The New York State Legislature has given final passage to final legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. and State Senator Kenneth LaValle that would authorize a land swap between the Town of Southampton and the County of Suffolk to permit the County of Suffolk to undertake a modification to the Riverside Traffic Circle as part of an overall revitalization plan for the area. The vote in the New York State Assembly was 137-0.

Thiele stated, “The Riverside Traffic Circle in the Town of Southampton is a very busy and dangerous location where five major roads intersect. The current configuration results in considerable traffic delays and traffic congestion on all approaching roads. There is also a high incidence of rear-end collisions. In an effort to increase the efficiency of the circle, reduce congestion and improve the safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works conducted a thorough and extensive investigation of the traffic circle corridor and evaluated over twenty possible alternatives. The preferred option would require the use of a parcel owned by the Town of Southampton for part of the improvement. With the support of Southampton Town, Suffolk County has agreed to swap an abutting County parcel in exchange for use of the Town parcel. The County parcel is twice the size of the Town parcel and would be dedicated to park use by the Town.”

The bill must now go to Governor Cuomo for approval. In addition, the land swap must still be approved by Southampton Town and be approved in a public town-wide referendum.