Newsday (Suffolk Edition) from Melville, New York • 27

fl A27 A N-' NG' I SIJ A ND mmmm -i- A V' Final Phase Begins on HOY Lanes Expressway construction to continue through 2004 By Joie Tyrrell STAFF WHITER Construction has started on the final stretch of the HOV lanes of the Long Island Expressway that when finished will stretch about 40 miles from the Queens border to Medford in Suffolk County the final piece of an approximately $800-mil-lion project that began in 1992 High-occupancy vehicle lanes cover 30 miles of the Long Island Expressway in each direction from Exit 40 in Jericho to Exit 64 in Medford When the lanes are completed by mid-2004 state Department of Transportation officials estimate a travel time of about 45 minutes to drive the entire length of the HOV a trip that can take lVs to two hours during peak commuting times in general-use lanes said DOT spokeswoman Eileen Peters will save more than a minute per she said The bulk of the construction of the remaining HOV lanes will take place at night said Gary Bamable area construction supervisor with the state DOT A lane in a small section roughly three-quarters of a mile between Exits 32 and 33 eastbound will he closed sporadically during the non-rush hour The prqject is divided into two segments with roadwork underway on a 49-mile section between Exit 32 at the Little Neck Parkway and Exit 37 at Willis and Mineola avenues under the contractor Modern Continental The second 43-mile section which has not yet been awarded to a contractor will complete the remaining portion The prqject includes the rebuilding of several overpasses and bridges along the route The prqject at the Queens line feeds into a fourth transition lane about a mil before the Cross Island Parkway there are two separate sections but motorists notice because they will go seamlessly into one Paters said are very big jobs and design wise it makes more sense (to divide them) The LIE is being reconstructed in its entirety All the ramps improved and the road However many residents noticed recently that crews cut down dozens of trees in the North Hills area to expand a recharge basin North Hills Mayor John Lantini said his phone has been ring- vehicle on weekdays during heavy-traffic periods from 6 to 10 am and 3 to 8 pm The existing HOV lanes have been criticized for not being as effective as the state has reported according to one area public interest group Tim Tri-State Transportation Campaign a nonprofit organization aiming to reverse automobile dependence and mitigate sprawl in the region said census figures showed that carpooling decreased on Long Island from 1990 to 2000 Census to data show that share of commuting fell 86 percent in Nassau County and 55 percent in Suffolk from 1990-2000 or 667 percent for Long Island overall Nearly 10 percent of Long Islanders told the census that carpooling was their primary means of commuting in 1990 prior to construction of the HOV lane while 93 percent reported the same in 2000 appears that the lane may be sorting out folks who were carpooling before the lane went in rather than encouraging drivers to change their behavior and double said Lisa Peterson the communications coordinator But Mark Kulewicz traffic engineer with the Automobile Club of New York said DOT figures show that car-pool use has jumped each and every year since the lanes opened in 1994 Now there are 1400 vehicles carrying 3500 people per hour in the HOV measured eastbound at Exit 49 at the around 6 pm in comparison general-use lanes serve 1850 vehicles carrying more people clearly showB that the HOV lane is accomplishing it is intended to accomplish and that is to people and fewer cars Kulewicz said the final segment opens we are confident carpool lanes will be even more Ho is certainly looking forward to that day with a co-worker each day from Flushing job as a Web programmer at Computer in Islandia She has been carpooling for on fuel better for the economy and the other person can nap or I can Ho said personally like the HOV I like to cruise at a steady speed as opposed to other lanes when I wouldn't be able to cruise to my Up-to-date construction and travel information is -available 24 hours a day by calling 877-4LIEHOV Staff writer Victor Manuel Ramos contributed to this story Photo by Miduuri Sou Wacht Construction has begun to add high-occupancy vehicle lanes to the Long Island Expressway from Exit 32 Little Neck Parkway to Exit 40 Jericho ing off the hook since had no advance knowledge of all this pending tree he said am so upset and disappointed that the DOT gave us no advance notice of this tree Peters said the trees around Shelter Rock Road had to come down to improve drainage in the area we are adding more pavement that there is much less ground so that you need more she said are developing a landscape refurbishing plan and we will be working with the community and presenting it to The DOT plans to meet with homeowners in the area Monday to present a landscaping plan to replant the roadway The HOV lanes require at least two occupants per more than lanes as peak period than 2040 what move more feet went that the Nancy She carpools to her Associates two years save Have ths HOV lanes on the Long Island Expressway improved your commute? Vote In a reader survey at wwwnawsdaycom Lane Grand Central Sunken Long Island and Peconic Avenue eastbound 8 am to 4 pm westbound 9 am to 4 pm One eastbound or westbound lane may be closed between Exits 58 and 66 9 am to 4 pm One eastbound or westbound lane may be closed between the New York City Line and Route 109 7 am to 3:30 pm Route 110: One northbound or southbound lane may be closed between the Southern State Parkway and Route 27 northbound 9 am to 4 pm southbound 7 am to 3 pm One northbound or southbound lane may be closed between Route 25A and Route 27A 7 am to 3:30 pm Route 231: One northbound or southbound lane may be closed between the Vanderbilt Parkway and Half Hollow Road northbound 10 am to 3' pm southbound 7 am to 4 pm One northbound lane may be closed between the Southern State Parkway and Grand Avenue 9 am to 3 pm The southbound right lane may be closed around the clock between Route 27 and Route 27A COMPILED BY KIM NAVA-FIORIO Routs 24: One lane may be closed between the Meadowbrook Parkway and Route 109 eastbound 7 am to 4 pm westbound 9 am to 4 pm Route 25A: One eastbound or westbound lane may be closed between Park Avenue and Elwood Road 10 pm to 6 am Route 27 One eastbound or westbound lane may be closed between the New York City line and CR85 7 am to 3:30 pm Route 27: One eastbound lane may be closed between Wantagh Parkway and Route 110 Sunday and Monday 9 pm to 6 am Tim westbound lanes may be closed between Long Beach Avenue and Ocean Avenue 7 pm to 6 am One east-bound or westbound lane may be closed between Nassau-Suffolk county line and North Monroe NEWS DAY SUNDAY AUGUST 25 2002 Lane eastbound 8 am to 4 pm westbound 9 am to 4 pm One eastbound lane may be closed between Louden Avenue and Willow Street and 8 am to 3 pm One westbound lane may be closed between Merrick and Overland avenues 9 am to 4 pm One eastbound or westbound lane may be closed between William Floyd Parkway between Centre Avenue and Washington Avenue.