Kevrob
07-22-09, 11:06 AM
Full post @ A&S (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=9329724#post9329724)
Kevin
Kevin
Northeast - Dix Hills, NY cyclist killed by DUI-motorcyclist
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Lightingguy
07-22-09, 09:59 PM
The accident occurred in Wantagh, and is covered in the post "Wantagh MUP Accident"
SB
SB
Papa Tom
07-23-09, 10:13 AM
The more I think about this, the fewer words I can come up with to say about it. I had probably ridden past the exact spot where this occurred no more than fifteen minutes before the incident that took this young man's life occurred. I may have even given Matthew a nod as I passed him going one direction or another.
We are all so fragile and vulnerable out there on our bikes, yet, when we get behind the wheel of a car or mount the saddle of a hog, too many of us lose sight of the responsibility we have to our fellow humans. I am on the Wantagh MUP nearly every night - and every night, I see at least one motorcyclist flying down the parkway at well in excess of 100mph. The roar of the motor and the staggering velocity of these machines sometimes completely paralyzes me as I pump my way down the bikeway. As much as I hate to admit it, I sometimes catch myself silently wishing these guys a horrible demise.
Other times, I've watched young drivers with full passenger loads suddenly sway onto the grass apron between the highway and the bike path - or just miss slamming into one of the concrete barriers that line the bridges - as they bury their heads to poke a text message into their iPhones.
This is the second incident I know of in which a motorcycle left the roadway and collided with a bicyclist on this path. As someone who is familiar with the way local government operates, I suspect that there may be a time soon when New York State may be forced to consider closing the Wantagh Bikeway due to liability concerns. Once again, the issue of irresponsible drivers and motorcyclists will be ignored in favor of taking the route of least resistance; the elimination of another outlet for bicyclists.
Of course, what becomes of our bike path is trivial compared to the loss Matthew Scarpati's family and others who loved him have suffered. My sympathy goes out to all of them.
So what can we do as a cycling community to prevent yet ANOTHER fatality on this roadway caused by a self-centered, irresponsible motorist?
We are all so fragile and vulnerable out there on our bikes, yet, when we get behind the wheel of a car or mount the saddle of a hog, too many of us lose sight of the responsibility we have to our fellow humans. I am on the Wantagh MUP nearly every night - and every night, I see at least one motorcyclist flying down the parkway at well in excess of 100mph. The roar of the motor and the staggering velocity of these machines sometimes completely paralyzes me as I pump my way down the bikeway. As much as I hate to admit it, I sometimes catch myself silently wishing these guys a horrible demise.
Other times, I've watched young drivers with full passenger loads suddenly sway onto the grass apron between the highway and the bike path - or just miss slamming into one of the concrete barriers that line the bridges - as they bury their heads to poke a text message into their iPhones.
This is the second incident I know of in which a motorcycle left the roadway and collided with a bicyclist on this path. As someone who is familiar with the way local government operates, I suspect that there may be a time soon when New York State may be forced to consider closing the Wantagh Bikeway due to liability concerns. Once again, the issue of irresponsible drivers and motorcyclists will be ignored in favor of taking the route of least resistance; the elimination of another outlet for bicyclists.
Of course, what becomes of our bike path is trivial compared to the loss Matthew Scarpati's family and others who loved him have suffered. My sympathy goes out to all of them.
So what can we do as a cycling community to prevent yet ANOTHER fatality on this roadway caused by a self-centered, irresponsible motorist?
pgoat
07-23-09, 10:18 AM
Tom, you make some excellent points.
In the city we have TA and Time's Up. It sounds like there is a growing number of cyclists on LI; perhaps it is time for a new branch of one of these organizations to be formed. Or a new group altogether.
Organizing and joining together with other local cyclists
Identifying key goals and issues
Contacting local electeds and gaining support from the non-cycling public
Taking away cycling paths won't save the motorists who will slam into whatever is there in place of them. Having grown up as a motorist on LI (and seeing how frightening driving conditions have become out there when we visit on occasion) I'd say some traffic calming and changes are in order. the bikes are not the problem.
I could ask TA about what (if anything) they can do for LI.....Steps should be taken to prevent more tragedies like this happening.
In the city we have TA and Time's Up. It sounds like there is a growing number of cyclists on LI; perhaps it is time for a new branch of one of these organizations to be formed. Or a new group altogether.
