We need real traffic solutions for the tri-hamlet area

Traffic in the tri-hamlet—Mastic, Shirley, and Mastic Beach continues to be one of the biggest quality of life issues facing the area.

The reality is traffic conditions have only worsened, the population dynamics have changed, and infrastructure projects need to be implemented.

Currently, between the exit for William Floyd Parkway and Moriches-Middle Island Road, there is a three-mile gap. There was a plan for a new exit, 58A, at (Barnes Road). The project would have brought the distance to 1.5 miles, which is more common for Long Island. The project was entirely state funded under then- Assemblyman Fred Thiele. Unfortunately, it was shelved after vocal opposition from nearby residents—classic NIMBYism—despite clear regional benefits. The funding was reallocated, and the project quietly died. 

Since then, the need for it has only increased.

According to local Legislator Jim Mazzarella, the most significant change is not a marked increase in development, but rather household density. Many single-family homes now house eight or more people, with four, five, even six vehicles parked at one address at any given time. This is not speculation; it is visible regularly on local most local streets.

Much of the traffic congestion can be related to the overcrowded conditions and the volume of cars that local roads were never designed to handle. It is simple, a neighborhood planned for a family of four cannot absorb the traffic impact of two or three families living under one roof.

To its credit, the Town of Brookhaven along with Suffolk County has begun addressing part of the root problem. New county legislation now requires homes receiving DSS funding to allow municipal inspections. If a property is found to be overcrowded or in violation of local code, funding can be cut off. This is about safety of our residents, not punishment. As a result, reducing overcrowding improves quality of life and, yes, helps reduce traffic pressure.

Still, enforcement alone will not solve a transportation crisis.

Anyone who drives through the area during rush hour knows the bottleneck: vehicles exiting Sunrise Highway at Exit 58 back up onto the highway itself, creating dangerous and chronic congestion. The area between Sunrise Highway, the rail crossing, and Surrey Circle is especially severe. 

We commend the county’s newly funded $600,000 feasibility study that promises to focus on improving capacity, safety, and traffic flow along William Floyd Parkway. One promising concept of the plan would create an alternate exit route off Sunrise Highway near the Gala Fresh site, utilizing existing service roads behind the shopping center and connecting to Camp Upton Road. This would allow traffic to disperse in multiple directions on Montauk Highway, rather than funneling everyone into the same overloaded intersection.

Recently, Legis. Jim Mazzarella, working with Suffolk County Department of Public Works, has implemented minor traffic calming changes to help in the meantime. We are already seeing some success with the reconfigured turn lanes, improved signal timing, and restricted movements that keep traffic flowing at Montauk Highway and Mastic Boulevard near the Dunkin. 

The changes were not massive but made a measurable difference.

He has also begun working with the county transit to expand student discounts for students commuting to and from Suffolk County Community College and Stony Brook University to enhance services and routes. Also, it would incentivize public transportation, further helping traffic.

According to Mazzarella, locals have argued for a full overpass or underpass at the rail crossing. But the reality is that such a project would exceed $100 million, require shutting down a major crossing for a year, and face serious engineering challenges due to the area’s high-water table.

What is feasible is continuing to pursue incremental solutions: new exits, better traffic distribution, smarter signal management, and most importantly, renewed pressure on the State to reconsider additional at-grade rail crossings.

Traffic in the tri-hamlet area is not going away on its own. It will require cooperation between the town, county, and state as well as the residents’ support in doing so.

It is our hope that the feasibility study will be completed within the year, and we will be seeing real solutions within two. We appreciate the efforts of Legislator Mazzarella and are looking forward to the work he continues to do. However, it is clear that New York State and our state officials need to step up.