A Message From Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton
Winter 2025
Dear Neighbor:
Now that we have completed the first few weeks of a New Year – one that I hope is filled with promise and optimism for you and your families – I believe it would be an ideal time to refocus our attention on two of my top infrastructure priorities for 2025. In the 11th District, we have two Shore Roads – one in Glen Cove, and the other in Baxter Estates and Port Washington. Each has its own challenges, but plans are in place to overcome these hurdles.
Shore Road, running 3.3 miles through Glen Cove (0.7 mile), Sea Cliff (1.7 miles) and Glenwood Landing (0.9 mile), is a Department of Transportation throughway that has been historically plagued by major flooding and a lack of sidewalks. These conditions make the road treacherous for everyone.
Last November, I joined with other concerned community members and local officials to review draft plans for the Shore Road streetscape, flood mitigation and traffic calming project. It encompasses Shore Road, Prospect Avenue, Cliff Way and the Boulevard. The project includes major drainage improvements, reconfigured traffic signals and intersections, speed awareness devices and other traffic calming tools, along with bike lanes, ADA-compliant ramps and sidewalks, and more. Complete designs for this $14 million to $18 million investment in our future are expected to be finished by the fourth quarter of 2025 according to the Nassau County DPW, with construction slated to start in the second quarter of 2026.
As progress continues in Glen Cove, major efforts are underway to secure a second vital Shore Road – this one serving the communities of Port Washington, Manorhaven, and Baxter Estates.
There, major damage to the sea wall protecting Shore Road has created significant structural issues and compromised the integrity of the roadway. Initial plans were prepared this fall to repair the damage; however, revisions were needed after the contractor had expressed multiple concerns. Nassau County DPW officials recently confirmed that those revised plans have been resubmitted and are now awaiting New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) approval to begin work this spring. I applaud Baxter Estates Mayor Nora Haagenson for her relentless efforts to secure $7.7 million in state funding for the project and thank Nassau County for allocating $5 million toward revamping and repairing this vital thoroughfare.
In these divided times, I am reminded of a saying that rings especially true – “There isn’t a Democratic or Republican way to pave a road – there’s just the correct way.” These projects are examples of what multiple layers of government and leaders of all political persuasions can accomplish by working collaboratively, and it reinforces my belief that, although we may disagree on how to get there, we more or less want the same things – good health, prosperity, and safety.
By working together, I know this tale of two Shore Roads will have a happy ending for us all.
Sincerely,
Delia DeRiggi-Whitton,
Nassau County Legislator
If I can ever be of any help, please contact my office at 516-571-6211 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Legislative Democrats prevailed in their fight to secure $1.3 million in grants for first responders in districts represented by Democrats - funds that County Executive Blakeman held up for over a year.
This fall, Delia secured a long-awaited $7,000 Hotel-Motel Occupancy Tax Fund grant for the Glen Cove Business Improvement District and its beloved Downtown Sounds concert series.
In December, Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton joined her Democratic colleagues in unveiling the “Fair Fees and Accountability Act” - a set of proposals that would permanently repeal excessive and illegal red-light camera fees and create a blueprint for refunding drivers.
County Executive Blakeman’s administration is persisting in its stubborn refusal to approve Community Revitalization Program (CRP) grant funds in Democratic Minority Caucus districts, stalling funds for essential investments in the safety of first responders in District 11 and across Nassau County - in some cases for years.
In December, the Legislature accepted $1.185 million in new opioid settlement funds - renewing concerns about the Blakeman administration’s failure to deliver the nearly $100 million in settlement funds it has already received to agencies on the front lines of responding to the opioid crisis. Those new funds will be placed into a dedicated fund for agencies that provide addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery resources across Nassau County. However, a Newsday investigation revealed the Blakeman administration has distributed just $3.01 million – or 3.15 percent of approximately $95.5 million it had received – despite a four-year plan released in May 2023 that pledged $60 million to agencies over that time. 
In December, in Glen Cove, Delia presented a $43,000 grant to NOSH Delivers. The Legislature had voted unanimously on Nov. 20 in favor of releasing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding in support of the 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization’s hunger-fighting outreach and
Over the summer, Delia partnered with the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) to distribute more than 500 backpacks during a back-to-school backpack giveaway event at Glen Cove High School. The Nassau County PBA donated the backpacks and school supplies for the event, which helped to equip students for a strong start to the 2024-25 school year.