Less than a month after the Long Island Expressway's Clean Pass program lapsed, some groups and lawmakers are trying to bring it back, saying commutes have gotten longer since electric vehicles got booted from the HOV lanes. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that about 48,000 Clean Pass vehicles lost their ability to legally use the high-occupancy vehicle lanes on Oct. 1 because the federal government did not renew permission for New York and 14 other states to grant exemptions for zero-emission vehicles in HOV lanes on federal highways. Currently, only “3 or more” occupied vehicles are allowed to use the HOV lanes.

At the federal level, two bills have been introduced with bipartisan support, including from Long Island’s delegation, to renew Clean Pass and similar programs across the country through the end of next year. However, neither bill has made it out of committee and are unlikely to do so amid the current government shutdown.

The House bill is sponsored by Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and co-sponsored by Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), among other Democrats and Republicans from New York, Arizona, and California. The Senate bill is sponsored by Democrat Alex Padilla, of California, and co-sponsored by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York, and Republican John Curtis, of Utah.

Separately, state Assemb. Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson) told Newsday she intends to introduce a bill for New York to reinstate Clean Pass without federal approval, although it is unclear if that is possible without risking federal highway funding.

Spokesman Stephen Canzoneri said the DOT "has observed some increases in traffic in the non-HOV lanes of the Long Island Expressway" since Clean Pass ended, but added that "the numbers are only preliminary and the sample size is too small to draw any relevant conclusions."

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Two Southampton Town police officers were treated for smoke inhalation after helping an elderly man who suffered minor burns escape from a house fire Wednesday evening, police and fire officials said. Around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday on North Road in Shinnecock Hills the pair of Southampton Town Police officers Jonathan Parsons and Maura Torres were the first to arrive at the scene and entered the burning house to try to get to the lone occupant, an elderly man, on the second floor, but were blocked by a locked interior door. The two officers instead carried a table and a mattress out of the house and placed them below the window of the room where the man was trapped. Officer Torres climbed up the exterior of the burning house to help the man get out the window and jump onto the mattress. The man landed on the mattress safely. He was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital for treatment of minor burns to his feet. Both officers needed medical attention for smoke inhalation. Fire chiefs arrived at the scene within four minutes of the initial call, according to Southampton Fire Department spokesperson Chris Brenner. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes. Bridgehampton, Hampton Bays and North Sea fire departments were all called for mutual aid. Southampton Town fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire, Brenner said.

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East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen plans to run for East Hampton Town Supervisor as a Democratic Party candidate in 2026. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Larsen announced the decision to a crowd at Si Si Restaurant on Three Mile Harbor last Friday. The mayor will not appear on ballots this November, as East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez will appear as an uncontested candidate. If it gets to that point, the election in question would be a primary in June 2026. Right now, what the candidacy means is Larsen will screen with the local Democratic Party for the nomination and should the party not select him he will enter next year’s primary. As for the...