Reducing curb cuts for strip shopping centers, big box stores and future commercial development is essential to Route 347's future. Continued development will only clog this highway further and prevent the type of traffic that makes this highway one of the most congested in Suffolk County. A beautiful, safe and nearly congestion-free Nesconset Highway is possible. The Committee for a New 347 advocates the rebuilding of Route 347 into the Nesconset Greenway. Such a greenway, using Long Island's treasured parkways as its design inspiration, should be built in order to beautify our community, rid our neighborhoods of congestion, and improve air quality.
Congestion inevitably leads to reduced air quality and a poorer quality of life.
Finally, the committee believes that the new plan will fail to create an efficient flow of traffic because it does not separate local from express traffic, and because it will require extremely long waits at traffic lights. Among the ideas are stone-arch overpasses, earthen berms, generous landscaping, a dedicated bike path, preservation of open space and more.