Open Traffic Plan Could Be Model

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said Friday, June 15, that the traffic plan used for the U.S. Open will be studied by officials to determine whether any elements could be used to alleviate regular traffic as well as in developing a revamped plan for when the tournament returns in 2026.

Officials developed a plan that included a pedestrian traffic bridge over Montauk Highway from a right-of-way at Stony Brook Southampton College, a series of road closures and traffic light adjustments, and a temporary railway station at Shinnecock Hills to reduce traffic congestion and improve circulation.

There were some snarls at the beginning of the week due the mixture of commuter along with Open traffic, but as the week wore on, the traffic lessened.

Schneiderman noted there were some backups along County Road 39 toward the end of the week, but it was “nothing out of the ordinary for a normal day,” he said.

“Each day we had more people and we never had slower travel times,” he said.

State, Suffolk County, and town officials have maintained all of the data that was collected and expect to analyze it to see what, if anything, can be utilized in the future, particularly for the U.S. Open’s return to Shinnecock Hills in 2026.

“We are giving a lot of attention as to things that work and things that don’t work,” he said.

One of the ideas that has been raised so far by Town Police Chief Steven Skrynecki is that there should be more use of the Long Island Rail Road, Schneiderman said.

For the time being, the town was able to study choke points, becoming acutely aware of them, and how they can be addressed. Schneiderman noted that the town has to be prepared for when the Open returns.

“It will get worse,” he said.

peggy@indyeastend.com