More than 1.5 trillion barrels of oil have been produced since Edwin Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859. Present forecasts reveal that the global community will require that same quantity to meet demand over the next 25 years alone, a challenge which, according to analysts in both hemispheres, the world's existing oil fields cannot possibly meet. With $4 a gallon gasoline predicted by the time Syosset holds its 2008 Memorial Day Parade, this is a time to consider alternative ways to fuel our local transportation system. Fortunately, for downtown Syosset, there exists an excellent opportunity to act responsibly on this mission for ours and many future generations.

Jackson Avenue, the overburdened north/south roadway that funnels some 25,000 cars per day into and out of the area surrounding the Syosset LIRR station, is undergoing a redesign project that is due for completion by the fast-approaching end of this decade. While the current plan appears to address many of the safety and congestion-related issues that plague this roadway, only minimal consideration has been given to alternative transportation into the downtown area; specifically pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Point your eyes to the sides of Jackson Avenue at almost any time of the day and you are likely to see scores of people walking toward the train station on non-continuous sidewalks or cycling in automobile lanes toward Jericho Turnpike. These are the bold few who have chosen to leave their automobiles at home and brave the treacherous conditions that face any Jackson Avenue traveler who is not encased in 4,000 pounds of steel. They put their lives in danger at several key points, where shattered curbs have eliminated any separation between the sidewalk and the roadway, and where cell phone-toting truck drivers completely disregard Right Turn Only lanes and crossing grids. Some laugh at these peds and cyclists now, but as the cost of operating our motor vehicles continues to take a larger bite out of our suburban quality of living, we may find the alternatives both practical and necessary.

The statistics are out there and need not be repeated here, as without the visible proof that I have seen across the country, they appear to be just a bohemian daydream. The bottom line, however, is that communities with carefully-planned accommodations for pedestrians, bicycles, wheelchairs, scooters, and other non-vehicular modes of transportation are safer, healthier, and far less vulnerable in an energy crisis than those which simply continue to sell themselves out to the automobile.

Two years ago, I proposed to Nassau County that a feasibility study be conducted with regard to one of two inclusions in the Jackson Avenue redesign plan. The first is that the north and southbound road shoulders (with the possible addition of six to ten inches) be painted and designated as bicycle lanes. This has been successfully accomplished on major roadways throughout Long Island and in hamlets just like ours across America. It is an inexpensive means of attracting more cyclists to this roadway, theoretically eliminating almost 100 square feet of roadway space for each traveler who opts to cycle into town rather than use an automobile.

The second, more drastic, proposal is to convert the north and southbound sidewalks, used as much by cyclists as by pedestrians, into multi-use paths to accommodate both categories of non-vehicular users. This, too, has greatly improved local transportation infrastructures in Syosset-like communities from New York to Toronto to Chicago to Los Angeles. On a local level, it would provide safe, vehicle-free access to the very active train station and to the downtown area, which is rapidly deteriorating due to automobile congestion and a severe parking shortage.

The proposals must pack some sensibility, because the response from Nassau County was that it couldn't be done in Syosset because this might inspire other Nassau County communities to request the same for their roadways.

I have the utmost respect for the current leadership in both the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County, and I believe the attitudes exhibited by many local officials are merely reflections of the general public consensus toward any proposal involving alternative transportation. At $3.29 a gallon, Syosset is not yet of a pedestrian/bicycle-friendly mindset. However, the danger is that by the time the new Jackson Avenue is completed and gasoline has reached $5, 6, or $7 a gallon, we may be very sorry that we opted not to act when we had the opportunity.

Obviously, a bicycle lane or an improved sidewalk will not solve all the problems we face as the world continues to go to war over the dwindling quantities of oil that remain, but nonetheless, these are concepts that represent acting responsibly for our children and grandchildren. Like most local residents, I am powerless to act on my own - and I will not likely wage this battle if it is not supported by my Syosset neighbors. Therefore, please consider this editorial a solicitation for your input on the matter of including bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the new Jackson Avenue design. I can be reached via e-mail at tommontalbano@optonline.net. Thank you.

Tom Montalbano