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editorial on pedestrianism in Huntington Station

Longislander editorial on pedestrianism in Huntington Station,
2004 May 14.

Where the sidewalk ends… I’ve had my eyes open watching for even the smallest
signs that the sidewalk work in Huntington is beginning. So far, other than a lot of
spray painted hieroglyphics on the pavement that looks more aboriginal than
anything, I can’t say I see anything happening. Which only lends credence to my
original thoughts of a few weeks ago when I hypothesized that the only purpose
of the spray painting was to make merchants think that the sidewalks are
coming. Trust me, I know better than to think that until I see the first brick being
laid.

Portable crosswalks… Sidewalk talk reminds me of a previous obsession I had —
and likewise, in vain — with the crosswalks in Huntington village. I’d all but given
up thinking that it will ever be safe to cross the street in this village, particularly
if, like me, you’re not a sprinter at the peak of her athletic performance. At least
I thought that — until last week. I was watching a phone company truck trundling
down the middle of 25A with a crew on the back popping cones in the road to
direct traffic into one lane. There was this poor woman waiting to cross the street
at the light, but missed her opportunity because the truck was passing by.

Rushing to make the light, she found herself trapped at the midpoint when traffic
from the opposite direction began to move. Frankly, I thought the oncoming
drivers were a little rude, and should have waited the extra eight seconds it
would take for her to complete her trip to the other side. Instead, they started
up, stranding the dear woman in that uncomfortably narrow space on the yellow
line with traffic passing on two fronts. So what did this clever woman do? She
quickly kicked one of the cones that the construction crew had just placed,
sending it sliding in front of the first car in her way. It stopped and waited for her
to pass. As she did, she grabbed the cone by its tip and again set it a few feet
ahead of herself. Traffic waited, she grabbed the cone and left it curbside when
she reached her destination. I was in awe. After all those years of noodling about
crosswalks, griping about politicians and distressing alternately over the
rudeness and stupidity of drivers, this woman had hit upon the ultimate solution:
portable crosswalks!

It might be a little cumbersome, at first, carrying around big
orange traffic cones, but I’m sure the design world would solve things fast
enough. I can see folks whipping lightweight, folding traffic cones out of their
bags and clearing a path through traffic. Or maybe we could leave a stack of
cones at either end of the crosswalk, the way some European communities do
with bicycles. When you need one, pick it up and just put it down when you get
where you’re going.