Slow down at Seaford High

Nassau County traffic studies have found that more than 200 motorists per hour exceed school zone speed limits by at least 20 mph. To deter this behavior and increase pedestrian safety, the county, with the approval of the State Legislature, is installing a total of 56 speed cameras in school zones — one in each district.

In Seaford, the camera is located at Seaford High School, on Seaman’s Neck Road. The speed limit in the school zone, which extends 300 feet on either side of the building, is 20 mph, 10 mph slower than the speed limit on the rest of the road. A violation costs $80, including a $30 processing fee. Drivers who don’t pay the ticket within 30 days of notification will receive an additional penalty of $25.

Signs are posted 1,300 feet north and south of the high school to give motorists enough time to slow down, explained Judge John Marks, executive director of the Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency. “I’ve driven to each school camera location and checked it out,” Marks said. “Pictures were taken to show all proper signs are in place. This is about safety.”

Some question the choice of the camera’s location. “If this was strictly about safety, they would’ve placed the camera at Manor School,” said resident Marianne Pensa, co-president of the middle school and high school PTSA, who recently received a ticket.

While Washington Avenue, where Seaford Manor School is located, is not as busy as Seaman’s Neck Road, “many young children are trying to cross the street,” Pensa said. “Seaman’s Neck Road has clear signage in place. There’s no parking on the street, and no crossing on Seaman’s Neck Road. This is about revenue, not safety.”

Pensa added that the middle school, behind Manor School, also uses Washington Avenue as its entrance and exit.

Brian Nevin, a Nassau County spokesman, said that the county spoke with some school superintendents about the placement of the cameras. Seaford Superintendent Brian Conboy warned residents at the Aug. 7 school board meeting that the speed camera would be operational in September. “I was asked, and I specified either Washington Avenue or Seaman’s Neck Road,” Conboy said. “Both have speeding issues.”

He added that the district has tried “unsuccessfully to have a traffic light installed at the high school. There have been a dozen traffic studies, but nothing came of it.” There is an exit from the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway directly across from the school.

Seaford High Principal Scott Bersin said the speed camera has been “a positive thing from our perspective and for the students. Drivers are driving more slowly to school. This behavior reinforces good modeling for our students to be careful and considerate, and to be an alert driver.”

Even though Pensa received a ticket, she said she does “support anything that keeps our children safe. The PTSA hasn’t taken a position on this issue, but we’re all about what benefits our kids.”

A recent study conducted by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which studies traffic and transportation issues, concluded that there is a high risk of being struck by a vehicle within a quarter mile of a school in Nassau County. Victoria Vanterpool, the organization’s executive director, said she supports the speed camera program.

“This is one of the tools that can be used to combat pedestrian fatalities and make roadways safe,” she said. “We’d also like to see the revenue [used] to help with a redesign of roadways, by adding medians and sidewalks and installing countdown signals.”

Opponents of the cameras remain vocal. A Facebook page called Nassau County Residents Opposing School Zone Speed Cameras has been created. A petition drive is urging the suspension of the program until there are more obvious notifications of speed limits in school zones.

“If this were about public safety, there would be adequate and complete notice,” said County Legislator David Denenberg, who voted for the speed cameras. “When the item went to the full Legislature for a vote, I put in an amendment to post hours, speed and a flashing light, but it didn’t pass. It’s understandable why people feel this way. It’s a good idea, but the implementation has been botched.”