Organizing and joining together with other local cyclists
Identifying key goals and issues
Contacting local electeds and gaining support from the non-cycling public
Taking away cycling paths won't save the motorists who will slam into whatever is there in place of them. Having grown up as a motorist on LI (and seeing how frightening driving conditions have become out there when we visit on occasion) I'd say some traffic calming and changes are in order. the bikes are not the problem.
I could ask TA about what (if anything) they can do for LI.....Steps should be taken to prevent more tragedies like this happening.
StOCK
07-27-09, 03:52 PM
LI is the worst for cycling, especially in certain areas. Something really needs to be done about jericho turnpike- 1 foot shoulder on blind turns and not even a sidewalk for pedestrians. I live on the nassau/suffolk border so neither side wants to do anything about this area, it's so dangerous.
Lightingguy
07-27-09, 08:06 PM
You have to find the right roads and the right times. Jericho Tpk., is generally not a good route in Nassau and there's no need to ride it when there are plenty of better options. Why not had up to the West Hills section - High Hold, Sweet Hollow, Chichester, West Hills, etc... . Old Country Rd. is a decent route E/W, as is the LIE Service Road, which while not scenic and having heavy traffic at rush hour, at least has a good shoulder, so is good for short distances as a feeder/connector. Round Swamp Rd., Washington Ave., portions of Woodbury Road, Piquiet/S Woods, all have reasonably decent sections that allow rides at rush hour.
I would suggest picking up a copy of the DOT's Bicycle Map of Long Island, I got mine at Brands. Has some very good route choices, though is far from complete.
Timing is also critical, and I've long ago learned that attempting a fast training ride between 7AM and 9AM, as well as 4PM to 6PM, results in more frequent confrontations with motorists attempting to drive to work/home with the least amount of inconvenience, that a speeding cyclist is certain to present.
This is not upstate and that's a given, but there are decent options, if you take the time to do some exploring.
Steve B.
I would suggest picking up a copy of the DOT's Bicycle Map of Long Island, I got mine at Brands. Has some very good route choices, though is far from complete.
Timing is also critical, and I've long ago learned that attempting a fast training ride between 7AM and 9AM, as well as 4PM to 6PM, results in more frequent confrontations with motorists attempting to drive to work/home with the least amount of inconvenience, that a speeding cyclist is certain to present.
This is not upstate and that's a given, but there are decent options, if you take the time to do some exploring.
Steve B.
Papa Tom
08-16-09, 08:25 AM
From the current issue of Long Island Press:
Railing for Safety
Wantagh Parkway Crashes Revive Bike Path Guardrail Proposal
Written by Timothy Bolger (http://www.longislandpress.com/author/timbolger/) on Aug 13th, 2009 and filed under L.I. News (http://www.longislandpress.com/category/news/localnews/), News (http://www.longislandpress.com/category/news/).
with Joe O’Halloran
Quietly twisting and turning through the grass and reeds along the northbound side of the Wantagh State Parkway, Long Island’s most popular bike path, where 19-year-old bicyclist Matthew Scarpati was killed on July 20, was never a source of controversy for the 1,000 or so people who use it daily. But after an allegedly drunk motorcyclist struck the Dix Hills teen as he fixed a flat tire on the south side of the bridge over Island Creek, a groundswell has formed to push the state to construct a guardrail that would protect the bikers, runners and other pedestrians that use the path.
“We have seen the danger that exists and must do all in our power to protect others from harm,” New York State Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) wrote in a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) two weeks ago. He is meeting soon with the victim’s family and DOT officials to discuss expediting construction of a barrier on the Ellen Ferrant Bike Path, the official name of the nearly four-mile stretch that runs from Cedar Creek Park to Jones Beach State Park that was built in 1987.
http://www.longislandpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/New-Image1.JPG
The crash site on the Jones Beach bike path where a makeshift memorial sits beside the Wantagh Parkway
Over the past two decades there have been three other accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians along the path, DOT officials say. And state transportation planning documents show the guardrail job has been on the DOT’s radar since 2005, but the work was never done.
“We will be looking into all feasible and safe alternatives,” says Eileen Peters, a spokeswoman for the DOT’s LI region. “We have been very actively investigating that accident.”
