See what repairs and renovations are underway at the Valley Stream Gibson traffic circle

Residents agree that the most striking and, some would argue, frustrating aspect of the Valley Stream Gibson traffic circle lately is this — some parts have disappeared.

And they are not wrong.

One by one, sections of the traffic circle’s roadway are being reduced to patches of earth and cordoned off with cones and caution tape before construction crews rebuild it all from scratch. Day by day, posted detour signs — and the occasional flag-waving worker — warn drivers to navigate around whatever slice of the road is currently under construction.

Joe Accarino, the Village of Valley Stream engineer, says he and his team are in the thick of road re-pavement, reconstruction, and renovation in their bid “to give the area a much-needed facelift while at the same time making it safer for pedestrians and motorists.” 

The project is being done in phases, noted Accarino, to “minimize inconvenience to the shops, pedestrians, and motorists. Only shutting down specific areas of traffic while keeping vehicles moving through.”  

The final leg of the road renovations will be the westbound lane of Dubois Avenue followed by green space plantings, striping, and signage installations.

It is an extensive improvement project in a “challenging” area of the village made so by its hub of traffic activity. But, by the time construction is through around mid-September, one of this community’s most commuter-heavy corners, currently stricken with deterioration and its fair share of safety problems, promises to be safer and more navigable than before.

Thousands of dollars, secured through the federal Community Development Block Grant program, have been pumped into the project. It is the latter half of two federally funded road renovation projects formally known as the village’s 2023 Road Improvement Program.

The first half began last year with the installation of traffic-calming features at another traffic-dense stretch of road — Hendrickson Avenue. And much like the Hendrickson Avenue rebuild, the renovations at Gibson go beyond mere road repair.

What are the new safety and traffic enhancements?

For years, the pedestrian islands in the traffic circle — usually physical structures designed to encircle the center island and define the lanes of traffic — were little more than yellow lines painted on the road.

As a result, these “islands” offered little in the way of protection for pedestrians, serving more as visual cues for drivers and less as safe spots for walkers to pause and wait for drivers to pass before crossing the road. That is going to change.

“The once-painted ‘islands’ will now be physical islands, creating more defined lanes for motorists navigating the circle,” said Accarino. “There will be new lighting in the main circle and the main island will be reshaped.”

The traffic islands are not the only thing that needs revamping. In recent years, the traffic circle has been marred by fading road markings whether it be stopping lines or crosswalks, rendering them dangerously difficult to spot in mid-drive or at night. Combine this with a traffic circle that is severely cracked, uneven, and chipped in several parts of the roadway and you have nerve-wracking driving conditions.

In response, planned upgrades include more prominent signage, freshly painted crosswalk markings, and the installation of curb ramps to improve access for people with disabilities. Pedestrians and train goers will also gain better access to the nearby Gibson train station on Gibson Boulevard with “a new sidewalk around the east side of the train station parking lot.”

Community copes with detours and  disruptions

Conversations with residents confirm that road reconstruction for drivers and pedestrians has not gone unnoticed.

Buses trek through and stop by the traffic circle on their regular route. Long Island Rail Road commuters, whether by car or on foot, pass through the circle to reach the neighboring train station. Rows of surrounding businesses depend on the parking availability throughout the area for their customers. Disrupt any part of it, and some level of frustration and annoyance is a foregone conclusion.

For business owners on Dubois Avenue, the construction has blocked street parking, limiting the usual flow of customers.

“There’s nowhere to park,” said Scott Gershon, owner of Scottio’s Pizza. “There was no lunch rush. I lost hundreds of dollars.”

Though construction notices have been tacked to parking meters along the traffic circle, Gershon argues he was not informed in advance of the road closure. He also voiced concerns about the ability of buses to make turns around the construction, as he claims to have watched them hit or almost hit construction equipment when turning onto or off Gibson. 

But others like Joe Depace, a Valley Stream resident who does not live near the traffic circle but drives through it regularly says the roads “needed to be repaired for the longest time, so I’m glad they’re doing something about it.”

And he will adapt to any foreseeable inconvenience until the work is done.

“There are other routes I can take if they need to close it down,” he added.

Additional reporting by Nora Toscano.

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