Hamptons Traffic Woes Tackled With New Mitigation, Safety Task Force

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — With an eye toward easing traffic woes, on Feb. 15, the Southampton Town board vote unanimously to establish a traffic mitigation and safety task force proposed by Councilman Michael Iasilli.

Iasilli, who had previously advocated for the town to act on the growing traffic crisis, aimed to fulfill a campaign promise with the task force.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic in Southampton Town has increased significantly, town officials said. After a series of calls to address the traffic crisis last summer, then Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced a traffic study of County Road 39.

Iasilli has expressed the need for the town to play a central role in the development of the county’s study, based on the belief expressed by many that residents face traffic safety issues on a number of roads from Sag Harbor to Flanders, he said.

"This task force is meant to collect input from the public, identify problem roads, and assess what can be done to improve traffic and safety in our communities," Iasilli said.

There are issues, he said, that the town is already acting upon to improve safety in partnership with the Southampton Town highway department and Southampton Town police to enhance public safety in Hampton Bays, Southampton, and Remsenburg — such as creating better crosswalks, enhancing driver and pedestrian visibility, and adding speed monitors.

"Likewise, there are techniques the town's highway department is already looking at to mitigate traffic congestion, such as the cone program and blinking yellow lights that may be expanded upon," he said. "However, we must take a regional approach, consider housing and added public transportation too. And we must take action this year."

The goal of the task force to collect public input, assess solutions and provide recommendations to the town board in a final report.

Also serving on the task force will be Southampton Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle, Suffolk County Department of Public Works Commissioner Charlie Bartha, Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker, Southampton Town Police Chief James Kiernan, Southampton Town Highway Consultant Tom Neely, and representatives of the EMS/fire safety communities and local businesses, among others, the town said.