New York State Police say it is impossible to tell if a guardrail would have saved Scarpati’s life, especially considering the fact that drivers tend to speed more on north-south parkways because there is usually less traffic. But advocates argue that the path’s users have been left vulnerable long enough.
“Instead of spending the money on electric signs on the Northern State Parkway, they should be spending this money on saving people’s lives,” says Richard Schary, a local environmentalist. He also takes issue with the fact that there is also no guardrail to protect those who use the Mill Pond Park bike path in Wantagh, which runs alongside the southbound side of the Wantagh State Parkway between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road. That path was the site of another crash on Aug. 3, when a Bayville man slammed into a tree just north of Merrick Road, killing himself, two others and seriously injuring another passenger in the car.
“Twelve hours before I led a group of 25 hikers passed that exact spot,” Schary says. “Imagine what would have happened.”
So far, no one has voiced concern over the lack of guardrails along a pedestrian trail that runs the full length of Wantagh State Parkway starting at Park Avenue in Wantagh. In 1982, William Cornell, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Wantagh, was struck and killed on that path while running with his cross country team when a car veered off the road, also claiming the driver’s life.
Such tragedies spur action. “No one seemed to be interested until this accident happened,” says Gina Russo, of Jericho, who started a petition (http://www.lifun4kids.com/pdf/guard-rail-petition.pdf)to have the guardrail built on the Jones Beach bike path in February, shortly after she visited the path with her two kids for the first time—and turned right around when she saw how close to the road it was. “I’m getting an overwhelming response,” she says, having garnered about 1,500 signatures.
“Anyone not paying attention, texting or whatever, could easily veer off the road,” says Deborah Owen, 39, of Wantagh, a jogger on the path during a recent afternoon who said she, too, worries about the proximity to high-speed traffic.
As for James Ryan, the motorcyclist who police say struck Scarpati, prosecutors say he is still not medically fit for arraignment on charges of driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter, among others. He was listed in critical but stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center as of press time.
The Scarpatis did not make themselves available for comment. Meanwhile, life on the bike path has since gone on, while a makeshift memorial at the crash site including a bike wheel, a copy of the movie Never Back Down, a soccer video game and a picture of Mariano Rivera hangs from the fence above several prayer candles on the pavement. But should the family get their way, there should be a more permanent tribute in the near future—in the form of a safety barrier.
Railing for Safety
Wantagh Parkway Crashes Revive Bike Path Guardrail Proposal
Written by Timothy Bolger (http://www.longislandpress.com/author/timbolger/) on Aug 13th, 2009 and filed under L.I. News (http://www.longislandpress.com/category/news/localnews/), News (http://www.longislandpress.com/category/news/).
with Joe O’Halloran
Quietly twisting and turning through the grass and reeds along the northbound side of the Wantagh State Parkway, Long Island’s most popular bike path, where 19-year-old bicyclist Matthew Scarpati was killed on July 20, was never a source of controversy for the 1,000 or so people who use it daily. But after an allegedly drunk motorcyclist struck the Dix Hills teen as he fixed a flat tire on the south side of the bridge over Island Creek, a groundswell has formed to push the state to construct a guardrail that would protect the bikers, runners and other pedestrians that use the path.
“We have seen the danger that exists and must do all in our power to protect others from harm,” New York State Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) wrote in a letter to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) two weeks ago. He is meeting soon with the victim’s family and DOT officials to discuss expediting construction of a barrier on the Ellen Ferrant Bike Path, the official name of the nearly four-mile stretch that runs from Cedar Creek Park to Jones Beach State Park that was built in 1987.
http://www.longislandpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/New-Image1.JPG
The crash site on the Jones Beach bike path where a makeshift memorial sits beside the Wantagh Parkway
Over the past two decades there have been three other accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians along the path, DOT officials say. And state transportation planning documents show the guardrail job has been on the DOT’s radar since 2005, but the work was never done.
“We will be looking into all feasible and safe alternatives,” says Eileen Peters, a spokeswoman for the DOT’s LI region. “We have been very actively investigating that accident.”
New York State Police say it is impossible to tell if a guardrail would have saved Scarpati’s life, especially considering the fact that drivers tend to speed more on north-south parkways because there is usually less traffic. But advocates argue that the path’s users have been left vulnerable long enough.
