Proposed LI Bill Would Establish Highway Safety Corridor

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island legislation proposed this week would establish a highway safety corridor on the Southern State Parkway with an aim to make the 25.5-mile parkway safer for drivers.

The Senate bill, sponsored by Michaelle Solages, would result in higher levels of enforcement and increased penalties for violations relating to unsafe driving behavior.

Last month, a 17-year-old died after the car they were riding in crashed into trees off the Southern State Parkway in Babylon, according to New York State Police. According to Newsday, 229 people were killed on the Southern State Parkway from 2002 to 2021.

A particular 10-mile portion of the parkway, known as "Blood Alley," stretches between Exit 17 in Malverne and Exit 32 in South Farmingdale and has been the site of dozens of fatal crashes since 2014.

The section is known for its sharp curves, short acceleration and deceleration ramps, shorter exits, and the close intersection of three highways, according to the Long Island Contractors’ Association.

Solange's bill, which was recently modified after she presented similar ones in the past, would require the addition of signs along the highway to alert drivers that within the safety corridor, fines are doubled. It also outlines that additional measures would be determined after a traffic and engineering investigation to determine what is appropriate.

“Every person should be able to arrive to their destination in a safe manner," Solanges told Newsday. "And we have to ensure that we are doing that because I just can't see another gravesite memorial as I'm driving down that road."