Does Commack Need More Sidewalks?

Smithtown planners say drivers will see less traffic on the roads if the town was willing to install more sidewalks, but they'll need to be cost efficient.

A draft Transportation Study completed to update the Town of Smithtown's Master Plan suggests that sidewalks are much more important than town officials previously realized. The study claims that 10 percent of overall trips a person makes are on foot.

"Safe and convenient pedestrian circulation is necessary for economic health of downtowns. Further, local traffic could be reduced if sidewalk systems were complete around schools and other centers," reads page 54 of the Transportation Study.

Planners estimate that 30 percent of streets in town have sidewalks, and only 80 percent of those streets have sidewalks on both sides. Overall, there are 268 miles of sidewalks in the Town of Smithtown.

Jericho Turnpike, which runs through the center of Commack, was ranked the deadliest roadway for pedestrians in Suffolk County, the third overall most dangerous road for pedestrians in the Tri-State area in 2013.

Patch has reported on several deadly pedestrian accidents including a Commack driver striking and killing a Kings Park man in December 2011 and an elderly man killed walking along Jericho Turnpike in May 2012.

Adding sidewalks and pedestrian crossings to Jericho Turnpike, where they don't already exist, can increase the safety of the roadway for pedestrian and possibly further accidents, accord to the study.

We'd like to ask, do you use sidewalks where they exist on Jericho Turnpike? Does Commack need more sidewalks?

Tell us in the comments below.