“Instead of spending the money on electric signs on the Northern State Parkway, they should be spending this money on saving people’s lives,” says Richard Schary, a local environmentalist. He also takes issue with the fact that there is also no guardrail to protect those who use the Mill Pond Park bike path in Wantagh, which runs alongside the southbound side of the Wantagh State Parkway between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road. That path was the site of another crash on Aug. 3, when a Bayville man slammed into a tree just north of Merrick Road, killing himself, two others and seriously injuring another passenger in the car.
“Twelve hours before I led a group of 25 hikers passed that exact spot,” Schary says. “Imagine what would have happened.”
So far, no one has voiced concern over the lack of guardrails along a pedestrian trail that runs the full length of Wantagh State Parkway starting at Park Avenue in Wantagh. In 1982, William Cornell, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Wantagh, was struck and killed on that path while running with his cross country team when a car veered off the road, also claiming the driver’s life.
Such tragedies spur action. “No one seemed to be interested until this accident happened,” says Gina Russo, of Jericho, who started a petition (http://www.lifun4kids.com/pdf/guard-rail-petition.pdf)to have the guardrail built on the Jones Beach bike path in February, shortly after she visited the path with her two kids for the first time—and turned right around when she saw how close to the road it was. “I’m getting an overwhelming response,” she says, having garnered about 1,500 signatures.
“Anyone not paying attention, texting or whatever, could easily veer off the road,” says Deborah Owen, 39, of Wantagh, a jogger on the path during a recent afternoon who said she, too, worries about the proximity to high-speed traffic.
As for James Ryan, the motorcyclist who police say struck Scarpati, prosecutors say he is still not medically fit for arraignment on charges of driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter, among others. He was listed in critical but stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center as of press time.
The Scarpatis did not make themselves available for comment. Meanwhile, life on the bike path has since gone on, while a makeshift memorial at the crash site including a bike wheel, a copy of the movie Never Back Down, a soccer video game and a picture of Mariano Rivera hangs from the fence above several prayer candles on the pavement. But should the family get their way, there should be a more permanent tribute in the near future—in the form of a safety barrier.
exRunner
08-17-09, 06:11 AM
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/state-police-ticket-138-drivers-on-ocean-parkway-1.1372992
Papa Tom
08-17-09, 06:53 AM
>>>>http://www.newsday.com/long-island/n...kway-1.1372992 (http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/state-police-ticket-138-drivers-on-ocean-parkway-1.1372992)<<<<
Unfortunately, this stepped-up police enforcement will eventually fizzle and things will be back to chaotic. Perhaps some speed bumps would do the trick?????
Unfortunately, this stepped-up police enforcement will eventually fizzle and things will be back to chaotic. Perhaps some speed bumps would do the trick?????
Papa Tom
08-21-09, 10:06 AM
In today's Newsday....
Expanded buffer to be added between bike path, Wantagh Parkway
August 20, 2009 by EDEN LAIKIN / eden.laikin@newsday.com
The state Department of Transportation will begin work next week to expand the buffer between the Wantagh State Parkway and the adjacent bike path, state Sen. Charles Fuschillo (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Charles_Fuschillo) said Thursday. The move will decrease the vehicle traffic lanes from three to two for the 41/2-mile length alongside the bike path.
The state will also install a "rumble strip" that will warn motorists if they get too close to the bike path.
The moves come in response to calls for increased safety after the death of a 19-year-old bicyclist who was hit by a motorcyclist veering off the parkway. The motorcyclist was charged with driving while intoxicated and second-degree vehicular manslaughter.
The DOT is also considering a proposal to install a "guide rail" along the bike path, Fuschillo said. The structure would consist of a wooden base topped by 3-foot-high posts bearing white reflectors. State DOT officials would not comment on the proposal yesterday, saying only that it's still in the "idea stage."
Fuschillo said he has met twice this week with DOT representatives and the family of Matthew Scarpati, the bicyclist killed July 20 just north of Goose Creek Bridge.
He said the DOT on Monday will begin painting stripes on the right lane of the northbound parkway to delineate it as a shoulder instead of a traffic lane, a move that will add an 11-foot strip to the existing 10- to 12-foot buffer. Officials expect to complete the work by Labor Day, he said.
