Mangano Secures Nearly $1 Million In Grants To Improve Traffic Safety With HOV Patrols On LI Expressway

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today announced that the Nassau County Police Department will receive $915,000 in funds from the New York State Department of Transportation for enforcement of patrols of the east and west High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes of the Long Island Expressway (LIE) from the Queens border to the Suffolk County line. The grant will help fund police officer overtime expenses and vehicle usage reimbursement for dedicated patrols to enforce the HOV traffic laws on the LIE in Nassau County.

County Executive Mangano stated, “We’ve all dealt with motorists who blatantly disregard the law by entering and exiting HOV lanes in unsafe places. These funds will assist with providing ongoing patrols of the HOV lanes and dissuading motorists from disobeying the rules of operation. These additional patrols will help enforce the law while improving traffic safety.”

The grant includes funds to plan, schedule, implement and manage the HOV Lane Enforcement Program and provide monthly enforcement schedules and assignments to the department. In addition, in consultation with the Police Department, the funds will assist with instituting special operations support for pavement sweeping, pavement striping and other highway maintenance, and providing reimbursement of operating costs for vehicle usage for the HOV lane enforcement.

Monitoring will be ongoing and a review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the patrols and monthly reports will be compiled summarizing the previous month’s enforcement activities, including the actual number of tours, related costs and the number and reason for stops.