HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Pedestrian medians may be doing more harm than good in Huntington Station, according to first responders.
The five brick medians were recently installed along New York Avenue, including in front of the Huntington Manor Fire Department.
Chief Michael Como of the Huntington Community First Aid Squad said before the medians were put in last year, he would sometimes drive down the middle of the roadway during heavy traffic to get to the hospital or to an emergency call.
Now, he cannot.
"To go directly in the middle of the road, that would put both tires to the right and left of the median and could risk damaging the undercarriage of the vehicle and ambulance," Como said. "Some of them are a quarter of a million dollars a piece, fire trucks are a lot more expensive."
The New York State Department of Transportation installed the medians to keep pedestrians safe, but two fire department chiefs, along with Como, want them removed.
"If there's traffic we can't get through, we have to wait for people to move so that's just slowing us down," Como said.
"It's a real big hazard for the fire department and the ambulance squad — without a doubt," said Christopher Fusaro of the Huntington Manor Fire Department.
A DOT spokesperson said safety is the top priority.