Highway Department

Overview

Residents, who operate over 500,000 vehicles on town roads, rely on the Highway Department to keep them moving. The department maintains more than 1,200 miles of roadway, along with 143 town parking fields. Roads and parking fields must be repaired, cleaned, and striped for safe driving. During appropriate seasons, leaves and snow are cleared from the roadways. In addition, thousands of catch basins are maintained, as well as nearly 1,000 miles of stormwater drains. The Highway Department also assists in removing trees that have fallen in severe weather, clears dead animals from the streets, and picks up abandoned vehicles when authorized to do so by local police departments.

The Town of Hempstead Highway Department can be reached at 516-489-5000. If you reside in an incorporated village and you are in need of roadway assistance, you should contact your village's Department of Public Works.

Street Sweeping

Following the necessary plowing and salting operations of winter, the warming weather allows us to begin our thorough street sweeping program. Beginning in early April, town roadways are swept on a scheduled basis.  The street sweeping schedule concludes in October to allow highway crews to remove naturally fallen leaves from roadways beginning in November.

Pothole Repair

The Town of Hempstead Highway Department is responsible for the repair of township roadways. Potholes should be reported directly to the Highway Department at 516-489-5000, ext. 3471 or via the Helpline Form. Residents should provide the exact street address and the nearest cross street. During the winter months, the Highway Department will fill the potholes with a temporary cold patch, until permanent repairs can be made the following spring. To report potholes on roadways maintained by New York State, call 800-768-4653 and for Nassau County roadways, call 516-571-6900. Residents of incorporated villages are asked to call their village government to report potholes. View a list of roadways by jurisdiction, or use the town map and zoom in on a road to learn which governmental entity is responsible for its maintenance.

Storm Drains

Storm drains are for the runoff of rainwater and snow. Should you notice a storm drain that is clogged, please notify the Highway Department immediately at 516-489-5000, ext. 3471, or via the Helpline Form.

Snow Removal

The town clears snow from 1,200 miles of roadway, and we need your help so we can do the best possible job. When snow is predicted, residents are asked to remove their vehicles from roadways so snowplows can clear streets efficiently and effectively. Please wait until snowplows have cleared streets before shoveling driveways and sidewalks. Always shovel snow to the right of your driveway apron (as you face the street) so plows do not push snow back in front of your driveway. Please do not shovel or blow snow back into the street once snowplows have cleared the street. It impedes traffic, clogs streets with more snow, and requires snow plows to make additional trips down neighborhood roadways. When using a snowblower, blow snow onto your front/side lawn and blow it to the right side of your driveway when facing the street.

This will minimize the chances of your driveway being re-blocked as snowplows made additional trips down your road. Fire departments depend on neighbors to clear snow away from hydrants so they can access them quickly in the event of a fire. If you live on a corner, please also clear a path from the sidewalk to the street at the corner for pedestrians. If you have a storm drain in front of your home, clearing snow away from it can prevent flooding. View Storm Response Information.

Tree Removal

In the Town of Hempstead, homeowners are responsible for maintaining the area from the curb to the property line on all sides of one's property (i.e. corner lots, and lots where the back abuts a roadway). These sections are known as the Town Right-of-Way. Any work being done in these areas by a homeowner or a utility company requires a permit from the Town of Hempstead Highway Department. The maintenance of curbside trees in these areas is also the responsibility of the abutting property owner.

If a property owner wishes to hire a contractor to remove a tree located in the Town Right-of-Way or remove the tree themselves, they must apply for a Tree Permit.  A fee of $25 is charged for a tree removal permit. Permits are not granted for the removal of healthy or growing trees. Residents are welcome to submit a Tree Permit application by mail, along with the $25 fee. If approved, a permit will be mailed back to you.

Tree Planting

For tree planting information, visit the Department of Engineering.  

Leaf Collection

Residents are responsible for the removal of leaves on their own property. Leaves should be bagged and left out for yard waste collection according to their sanitation schedule. At no time should leaves be raked into roadways.