Long Beach, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law

History

According to the City of Long Beach's own account, the community was "founded in 1880 when the first Long Beach Hotel was built," and "continued to grow at a steady pace" after "the railroad arrived in 1882 promoting Long Beach as a resort community for vacationers."^[1] Long Beach is built on a barrier island on Long Island's South Shore; the City's page attributes its early appeal partly to a moderating oceanfront climate, "10 degrees warmer in the winter and 10 degrees cooler in the summer than inland communities."^[1]

The oceanfront boardwalk, 2 1/4 miles long, was built in 1914; the City's own history page states it was built "with the help of some elephants," without further detail.^[1] Long Beach was incorporated as a city in 1922 under a charter enacted by the New York State Legislature as Laws of 1922, Chapter 635 — a charter whose provisions are still cited by that chapter and section number in the current City Code.^[1][2] The City's history page notes Long Beach is "one of only two cities on Long Island (the other is Glen Cove)" and that, although it lies geographically within the Town of Hempstead, it is "politically independent and self-governing."^[1]

How the roads got here

The only state parkway reaching Long Beach is the Loop Parkway, New York State Route 908C, which the state Department of Transportation's touring-route book lists under the jurisdiction of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, "maintained and signed by NYSDOT"; the parkway crosses Reynolds Channel on the Long Beach Bridge to reach the barrier island from the Wantagh/Jones Beach mainland.^[7] None of the three parkways serving central Nassau County that are commonly associated with beach traffic to this area — the Southern State, Meadowbrook State, and Wantagh State Parkways — actually enter Long Beach; they terminate or continue on the mainland, feeding traffic to the Loop Parkway.^[7]

Within the city, Long Beach Boulevard and Park Avenue are the principal internal streets; the City's own history page identifies "two major downtown shopping areas along Park Avenue and along West Beech Street."^[1] These are City of Long Beach streets rather than state or county routes; none appear in NYSDOT's statewide touring-route or parkway-jurisdiction listing.^[7]

Law and legal history

The City of Long Beach Charter contains its own prior-written-notice provision, distinct from and more detailed than the general state notice-of-claim statute. Charter § 256A(1) provides that "No civil action shall be maintained against the City for damage to property or injury to person or death sustained in consequence of any street, highway, bridge, culvert, sidewalk or crosswalk...being out of repair, unsafe, dangerous or obstructed, unless at least 48 hours...prior to the occurrence...written notice of the defective, unsafe, dangerous or obstructed condition...shall have been filed in the office of the commissioner of Public Works."^[4] The section defines "sidewalk" to expressly include "a boardwalk, underpass, pedestrian walk or path, step, stairway, pier, ramp," reaching the oceanfront boardwalk itself, and requires the Commissioner of Public Works to keep an indexed, three-year (department) and five-year (archived) public record of every notice received.^[4] Separately, City Charter §§ 257-258 require that any tort claim against the City comply with New York General Municipal Law § 50-e, wait three months after filing before suit, and be commenced within one year of accrual.^[5] New York's Appellate Division has confirmed the general rule that "a municipality that has enacted a prior written notice law is excused from liability absent proof of prior written notice or an exception thereto" in litigation arising from a Long Beach street defect.^[6]

Government, courts and policing

Long Beach is governed by a five-member City Council elected every two years, which appoints a City Manager to run day-to-day operations; the City is one of only two cities on Long Island.^[1]

Traffic tickets, City ordinance violations, and other summonses are handled at Long Beach City Court, on the second floor of City Hall at 1 West Chester Street; the court "handles all summonses for the City of Long Beach, Building Department, Animal Shelter and moving and traffic violations." Civil and criminal matters beyond the City Court's jurisdiction go to the Nassau County District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead (civil claims to $15,000, misdemeanors, felony arraignments), and Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, for larger civil actions.^[11][12]

The Loop Parkway (NY 908C) is the only state-maintained road reaching the city; internal streets, including Long Beach Boulevard and Park Avenue, are City of Long Beach roads subject to the 48-hour prior-written-notice requirement of City Charter § 256A(1).^[7][4]