Home News Local News New bus shelter proposed outside of Southold Town Hall

New bus shelter proposed outside of Southold Town Hall

A new bus shelter outside Southold Town Hall could be on the way.

Southold Town engineers Jamie Richter and Michael Collins addressed the Southold Town board at a work session on Tuesday and said, after years of talk and consideration of various locations around town, a proposed location for a new bus shelter outside Town Hall is the latest being pitched.

Richter said if the structure is to be built near the crosswalk, there needs to be a handicapped accessible ramp to the roadway, with two panels on each side and one in the middle.

A no parking zone already exists near the fire hydrant, Richter said; the fact that no parking already exists at the spot means the shelter will take up two parking spaces instead of four.

“That’s why we recommended doing it this way,” he said.

Richter and Collins asked for the board’s opinion as to the proposed location before moving forward with the proposal.

Councilman Bill Ruland said while he does not think it’s the best location for the hamlet of Southold, the spot is a good one. “The parameters we’ve been given to work with are on a very narrow scale. This is a very workable plan if all parties can make it work.”

Collins said the idea must be discussed with Suffolk County, since the buses are county-operated, and discussions must be held with New York State regarding proposed access and a crosswalk.

Cost would be dependent on the final plan, and an engineer’s estimate would be generated after another round of county and state discussions.

In the past, other possible spots for the shelter have been discussed, including one in front of the Feather Hill shopping plaza, where the Hampton Jitney currently stops, and one across Main Road from the IGA.

After speaking with both the county and the state, Collins said he and Richter will come back before the board for future discussions.

Councilwoman Jill Doherty questioned having the shelter right outside the entrance of Town Hall.

And, added Councilman Jim Dinizio, “Parking is at a premium.”

The board suggested signs be put up to indicated handicapped parking and additional parking are located behind Town Hall.

Richter said nine years ago, the town was slated to get 12 bus shelters; so far, three have been built.

After years of discussion on the issue, Ruland commented, “I find it perplexing that something so simple could cause so much banter. The transportation commission would be happy to see this to fruition, to actually see a bus shelter, and not a diagram on a paper.”

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