Southold may add new tool to arsenal to slow speeding drivers 

New solar-powered speed signs may soon arrive in Southold as officials seek ways to curb dangerous speeding on busy town roads.

A proposal for a pilot program to install solar speed signs was discussed at the town board’s Oct. 19 work session. Councilwoman Sarah Nappa, the board’s liaison to the town’s Transportation Commission, presented the proposal.

Nappa told Newsday on Thursday that she has frequently received complaints about how speeding cars along certain town streets and roadways, such as Peconic Bay Boulevard, pose a safety threat. Nappa said the new signs could be "very effective" in alerting motorists who are unfamiliar with the area and who may speed.

"We’re hoping to get four of these signs ordered for Peconic Bay Boulevard because they have a problem not only with traffic, but they have a real problem with speeding," Nappa said. "There’s several places on the North Fork where we could use these, and I think it would be really beneficial."

With the advent of smartphones, Nappa — who used to live on Peconic Bay Boulevard — said people have been finding roads away from the often-busy Main Road to circumvent traffic in recent years. However, those roads have subsequently seen an uptick in traffic and speeding that have affected nearby residents, according to town officials.

Southold is expected to spend about $20,000 this year for four solar-powered signs at Peconic Bay Boulevard. The Transportation Commission is determining which streets would need those signs next year, according to Nappa.

The goal is to eventually put in approximately 20 such speed signs along other town streets — with the commission recommending that Southold budget about $90,000 for all the signs. The town will look at budgeting the rest in next year’s spending plan, said Supervisor Scott Russell.

"I know there’s a huge demand to address speeding out there," Russell said. "Our police department is somewhat limited, and we have 495 lane miles of road in Southold, so it’s very difficult to cover everything, so you look at these solutions. Not everything might work, but you’ve got to try."