIE during routine traffic stops, with more than a dozen of those officers being forced out of work due to disabilities resulting from the accidents. Making matters worse, 7 of those 25 officers were hit twice in their careers and at least 5 of them are now unable to work due to their injuries..
Therefore, It is critical that your agencies work together to immediately conduct a Road Safety Audit (RSA) to examine the hazardous conditions on the roadways that lead to accidents that endanger police and the driving public during highway patrol operations on the Nassau portion of the Long Island Expressway (I-495). A truly comprehensive RSA should be conducted in conjunction with the Nassau County Police Department and should focus on those problem areas that are most dangerous to law enforcement. Only by doing this can we hope to identify and mitigate the many hazards that face law enforcement officials and the driving public as they use the LIE.
Additionally, I would urge that potential hazard mitigation recommendations produced by this RSA be given the highest priority for federal highway funding so that improvements can begin as soon as possible.
Thank you for your attention to this important request. Please contact my Washington office at 202-224-6542 with any questions.