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Proposed legislation seeks to regulate teen use of e-bikes
The first week of the new traffic patterns on County Road 39 in Southampton…especially between the North Sea Road intersection and Magee Street…brought long backups at times and struggles to keep traffic flowing westward swiftly, as had been hoped when the town and Southampton Village convinced Suffolk County to restripe the roadway. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Suffolk County Department of Public Works crews repainted the lanes on both County Road 39 and Sandy Hollow Road on Wednesday November 12, cutting two lanes down to one leading into where the two roads come together. Along with the restriping, the Sandy Hollow Road intersection traffic signal was reprogrammed to only turn red for westbound cars on both roads when multiple cars were waiting in the eastbound County Road 39 lane to turn left onto Sandy Hollow, so as to allow the westbound traffic to proceed uninterrupted as much as possible. The changes were intended to keep the evening westbound trade parade coming out of Southampton and North Sea flowing smoothly — as it had done in the spring, when a complex experimental pilot program was conducted by the county and Southampton Town to bypass the County Road 39 traffic lights. But this time around, the traffic lights at Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road are cycling red and green — and during times of heavy commuter volume, traffic quickly backed up again. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle said that town staff are trying to devise a strategy for broader improvements. McArdle said he’s hopeful that adjusting the timing of the light changes might be able to ease some of the delays they cause. After the lanes were restriped by the county, the new arrangement appeared to create long backups as cars were forced to merge into single lanes, and the westward flow was halted by the red lights at Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road. Southampton Village Police Chief Sue Hurteau said that village back roads traffic had not yet seen improvement and that she’s hoping tweaks to the system by the town might be able to make things go smoother.
***
The Riverhead Town Board voted 4–1 Tuesday night to sell the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft, a decision that followed more than a year of quiet negotiations and competing proposals. Bob Kern cast the lone dissenting vote, raising concerns that The Jazz Loft did not have the resources or expertise needed to renovate, open and operate the theater in a way that will benefit downtown revitalization. Nonetheless, after further discussion during Tuesday’s board meeting, the resolution determined The Jazz Loft “qualified and eligible” for purposes of the State Urban Renewal Law and authorizes the supervisor to sign the previously negotiated contract of sale and it did pass by a vote of 4–1. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that under that contract, the Town of Riverhead agrees to sell the Vail-Leavitt theater to The Jazz Loft for $150,000 and The Jazz Loft agrees to perform renovations and repairs to the 144 year old building, maintaining its historic character, and to operate the theatre as a performing arts venue.
***
Tomorrow evening, East Hampton Arts Council presents Creative Networking Night. The topic is Creative Process.
The following artists will discuss their work and process: Joanne Roberts film, Mariah Ke' Olani painting, Meg Gibson acting and live theater and Carlos Barrios guitar maker and musician. That’s tomorrow at 6 PM in East Hampton Town Hall and the event is free. The East Hampton Arts Council is a local organization founded to advise and assist the Town of East Hampton on issues pertaining to the arts.
***
A web of interlocking court cases have temporarily blocked East Hampton Town officials from evicting Long Island Airlines from East Hampton Town Airport in Wainscott. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that court papers suggest Long Island Airlines is one of only two fixed-base operators at the airport, where it has provided fueling and hangaring services for some 30 years — though Airport Director Jim Brundige said LIA has been defunct since 2018, and Sound Aircraft Services is the only remaining fixed-base operator. Last year, East Hampton Town officials sought to end LIA’s lease, alleging LIA had broken the terms by not once providing environmental testing samples, which it was supposed to do every few years since the lease began in the 1990s. Airport director Brundige pushed back on claims that eviction of LIA would impact airport operations. “Evicting LIA, a bad actor that breached its lease with the town, will not impact or cause disruption to airport operations,” he said. “To the extent flights land at the airport, LIA has nothing to do with that. Eviction of LIA will not impact when or how flights depart or land at the airport.” And he recommended that HeliFlite a luxury helicopter service fearful of a de facto monopoly on fixed-base operators, begin retaining the services of Sound Aircraft Services, like all other users of East Hampton Town Airport. HeliFlite sued the town in May 2024. A follow-up court date on the matter in Suffolk County Supreme Court is slated for December. “The town will continue to proceed through the appropriate legal channels to finalize the eviction that the courts have already authorized,” East Hampton Town Attorney Jake Turner told THE EAST HAMPTON PRESS this week.
