Chanting "Too many boats, too many cars!" and "If you want my vote, stop those boats!" more than 500 protesters gathered on Monday, September 3 at the entrance to the Cross Sound Ferry in Orient, New York.
The demonsration against the Orient to New London Ferry and the traffic it produces on the North Fork was organized by Southold Citizens for Safe Roads and the North Fork Environmental Council. They said the size of the demonstration was "way beyond expectations".
Protesters angrily demanded that the Southold Town Board produce a full environmental impact study as required by the New York State law. The study would assess the impact of traffic clogging the two-lane route and from the ferries themselves. They also want a governmental investigation of other ferry sites.
With 54 ferries daily receiving passengers from 5000 cars, traffic has escalated by 1200% in the past five years during which Southold's population has grown only 12%.
One protestor was arrested for disorderly conduct and another received a ticket for refusing to yield to traffic.
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Reported by Hazel Kahan for the East End News Team
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