Lido Blvd Deserves a Safe Bike Lane

Fatal accident sparks first community push

A fatal motor vehicle accident on Lido Boulevard prompts the Lido Beach Civic Association to begin demanding the county take action to reduce dangerous driving conditions.

County unveils 3-phase overhaul plan

Nelson & Pope engineering firm prepares a report for Nassau County DPW proposing major changes: reduce lanes, add bike lanes, build a landscaped median, and add traffic lights. The plan would unfold over 5-6 years.

DPW Commissioner Peter Gerbasi states the goal is "to make people uncomfortable" so they slow down. Phase 1 alone would add bike lanes by re-striping the road.

LI Herald, Dec 2003

"Dangerous Boulevard Stirs Lido Beach"

The New York Times reports on the crisis. 30% of drivers are clocked above 50 mph. Cars careen across front lawns and into shrubs, carports, and retaining walls. School children are at risk boarding buses.

"You come into Lido and it looks like the autobahn."
— Mark Dirolf, President, Lido Beach Civic Association

"I was absolutely sick that morning."
— RaeAnn Laratro, after four cars sped past a school bus with its doors open in the middle of the street

The New York Times, Oct 2004

Speed limit reduced — but the road doesn't change

The Hempstead Town Board unanimously votes to reduce the speed limit on Lido Boulevard to 30 mph, with school zones at 20 mph. But merely changing a sign does nothing when the road itself is designed for highway speeds. Radar signs, speed cameras, and police enforcement are short-term band-aids on a structural problem.

CBS News: "Speeding traffic puts people in danger"

CBS2 cameras document vehicles hitting 60 mph near pedestrians and campers. 30,000 drivers use the boulevard daily in summer, with 30% exceeding the speed limit. Two deaths in the past year and multiple injuries involving children on bicycles and skateboarders.

"Flower pots to create some type of barrier" — a local business owner describing makeshift safety measures

Superintendent David Weiss proposes reducing speed limits to a uniform 30 mph, requiring Hempstead town board and Nassau County approval.

CBS New York, Aug 2017

$5 million in state funding announced

Governor Hochul announces funding to enhance safety for the Lido Boulevard corridor. A project to improve the boulevard enters early planning stages.

Governor's Office, Jun 2022

A sinkhole accidentally proves the solution works

A sinkhole at Lido Blvd and Regent Drive forces the temporary closure of several traffic lanes for three weeks. The result? Emergency response times remain completely unaffected. Traffic speeds drop to match the 30 mph limit. Fewer lanes didn't cause gridlock — they made the road safer.

Still no bike lane. Still no safe way to ride.

Over 20 years after engineers recommended bike lanes for Lido Boulevard, the Nassau County Department of Transportation has no plans to build one. The same road. The same danger. The same broken promises.