***
LIPA plans to eliminate its acting chief operating officer position by year's end in a move that would terminate the tenure of a second high-level official who filed an ethics complaint tied to bidding practices at the utility, according to people familiar with the planned reorganization. LIPA last week internally disclosed that acting chief operating officer Werner Schweiger, one of LIPA’s most experienced officials and highest level executives, would see his position eliminated on Dec. 31, the sources said. The move would also terminate the tenure of a second high-level official who filed an ethics complaint tied to bidding practices at the utility, according to people familiar with the planned reorganization. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that Schweiger was one of two officials at LIPA who filed an ethics complaint in June that raised questions about pressures brought to bear to alter scores in LIPA's yearlong process to find a new grid operator, the sources said. LIPA has since hired an outside law firm to conduct an internal probe, Newsday has reported.
LIPA, in a statement Tuesday in response to Newsday questions, said it had begun a "comprehensive" management review last year following recommendations from a Department of Public Service management audit of the utility in 2022. Newly named LIPA chief executive Carrie Meek Gallagher previously had been Long Island director of DPS.
Schweiger and two other LIPA officials, former senior vice president Billy Raley, and former interim chief executive John Rhodes, for more than a year comprised an internal LIPA committee that reviewed new potential candidates to take over grid management as PSEG’s contract expires at year's end.
***
Residents concerned about the recent United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach are holding an “ICE Out of East Hampton Rally” at East Hampton’s Hook Mill by the green at Pantigo Road and North Main Street tomorrow morning from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
According to organizer Anita Boyer, the goal is to "stand up for our neighbors and friends. Demand due process. Urge our reps and civil servants to take a strong stance. Meet super cool people and build community."
Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that when asked why she'd organized the events, Boyer quoted Minerva Perez, executive director of Organización Latino Americana / OLA of Eastern Long Island, a Latino advocacy organization. Perez, she said, "said it best — our community deserves to be protected by everyone and to say, 'Well, we can't do that,' is not enough. We need strong, brave and vocal leaders who are willing to stand up and protect everyone and not simply follow orders."
***
Parents of teens zigzagging on electric-powered two-wheelers in Suffolk County could face fines as high as $5,000 under proposed legislation aimed to further regulate the e-bike industry. Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that as use of e-bikes and e-scooters rise, officials say it’s imperative to ensure younger drivers follow the rules of the road. Their use by young riders "is posing a serious public safety threat," according to the legislation set to be introduced this morning.
At least 12 people died in e-bike and scooter crashes on Long Island over the last three years, according to Newsday's database of fatal crashes which is compiled based on law enforcement releases.
Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), the bill’s sponsor, said the problem has worsened and current code lacks "teeth."
"I can’t go anywhere without people saying, ‘What can we do about these e-bikes, these kids on scooters,’" McCaffrey said.
The legislation stiffens penalties for several violations, such as operating under the age of 16, driving recklessly or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fleeing police or riding on sidewalks or highways. The legislation sets a $500 fine for a first violation, which climbs to $1,500 on a second violation and up to $5,000 for a third violation within five years, according to the legislation.
The bill also adds additional language for police to seize an e-bike or e-scooter driven by anyone under 16.
Parents or legal guardians of anyone under 18 would be responsible for fines and restitution for property damage, the bill says.
The Suffolk County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee today is expected to advance the bill to a public hearing at next Tuesday’s general meeting in Hauppauge.
A separate resolution sets further restrictions and penalties for motorized scooters.
