Another Accident on Muncey Road in West Islip

The latest accident on Muncey Road occurred on June 1 at Oak Avenue and resulted in both drivers, one of whom is a West Islip resident, being transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. This is less than two years after a Town of Islip traffic study concluded that only minor safety changes were appropriate as a review of accident reports concluded that non compliance to stop signs was the driving force behind the accidents. The 2021 traffic study was initiated after several serious accidents at Wilson Place and Muncey Road, one block west of Oak, were brought to the attention to the Town. The traffic study resulted in reflective poles on the two Wilson Place Stop signs, a small sign under each stop sign stating Cross Traffic Does Not Stop, stop lines and a Stop Ahead sign on the southbound Wilson approach to Muncey.

A review of the June 1 accident report also shows the recent accident resulted from non compliance and prompted the Town's Traffic Safety Director to share the history of accidents in this area in a letter dated July 20 to Third Precinct Inspector Vincent Maronski. This will likely result in a police presence for a period of time enforcing compliance with stop signs on Muncey around Wilson Place and Oak Avenue. Its unclear why the Town's Traffic Safety Director, who is now retired, didn't notify the Third Precinct after the 2021 traffic study concluded the accidents were due to non compliance.

The design of Muncey Road includes a slight curve from both directions approaching Wilson Place and Oak Avenue in addition to the westbound Muncey having a dip in the road where a vehicle can be momentarily out of a driver’s sight while at a Wilson Place stop sign. Combine non-compliance at stop signs, the design of the road and cars traveling on Muncey in excess of the 30 MPH speed limit and there is a recipe for bad accidents as shown in the photos which all occurred at Wilson Place. In light of the recent accident at Oak, the Town will be conducting another traffic study scheduled for September in addition to reviewing the lighting conditions, considering additional signage, and adding temporary feedback signs on Muncey that display a car’s speed in an effort to make this stretch safer.

There is a four way stop sign on Muncey two blocks east of Wilson at Bay Shore Avenue/Roosevelt Place. There is no access to the Sunrise Highway service road from Roosevelt Place which is a dead end street with only three residences on one side and an auto dealership on the other. Perhaps at one time there was access to the service road that may have justified a four way stop sign at this intersection but the the current set of conditions clearly can not justify a stop sign at Muncey. Despite this and the history of accidents at Wilson Place with its access to the Sunrise Highway service road, the Town is adamant not to move the stop sign on Muncey from Bay Shore Avenue/Roosevelt Place to Wilson Place.

Note: The above was based on input from the Town of Islip Traffic Safety Director, Islip Councilman John Cochrane and the 3rd Precinct's COPE Unit