I’m not often surprised by politicians. Well, let me rephrase that, I’m often surprised by politicians’ venality, but much less often by their willingness to take a risk. So, I have to admit that I was taken completely by surprise when, at the Transportation Forum sponsored by New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, there was [...]
Posts under ‘Transportation’
The Five Top Problems Facing Sag Hampton
Over Development / Inappropriate Development Simply put, over development is the poison that will kill the golden goose. As we all know, people love this area because of its natural beauty, open vistas, fresh air, and rural feel. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that suburban sprawl, McMansion ghettos, charmless villages filled with [...]
Share the Road?
A few weeks ago I included an anecdote about bike paths in one of my posts here on Sag Hampton. It was just an anecdote in an article that was about something else entirely — but I made the point that a bike path could be beneficial in jump starting increased use of bicycles as a means of transportation, in addition to the way they’re mostly used — as a form of recreation. In that post, I did not develop the idea at any length, because — well, the article was about something else. This past weekend though, the need for more bike-friendly roadways was brought home to me in a very powerful way. …
A Simple Question with No Simple Answer
The other day a candidate for political office who lives in a different part of the Town, asked me to fill her in on issues important to Sag Harbor. Easy…many of these issues are among my daily obsessions: development, preservation of open space, protecting the environment, affordable housing, transportation issues, preserving the “character” of the area, and education. I may have missed one or two; feel free to remind me if I did. Anyway, all was going well until she asked me which one was most important. …
So, Where Do We Put the Affordable Housing, Take Two
Transportation issues are on everyone’s mind again even though the worst of the summer season is over. (So, you’re thinking, “what’s that got to do with affordable housing? — wait, I’ll get there.) The much hyped South Fork Commuter Connection (SFCC), comprised of extra Long Island Railroad trains between Speonk and Montauk, and feeder buses to take commuters from the …
Saving Sag Harbor
There’s a new and very active group in our community calling itself Save Sag Harbor. Its primary mission is to preserve Main Street’s traditional look and business mix — mostly small locally-owned stores and restaurants — by preventing national chains and big box stores like CVS from moving in and driving up commercial rents to the point where they are …
Is This the Land of No?
Sometime it feels like we’re living in the Land of No. There are quite a few things in recent memory to which one or another Sag Hampton group has said (or tried to say) NO!
Many folks said no to the NYS Department of Transportation a few years ago when they proposed a roundabout at the wharf end of Main …
The Good (Next: The Bad and maybe The Ugly)
OK, so it’s the week before Christmas (Hanukkah’s already underway) and I’m pretty grumpy about how slowly grind the wheels of progress around here. But grumpy is just not an appropriate way to be feeling at this time of year. So, I’ve made myself a deal. Today, I’ll make a list of the positive developments in the Sag Hampton area in an attempt …
Local Hero, Part II (Again, apologies to Bill Forsyth)
There are three main ways to drive into Sag Harbor. You can come in on Route 114 from East Hampton, you can come over the bridge from North Haven, or you can come up the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike from Bridgehampton. On each of these routes, there is a small area just before you enter the Village that is considered a gateway to Sag Harbor.
Safe Routes to…the Library?
My friend and fellow EETC and CAC (East End Transportation Council and Citizens Advisory Committee) member, Ken Dorph has been traveling hither and yon trying to stir up interest in a very fine program called Safe Routes to School, which is sponsored by the federal Department of Transportation. I promise to write about that program in more detail at a later date. However, I was reminded of it today when reading part of the final report of the Community Library Committee…