View all episodes
By WLIW-FMThe first week of the new traffic patterns on County Road 39 in Southampton…especially between the North Sea Road intersection and Magee Street…brought long backups at times and struggles to keep traffic flowing westward swiftly, as had been hoped when the town and Southampton Village convinced Suffolk County to restripe the roadway. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Suffolk County Department of Public Works crews repainted the lanes on both County Road 39 and Sandy Hollow Road on Wednesday November 12, cutting two lanes down to one leading into where the two roads come together. Along with the restriping, the Sandy Hollow Road intersection traffic signal was reprogrammed to only turn red for westbound cars on both roads when multiple cars were waiting in the eastbound County Road 39 lane to turn left onto Sandy Hollow, so as to allow the westbound traffic to proceed uninterrupted as much as possible. The changes were intended to keep the evening westbound trade parade coming out of Southampton and North Sea flowing smoothly — as it had done in the spring, when a complex experimental pilot program was conducted by the county and Southampton Town to bypass the County Road 39 traffic lights. But this time around, the traffic lights at Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road are cycling red and green — and during times of heavy commuter volume, traffic quickly backed up again. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle said that town staff are trying to devise a strategy for broader improvements. McArdle said he’s hopeful that adjusting the timing of the light changes might be able to ease some of the delays they cause. After the lanes were restriped by the county, the new arrangement appeared to create long backups as cars were forced to merge into single lanes, and the westward flow was halted by the red lights at Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road. Southampton Village Police Chief Sue Hurteau said that village back roads traffic had not yet seen improvement and that she’s hoping tweaks to the system by the town might be able to make things go smoother.
***
The Riverhead Town Board voted 4–1 Tuesday night to sell the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft, a decision that followed more than a year of quiet negotiations and competing proposals. Bob Kern cast the lone dissenting vote, raising concerns that The Jazz Loft did not have the resources or expertise needed to renovate, open and operate the theater in a way that will benefit downtown revitalization. Nonetheless, after further discussion during Tuesday’s board meeting, the resolution determined The Jazz Loft “qualified and eligible” for purposes of the State Urban Renewal Law and authorizes the supervisor to sign the previously negotiated contract of sale and it did pass by a vote of 4–1. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that under that contract, the Town of Riverhead agrees to sell the Vail-Leavitt theater to The Jazz Loft for $150,000 and The Jazz Loft agrees to perform renovations and repairs to the 144 year old building, maintaining its historic character, and to operate the theatre as a performing arts venue.
***
Tomorrow evening, East Hampton Arts Council presents Creative Networking Night. The topic is Creative Process.
The following artists will discuss their work and process: Joanne Roberts film, Mariah Ke' Olani painting, Meg Gibson acting and live theater and Carlos Barrios guitar maker and musician. That’s tomorrow at 6 PM in East Hampton Town Hall and the event is free. The East Hampton Arts Council is a local organization founded to advise and assist the Town of East Hampton on issues pertaining to the arts.
***
A web of interlocking court cases have temporarily blocked East Hampton Town officials from evicting Long Island Airlines from East Hampton Town Airport in Wainscott. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that court papers suggest Long Island Airlines is one of only two fixed-base operators at the airport, where it has provided fueling and hangaring services for some 30 years — though Airport Director Jim Brundige said LIA has been defunct since 2018, and Sound Aircraft Services is the only remaining fixed-base operator. Last year, East Hampton Town officials sought to end LIA’s lease, alleging LIA had broken the terms by not once providing environmental testing samples, which it was supposed to do every few years since the lease began in the 1990s. Airport director Brundige pushed back on claims that eviction of LIA would impact airport operations. “Evicting LIA, a bad actor that breached its lease with the town, will not impact or cause disruption to airport operations,” he said. “To the extent flights land at the airport, LIA has nothing to do with that. Eviction of LIA will not impact when or how flights depart or land at the airport.” And he recommended that HeliFlite a luxury helicopter service fearful of a de facto monopoly on fixed-base operators, begin retaining the services of Sound Aircraft Services, like all other users of East Hampton Town Airport. HeliFlite sued the town in May 2024. A follow-up court date on the matter in Suffolk County Supreme Court is slated for December. “The town will continue to proceed through the appropriate legal channels to finalize the eviction that the courts have already authorized,” East Hampton Town Attorney Jake Turner told THE EAST HAMPTON PRESS this week.
