Commack residents appealed to Town of Huntington officials to put stricter trucking restriction in place for Townline Road to preserve their way of life.
Bruce Ettenberg presented Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone with the Commack Community Association's 300-signature petition asking the town enact trucking restrictions on Townline Road similar to the restrictions in place on Burr Road.
"Every day more than 14,000 vehicles utilize Townline Road. More than 1,000 of these vehicles are tractor trailers," Ettenberg said. "They are dangerous to residents and our children. Townline Road wasn’t designed to carry these vehicles."
Commack civic groups have been fighting for more than two years to see truck restrictions placed on the southbound lanes of Townline Road, between Jericho Turnpike and Old Northport Road. They seek to prevent 18-wheel cargo trucks from traveling this stretch of residential roadway on which Commack High School and North Ridge Primary School are located.
"I live on Townline Rd and these trucks fly down at excessive speeds. It is so dangerous and it's hard to believe nothing's been done with the schools and children on this road. Our entire house has been shaken at times," wrote.
In September 2011, Commack residents were successful in getting Smithtown Town Board to approve an ordinance that
"The Town of Huntington has ignored all requests to put same restrictions that are on Burr Road. The signage already has restrictions to local delivery between 7 p.m.a nd 6 a.m.," Ettenberg said, reading from the petition.
Under Huntington Town Code, trucks, commercial vehicles, tractors and tractor-trailers weighing more than 5 tons are prohibited from traveling on Burr Road in Commack from Elwood Road east to Townline Road.
If Huntington officials were to enact similar legislation on Townline Road, it would prevent 18-wheel cargo trucks from traveling on the roadway.
Commack Community Association plans to further discuss the issue of trucking on Townline Road and potential further plans at their monthly meeting 7 p.m. Thursday at the Commack Public Library. The meeting is open to all residents and business owners in Commack.
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