In just a 15-mile stretch, Route 110 is home to 30 percent of all jobs in Suffolk County. From Amityville on the South Shore to Huntington on the North Shore, Route 110 takes in a varied suburban landscape of commercial strips and shopping centers, walkable main streets, gritty industrial districts, tidy office parks, townhouses, and neighborhoods with single-family homes.
Like other intensely developed highway corridors across the region, there is significant potential for transit-oriented growth along Route 110. In addition to the three Long Island Rail Road lines that cross the corridor, there is also the potential for new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along Route 110 (a study by Suffolk County, in collaboration with the Towns of Babylon and Huntington, is underway). RPA analysis found that an additional 4.8 million square feet of office space, 1.3 million square feet of retail space, 800,000 square feet of industrial space could be built around transit in the corridor, as well as new residential development.
Recommendations in the Fourth Plan would help advance the transformation of Route 110 by identifying ways to reform land-use regulations and design guidelines to promote building walkable, transit-oriented communities, particularly in places like the Huntington Quadrangle and the four corners at Conklin. New York State and Suffolk County departments of transportation must adopt and implement design standards for “complete streets” to better connect the corridor to adjacent neighborhoods and other nearby destinations such as Republic Airport and Farmingdale State College.
The Fourth Plan’s recommendations would support the redevelopment of Route 110 into a transit-oriented corridor with calls for new state highway design guidelines and increased focus on transit-oriented development by regional transportation agencies. The plan also includes “combined mobility” strategies to seamlessly link different modes of transportation, including car and bike sharing, on-demand car services, and shuttles. Highway recommendations would reduce congestion on Route 110 and other major highways. If the progress already underway continues, Route 110 could become a model for similar transit, economic, and residential corridors throughout the region.