Fuschillo said he hopes next week to get details from the DOT on other safety measures being considered for the path, which runs from Cedar Creek Park on Merrick Road in Seaford to the parking field at the Jones Beach Theater.
"I'm pleased that the DOT is moving forward with some necessary steps, but we'll see what the final plan is to provide greater safety measures," he said, adding that Scarpati's parents, two brothers and two friends attended the first meeting and support the measures being considered.
An average of 1,000 people use the bike path every day, the DOT said, making it one of the most popular in the state.
The department considered installing a guide rail between the parkway and the bike path in 2005 but never got funding.
Civic activist Richard Schary of Bellmore, who was on a DOT citizens advisory committee in 2005, said Thursday "it's about time" the DOT took such action.
"I've been afraid to use this bike path because of the closeness to traffic," he said. "It's almost impossible to enjoy yourself with cars whizzing by 10 feet away. Sometimes it takes something like this to bring the public's attention to something."
Expanded buffer to be added between bike path, Wantagh Parkway
August 20, 2009 by EDEN LAIKIN / eden.laikin@newsday.com
The state Department of Transportation will begin work next week to expand the buffer between the Wantagh State Parkway and the adjacent bike path, state Sen. Charles Fuschillo (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Charles_Fuschillo) said Thursday. The move will decrease the vehicle traffic lanes from three to two for the 41/2-mile length alongside the bike path.
The state will also install a "rumble strip" that will warn motorists if they get too close to the bike path.
The moves come in response to calls for increased safety after the death of a 19-year-old bicyclist who was hit by a motorcyclist veering off the parkway. The motorcyclist was charged with driving while intoxicated and second-degree vehicular manslaughter.
The DOT is also considering a proposal to install a "guide rail" along the bike path, Fuschillo said. The structure would consist of a wooden base topped by 3-foot-high posts bearing white reflectors. State DOT officials would not comment on the proposal yesterday, saying only that it's still in the "idea stage."
Fuschillo said he has met twice this week with DOT representatives and the family of Matthew Scarpati, the bicyclist killed July 20 just north of Goose Creek Bridge.
He said the DOT on Monday will begin painting stripes on the right lane of the northbound parkway to delineate it as a shoulder instead of a traffic lane, a move that will add an 11-foot strip to the existing 10- to 12-foot buffer. Officials expect to complete the work by Labor Day, he said.
Fuschillo said he hopes next week to get details from the DOT on other safety measures being considered for the path, which runs from Cedar Creek Park on Merrick Road in Seaford to the parking field at the Jones Beach Theater.
"I'm pleased that the DOT is moving forward with some necessary steps, but we'll see what the final plan is to provide greater safety measures," he said, adding that Scarpati's parents, two brothers and two friends attended the first meeting and support the measures being considered.
An average of 1,000 people use the bike path every day, the DOT said, making it one of the most popular in the state.
The department considered installing a guide rail between the parkway and the bike path in 2005 but never got funding.
Civic activist Richard Schary of Bellmore, who was on a DOT citizens advisory committee in 2005, said Thursday "it's about time" the DOT took such action.
"I've been afraid to use this bike path because of the closeness to traffic," he said. "It's almost impossible to enjoy yourself with cars whizzing by 10 feet away. Sometimes it takes something like this to bring the public's attention to something."
MattinNY
08-23-09, 07:49 PM
Because paint will stop a drunk driver :wtf:
exRunner
09-02-09, 03:50 PM
Last night I drove North on the Wantagh coming home from a Wolfmother/The Killers concert. The right hand lane is now painted out and appears to have rumble strips on some sections. It starts at the Bay Parkway overpass and extends all the way to the Merrick Rd exit. Talk about making a mess for no good reason!
18,000 people tried to leave Jones Beach last night about 11 pm, and a lot of them did not know that the road is now 2 lanes. Add the fact that the middle bridge is under construction which forces a jog with a single lane and it was a traffic nightmare.
If it truly made the MUP safer than I would be all for it, but I can't see how it accomplishes anything except making drivers mad and frustrated. I saw several swerve into the new "non-lane" and pass cars.
I am sure that we are going to get a repeat of previous events in the near future.
18,000 people tried to leave Jones Beach last night about 11 pm, and a lot of them did not know that the road is now 2 lanes. Add the fact that the middle bridge is under construction which forces a jog with a single lane and it was a traffic nightmare.