***
LIPA plans to eliminate its acting chief operating officer position by year's end in a move that would terminate the tenure of a second high-level official who filed an ethics complaint tied to bidding practices at the utility, according to people familiar with the planned reorganization. LIPA last week internally disclosed that acting chief operating officer Werner Schweiger, one of LIPA’s most experienced officials and highest level executives, would see his position eliminated on Dec. 31, the sources said. The move would also terminate the tenure of a second high-level official who filed an ethics complaint tied to bidding practices at the utility, according to people familiar with the planned reorganization. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that Schweiger was one of two officials at LIPA who filed an ethics complaint in June that raised questions about pressures brought to bear to alter scores in LIPA's yearlong process to find a new grid operator, the sources said. LIPA has since hired an outside law firm to conduct an internal probe, Newsday has reported.
LIPA, in a statement Tuesday in response to Newsday questions, said it had begun a "comprehensive" management review last year following recommendations from a Department of Public Service management audit of the utility in 2022. Newly named LIPA chief executive Carrie Meek Gallagher previously had been Long Island director of DPS.
Schweiger and two other LIPA officials, former senior vice president Billy Raley, and former interim chief executive John Rhodes, for more than a year comprised an internal LIPA committee that reviewed new potential candidates to take over grid management as PSEG’s contract expires at year's end.
***
Residents concerned about the recent United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach are holding an “ICE Out of East Hampton Rally” at East Hampton’s Hook Mill by the green at Pantigo Road and North Main Street tomorrow morning from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
According to organizer Anita Boyer, the goal is to "stand up for our neighbors and friends. Demand due process. Urge our reps and civil servants to take a strong stance. Meet super cool people and build community."
Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that when asked why she'd organized the events, Boyer quoted Minerva Perez, executive director of Organización Latino Americana / OLA of Eastern Long Island, a Latino advocacy organization. Perez, she said, "said it best — our community deserves to be protected by everyone and to say, 'Well, we can't do that,' is not enough. We need strong, brave and vocal leaders who are willing to stand up and protect everyone and not simply follow orders."
***
Parents of teens zigzagging on electric-powered two-wheelers in Suffolk County could face fines as high as $5,000 under proposed legislation aimed to further regulate the e-bike industry. Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that as use of e-bikes and e-scooters rise, officials say it’s imperative to ensure younger drivers follow the rules of the road. Their use by young riders "is posing a serious public safety threat," according to the legislation set to be introduced this morning.
At least 12 people died in e-bike and scooter crashes on Long Island over the last three years, according to Newsday's database of fatal crashes which is compiled based on law enforcement releases.
Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), the bill’s sponsor, said the problem has worsened and current code lacks "teeth."
"I can’t go anywhere without people saying, ‘What can we do about these e-bikes, these kids on scooters,’" McCaffrey said.
The legislation stiffens penalties for several violations, such as operating under the age of 16, driving recklessly or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fleeing police or riding on sidewalks or highways. The legislation sets a $500 fine for a first violation, which climbs to $1,500 on a second violation and up to $5,000 for a third violation within five years, according to the legislation.
The bill also adds additional language for police to seize an e-bike or e-scooter driven by anyone under 16.
Parents or legal guardians of anyone under 18 would be responsible for fines and restitution for property damage, the bill says.
The Suffolk County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee today is expected to advance the bill to a public hearing at next Tuesday’s general meeting in Hauppauge.
A separate resolution sets further restrictions and penalties for motorized scooters.