Lemberger said that the study would also focus on the roadways that feed into or connect with Grand Avenue. “That traffic has got to be coming from somewhere,” he said, “so it helps to know what’s generating that traffic, even if it’s a mile away down Merrick Road.”

Residents who attended the BCA meeting brought up some problem areas on Grand Avenue that often cause traffic buildup, and were told they would be looked into. Although Grand Avenue is a county road, the Town of Hempstead controls street parking, Sallie said, so any potential designs that would add to or reduce that parking would need the town’s approval. And Sunrise Highway, which runs through the middle of the study’s focus area, is a state road.

Once the study is complete, the county will host a public workshop, in October or November, to present the findings and invite feedback. County planners will then develop complete street and traffic calming scenarios for the area and present them to the community over the winter. From there, a project will be selected and the design phase will begin.

The major hurdle will be securing funding for whatever project is ultimately chosen, but county planners are optimistic. “We won’t have any idea of how much money we’ll need until after the study’s done,” Lemberger said, “and then we have to go get that money, which is a difficult process in this day and age.”

Sallie noted that the last time he met with the BCA, in October, the traffic study was not funded, but the money was eventually secured. “Just because we don’t have funding at this point [for the design project],” he said, “doesn’t mean we won’t in the near future.”