North Fork Legislator Al Krupski has introduced a bill in the county legislature to require protocols for the design, placement and upkeep of bus shelters along county bus routes.
“There hasn’t been a formula for putting them in. It’s been kind of willy-nilly,” Krupski said in an interview yesterday afternoon. “What I’m proposing is kind of a cookbook that will help get all involved agencies on the same page.”
Plans to place bus shelters at some spots along the S92 route on the North Fork stirred controversy at times. Two shelters planned for Main Road in the hamlet of Southold met with resistance from local residents and businesses who said they were worried about the potential loss of parking spaces as a result of the shelters being built.
“Many people think it’s important to have more shelters,” the legislator said. But siting them can be difficult. “You often have to work with private property owners, too,” he explained.
Krupski wants the county to implement uniform design standards for the shelters. Individual towns would be able to “dress them up” at their own expense if they want to, he said. The question of whether or not to allow advertising on the shelters would be addressed as well. Krupski noted that people are generally opposed to that idea.
The bill is also intended to address the issue of maintenance of the structures once they’re built — including snow removal, as well as repairs, litter removal and cleaning.
“These things need to be spelled out clearly before a new shelter is put up,” Krupski said. That hasn’t always been the case and has left some town officials at odds with the county over who’s responsible for bus shelter upkeep, particularly snow clearing.
Riverhead Town, for instance, had a 10-year agreement with the county that required the county public works department to maintain shelters erected along County Road 58. That agreement expired Dec. 30, 2012. After the blizzard of 2013, Riverhead highway crews removed snow from the Route 58 shelters. But when persistent heavy snowfall left the shelters piled high with snow and ice from county plows that cleared the county road last winter, Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson said his 30-man crew was too over-extended with town roads to take on the task again.
Bus passengers were left in the lurch. See Jan 30, 2014 story, “Plowed-in sidewalks and bus shelters leave pedestrians stranded on Rt. 58”
“There was nowhere for passengers to safely wait for buses,” Krupski said.
County officials said the county DPW’s snow-clearing ended at the curb and snow removal from sidewalks and bus shelters is the the responsibility of private property owners and the town.
After complaints, Krupski stepped in and insisted Suffolk DPW dig out the shelters last year.
DPW crews were in Riverhead digging them out again last weekend, the legislator said.
“Going forward, this all needs to be clearly spelled out, and not just on a temporary basis,” Krupski said.
Garbage removal, general cleaning and repairs are also issues Krupski’s bill requires the county to address before a shelter is built.
SoutholdLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti
