Smithtown's Main Street might get narrowed

In the latest effort to improve safety on Main Street in Smithtown, the site of three pedestrian fatalities in 18 months, town officials want to narrow the four-lane state highway to two lanes.

A delegation of town officials is to meet this morning with state highway engineers and county lawmakers to discuss the plans.

The proposal, drawn up by Smithtown town planners, calls for new striping that would close one lane in each direction and add turning lanes down the middle of the road.

Town officials also want to eliminate some on-street parking. They say that would improve visibility for pedestrians and drivers and reduce the need for drivers to block traffic while they parallel park.

Town officials view their proposal as a low-cost alternative to an expensive, lengthy reconstruction of Main Street, which is also known as state routes 25 and 25A.

After the death of Courtney Sipes, 11, of Smithtown, who was struck in November 2009 while walking across Main Street near Lawrence Avenue, the state revamped crosswalks and installed electronic signs to help pedestrians cross safely.

Since Sipes' death, two other pedestrians were struck by cars and died at the same intersection. In February, Seamus Byrne, 33, of Smithtown, was killed in an accident. Charles Doonan, 65, of Flushing, died in August from injuries suffered when he was struck there in January 2010.

Earlier this month, two Central Islip sisters were injured as they crossed Main Street.

Town councilmen Robert Creighton and Edward Wehrheim, two of the officials promoting the town's plans, said they want the state to install signs calling attention to crosswalks. Similar signs have been installed in Patchogue and other communities, they said.

County Legis. John M. Kennedy Jr. (R-Nesconset), who will host today's meeting, said Wednesday that he has asked the county to install red-light cameras at Main Street and Lawrence Avenue.

Kennedy said he has not taken a position on eliminating lanes on Main Street but added, "I'm in favor of further steps."

The state Department of Transportation declined to comment Wednesday.