Installation of Overpass on Hempstead Turnpike, Sunrise Highway Unlikely

on Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway -- two high traffic roadways running through West Hempstead and Lynbrook, respectively -- may go unanswered for the time being.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) acknowledged that overpasses can be effective in regards to pedestrian safety, but only in certain situations — most notably "when they are the only crossing available for pedestrians and are easily accessible."

"Overpasses, such as the ones over Hempstead Turnpike at Hofstra University and pedestrian bridges that cross limited-access facilities like I-495/LIE or the Southern State Parkway, make sense when there is no nearby cross street and they are conveniently located for pedestrians," the NYSDOT said in a statement to Patch. "However, the use of this type of structure is less effective on other facilities for several reasons."

The effectiveness of the overpasses is most dependent on the pedestrians who use them. More times than not, overpasses are disregarded unless they are the only way to cross a roadway, according to the NYSDOT, because pedestrians normally "seek the shortest distance to cross a roadway."

"At certain existing overpasses on state facilities, the vast majority of pedestrians choose the at-grade crossing over a raised structure since it is more convenient and takes less time than climbing ramps or stairs," the NYSDOT said. "Therefore, the installation of pedestrian overpasses has been used on a limited number of our roadways."

The NYSDOT has been installing pedestrian countdown timers, increasing pedestrian crossing times and placing high visibility crosswalks along various state highways in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

"We are constantly monitoring the safety of our roadways and making improvements when appropriate," the statement said.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) released its list of the back in March, with Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24) and Sunrise Highway (Route 27) topping the infamous list.

Hempstead Turnpike has held the title of most dangerous for the past three years, during which a total of 15 deaths were reported, including one in West Hempstead that claimed the life of 22-year-old , of Massachussets, in June 2011.

Seven deaths were reported on Sunrise Highway, which was ranked as the third most dangerous road in the region behind Upper Broadway in Manhattan.

In addition to the fatalities, countless injuries have been reported on these two roadways. Last month alone, while crossing Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead and as he was hit by a Mack truck while crossing Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook, prompting some readers to call for safety measures there.