Huntington business owners are advocating for new road safety measures, which they say are a matter of protecting their employees and customers.
Part of Brian Corcoran’s Huntington store on West Hills Road is covered in Tyvek wrap. Corcoran said a car crashed through the front of the building earlier this month. Corcoran said it’s been a problem for years.
“This is the fourth time,” said Corcoran, co-owner of Marble and Monuments in Huntington.
Other business owners in the area have expressed the same concerns, saying it’s impossible to turn onto West Hills Road from side streets because it’s hard to see oncoming traffic.
“So there are issues on both sides of the road here,” Corcoran said.
“It’s moving so fast here. Every single day, every single morning, we have our employees coming around this corner trying to get out of here. They’re risking their lives,” said Brian Gerkin, owner of Gerkin Plumbing and Heating Company.
According to Suffolk County police, there have been three car accidents at West Hills Road and 7th Avenue in Huntington in the past year. The town says it keeps an eye out for safety hazards and has installed curve warning signs and flashing LED lights.
But business owners in the area say more needs to be done to protect the people who live and work in the area every day.
“Honestly, I think the solution to this problem is to put in traffic lights,” Corcoran said.
“You want to go buy a gallon of milk? You’re putting your life at risk. This happens all the time. It has to stop. Something has to be done,” Girkin said.
Officials told News 12 there are discussions going on about installing guard rails on the road. Nothing has been decided at this time.
