Improved rail service here?
Local civic leaders want to open communication with LIRR
2 comments below
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"We're coming in on Brookhaven 2030 and no one has discussed this," said Rocky Point Civic Association president Drew Martin.
Mr. Martin bemoaned the fact that the issue had to taken up by the civic now rather than there already being a well thought out plan to put into action. Citing transportation issues such as the rising cost of gasoline, combined with the traffic gridlock motorists encounter entering the LIE on Route 112 and the contrast of the empty train cars leaving the Port Jefferson Long Island Railroad station, Mr. Martin said there should be some plan of action taken by officials to address mass transit in Brookhaven, given the rate of development.
Without the infrastructure for transportation in place, Mr. Martin said, "Brookhaven will be a character without a play. If we can't get this vital economic link, we are going to be alienated."
Mr. Martin said he would like to see a dialogue open up within the community on the issue.
Possibilities include a transportation hub in the middle of the island so that commuters on both the north and south shores would have equal access to rail lines traveling west. The Mineola and Hicksville stations, which feature an assortment of parking and bus options, could be used as models for a transportation hub on the Route 112 corridor or even County Road 111 in Manorville, Mr. Martin said. Another possibility would be for the LIRR to electrify the tracks farther east so that service could easily run from Route 112 to Manhattan within 60 minutes and from Riverhead to Manhattan within 90 minutes. "You've got to get rid of some of these useless stops," Mr. Martin said. "They have a stop at Pinelawn -- it's a graveyard."
Middle Island Civic Association president Tom Talbot welcomed the suggestion of a dialogue on intermodal transportation, given the amount of automobile congestion on the roadways.
"Yes, I think the concept really has value, we don't really have that here," Mr. Talbot said.
He said it would be nice to see a Hampton Jitney-type service with intermittent stops at frequently visited places, because right now all residents have to rely on is the LIRR.
"I would go to Port Jefferson station, but there's no parking, and the Ronkonkoma line, it is a giant commuter lot -- there's also the same problem," Mr. Talbot said. "But a jitney?"
Mitch Pally, who is a representative for Suffolk County on the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Board, said he recently was contacted by Mr. Martin about the issue of intermodal transportation and is in the process of finalizing a date for the civic members to meet with himself and LIRR president Helena Williams to go over plans the LIRR has for the next five to 10 years. Among some of the expansion concepts that have been discussed in the past include a third track starting at the Hicksville station in Nassau County, a second track from Farmingdale to Central Islip and possibly electrifying the tracks beyond Ronkonkoma. However, he said, the plans might take longer to realize, given the current state of the economy.
"If people have ideas about possible changes to our stations, we would be very happy to assist in any way we can," Mr. Pally said. "But we are not building new rail lines -- at least not in the foreseeable future."
Assemblyman Marc Alessi, who sits on the state Assembly's transportation committee, said he reached out to Mr. Martin upon reading his letter to the editor calling for dialogue on public transportation in Brookhaven. Mr. Alessi said its possible that he could work on getting funds for a transportation study to fully explore the issue.
"I'm just glad this issue is out there being discussed," he said. "I think that we could get a lot done if we just put our heads together and got people involved."
Jon Schneider, district director for U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), said the office would be open to discussing the issue; however, no one has reached out to them as of yet.
"Considering the overall transportation bill, I think that the idea of exploring intermodal transportation hubs throughout eastern Long Island, it's important," he said.
peggy@northshoresun.com
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2 comments found!
LIRR Improved Rail Service : 10/14/2008
I beg to differ with Mr. Talbot, the south parking lot has plenty of parking at the Port Jefferson branch. The problem is the slow train that discourages many commuters from taking the line. I used to take the line before I found a job here on Long Island. For five years I commuted and preferred to take the LIRR from Port Jeff to Manhattan. The problem is the train is slow....it takes a hour to get to Huntington and if there was a faster train it would attract many more customers who currently drive down from the North Shore to Ronkonkoma for much more train service and at most an 1:25 ride.
intermodel transportation : 10/14/2008
It is sad to read comments from people like Mitch Pally. It is understandable that adding new rail lines is hugely expensive, but not cost prohibitive. I was at a LIRR train tour last year and was pleasantly surprised to see how many folks shared the idea that if the Port Jeff line was extended east and south to connect at riverhead, Bridgehampton and possibly through a tunnel to CT, that this would surely make the unprofitable east end stations much more profitable than they are now. It may take 50 years before this happens, but we need to start thinking in the long term. Near term economic and environmental conditions may warrant this to happen even faster. We also need to consider that the rails to trails program may need to one day share the old port jeff to wading river right of way with some kind of rail line instead of undoing work on either plan. Lets get this idea on the radar! Last , bus lanes need to be added on the shoulder on 25a and 347 asap! Hauppauge is the midtown of Suffolk county and rush hour traffic going there has to be the most painful on Long Island. If motorists see busses whizzing by, it will be more likely that they move to that form of transportation, bring more money into that system, giving us more expansive service and helping to reduce our dependency of foreign oil.