If it truly made the MUP safer than I would be all for it, but I can't see how it accomplishes anything except making drivers mad and frustrated. I saw several swerve into the new "non-lane" and pass cars.
I am sure that we are going to get a repeat of previous events in the near future.
Papa Tom
09-02-09, 06:17 PM
>>>>Talk about making a mess for no good reason!<<<<<
Yeah, I have to agree. As MattinNY pointed out, no amount of paint - no matter how rumbly - is going to stop a drunk driver in the middle of a testosterone rush. They may just as well have left it alone and avoided getting drivers up in arms during an election year.
What's pissing me off is how this is being politicized. Based on what I've read in Newsday, instead of working on a solution, the pols are spending a lot of time making sure we all know who was aware that the road needed guard rails and who didn't act fast enough. Meanwhile, what WAS this area's best kept secret is now such a heated issue that SOME grinchy suit is bound to propose closing it down.
C'mon...the Ellent Farrant is not that unique, as bikeways go. Let's just fix it and get back to riding.
Yeah, I have to agree. As MattinNY pointed out, no amount of paint - no matter how rumbly - is going to stop a drunk driver in the middle of a testosterone rush. They may just as well have left it alone and avoided getting drivers up in arms during an election year.
What's pissing me off is how this is being politicized. Based on what I've read in Newsday, instead of working on a solution, the pols are spending a lot of time making sure we all know who was aware that the road needed guard rails and who didn't act fast enough. Meanwhile, what WAS this area's best kept secret is now such a heated issue that SOME grinchy suit is bound to propose closing it down.
C'mon...the Ellent Farrant is not that unique, as bikeways go. Let's just fix it and get back to riding.
Lightingguy
09-02-09, 06:48 PM
18,000 people tried to leave Jones Beach last night about 11 pm, and a lot of them did not know that the road is now 2 lanes. Add the fact that the middle bridge is under construction which forces a jog with a single lane and it was a traffic nightmare.
If it truly made the MUP safer than I would be all for it, but I can't see how it accomplishes anything except making drivers mad and frustrated.
Part of the problem is the current location of much of the path is too close to the roadway. The DOT current configuration has sections of the grass area as the breakdown lane. When they install the guardrail, in many sections it will be tight enough to the road edge that the grass will no longer be available as breakdown area, which then requires the conversion of the right lane as a breakdown lane.
In my opinion, the design I saw - a low wall with unconnected vertical stanchions, is absurd and won't stop either a car nor motorcycle. The ideal barricade is a Jersey barrier, which is ugly and thus not going to happen. The next best choice is a wooden barrier, but even a steel barricade will stop most vehicles such as cars and motorcycles.
The concerts at the beach certainly become problematic when all those cars are all leaving at once, compounded by a lane elimination. I would suggest that the DOT and State Police will need to allow temporary use of the stripped breakdown lane for traffic flow during that period, which might become a budget issue related to personnel and vehicles needed to control traffic flow.
In truth, it's only during the concerts and is not always an issue for every concert, thus for the remaining 335 days or so of the year, having one less northbound lane is not going to be an issue.
Steve B.
If it truly made the MUP safer than I would be all for it, but I can't see how it accomplishes anything except making drivers mad and frustrated.
Part of the problem is the current location of much of the path is too close to the roadway. The DOT current configuration has sections of the grass area as the breakdown lane. When they install the guardrail, in many sections it will be tight enough to the road edge that the grass will no longer be available as breakdown area, which then requires the conversion of the right lane as a breakdown lane.
In my opinion, the design I saw - a low wall with unconnected vertical stanchions, is absurd and won't stop either a car nor motorcycle. The ideal barricade is a Jersey barrier, which is ugly and thus not going to happen. The next best choice is a wooden barrier, but even a steel barricade will stop most vehicles such as cars and motorcycles.
The concerts at the beach certainly become problematic when all those cars are all leaving at once, compounded by a lane elimination. I would suggest that the DOT and State Police will need to allow temporary use of the stripped breakdown lane for traffic flow during that period, which might become a budget issue related to personnel and vehicles needed to control traffic flow.
In truth, it's only during the concerts and is not always an issue for every concert, thus for the remaining 335 days or so of the year, having one less northbound lane is not going to be an issue.
Steve B.