The Village of Great Neck and Nassau County are working together to make roads safer
(Photos from the office of Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip)
Earlier this month, speed radar signs were installed throughout Great Neck. These signs display the speed of the vehicle traveling down the road and will notify the driver when they are going over the speed limit. The device is designed to slow speeders down by alerting them of their speed and making the roads safer. Additionally, the speed radar signs are solar-powered.
The Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral and District 10 Nassau Country Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip worked together to get the funding for radar speed signs to be installed in Great Neck.
Mayor Bral has wanted to install the signs for a couple of years. Since Mayor Bral was first elected mayor in 2015, he has helped the Village of Great Neck and taxpayers save money, supported revitalizing the town, and made the local government more accessible to concerned residents.
“I think it’s been a while since people have been complaining about drivers speeding, especially close to our schools. We have a lot of schools in the area,” said Mayor Bral. “And about a few years ago, I was thinking of finding a way of putting these radars in Great Neck.”
Parents want to know their children will be safe when walking to and from school or leaving to get lunch. The addition of speed radar signs will help remind drivers to follow the speed limit and watch out for pedestrians and bikers in busy areas of Great Neck.
Mayor Bral and the village board have been working to figure out how much the radars would cost, how fast they can get them installed, and where to put them in Great Neck so they will be the most efficient.
When Legislator Pilip was elected into office in 2021, she met with the various mayors of Great Neck’s villages to learn more about District 10 and help them get the needed support. During the repaving of Middle Neck Road, Mayor Bral shared his thoughts about the need for speed radar signs with Legislator Pilip.
“[Legislator Pilip] took it seriously, and she was able to really help us,” said Mayor Bral. “She helped pass the grant, so we didn’t have to ask the taxpayers to pay for the radar signs.”
Legislator Pilip sponsored the grant from Nassau County and was able to secure $44,000 in funding for the speed radar signs.
(Photo from the ElanCity Website)
“These signs are very effective in bringing awareness to drivers that are driving too fast,” said Legislator Pilip. “One of the reasons why I felt these speed sign readers would be very effective in Great Neck is that in many traffic areas, the roadways are narrow, and there are many pedestrian crosswalks. The speed readers are bright; they catch the attention of the driver and are a blunt reminder to slow down.”
“As of now, we have five or seven of the speed radar signs placed in different locations,” said Mayor Bral. “The signs are put up in areas that people have complained about for many years about people driving really fast.”
While the radar signs don’t bill speeders’ tickets as red light cameras do, this technology will help bring attention to drivers and encourage following the speed limit.
“The beauty of this technology is that it actually can keep a record of how many cars in which areas go above the speed limit,” said Mayor Bral. “We can find out if there’s an area where a lot of people go too fast, and we can ask our police department to have more of a presence in that area.”
Overall, 15-speed radar signs will be installed throughout Great Neck. As of now, the speed radar signs have been installed in the Village of Great Neck. Other villages with busy roads where schools, shops and restaurants are located can request to have speed radar signs installed in their village. Populated areas such as the Village of Great Neck Plaza and the Village of Great Neck Estates would benefit significantly from these signs. Once the signs are requested, Legislator Pilip will work to secure a plan for the installation. Middle Neck Road and Baker Hill Road are just two of the areas where the speed radar signs are located.
“There are so many important County Roadway areas in Great Neck that will benefit from these speed readers,” said Legislator Pilip. “One thing you need to keep in mind is that these speed readers are not only a safety measure but also an economic one. We have so many young people and seniors who walk our sidewalks and cross the street. The speed readers have been strategically placed to help walkers and bicyclists. They are an economic tool because when you make downtown areas safer, more people will walk, shop and feel safer.”
