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The New York State Assembly Third Track Advisory Committee
Meeting
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The New York State Assembly Third Track Advisory Committee held its first hearing on April 17th at John Lewis Childs Elementary School in Floral Park. The 500 attendees at the three and one-half hour meeting heard the following speakers express their fierce opposition to the
MTA/LIRR Third Track Expansion Proposal: Assemblymen Thomas Alfano and Thomas
McKevitt, State Senator Craig Johnson and Village officials including Mayor’s Phil
Guarnieri, Jack Martins(Chairman), Daniel Petruccio, Donna
Sherrer, Tim Dalton(Vice-Chairman), Floral Park Trustees Tweedy,
Rhatigan, and Tomecki and several school representatives including Floral Park School District President Fowler, School Superintendent of Schools Dr.
Pombonyo, Principal Sottile and two high school seniors and a 7th grader. These speakers were followed by 21 village residents who also voiced their concerns.
Helena Williams, President of the
LIRR, attended and gave a power-point presentation explaining the Main Line Corridor Improvement Project.
A partial list of critical comments of the
MTA/LIRR is as follows:
-MTA/LIRR was described as a “terrible neighbor”, who is not concerned about the residents and businesses of the main line communities.
-LIRR has no justification for the third track project- main line communities have been waiting three years for a justification for this project, which has tripled in cost since 2005.
-Despite the railroad’s denials, this project is about freight transportation. By federal law, freight companies are allowed to use any and all “available” track to transport freight.
-Derailments of freight trains will be devastating!
-Construction will cause a 10-year period of traffic disruption which will impact businesses, residents, schools, schoolyards and playgrounds along the impacted communities - not just during construction, but permanently as well.
- Many other alternatives to the current, wasteful proposal have been overlooked such as double tracking, new technology, improved scheduling, reducing empty trains, eliminating the “Jamaica Crawl,” more effective use of double-decker trains, or simply adding another car.
-Infrastructure of the entire LIRR system has to be maintained and brought up to meet all the necessary standards. Some of the railroad stations are in terrible state of disrepair- Floral Park Station was repeatedly cited to be in need of major maintenance and pigeon cleanup.
-Railroad rights of way have not been maintained for many years.
-Rights of way have been sprayed with toxic chemicals to control vegetation growth. Any disruption to the soil and surrounding area will greatly impact our health risk.
-Welfare, health and safety of our children is being jeopardized. Studies cited that show that our children are more susceptible to higher toxicity levels than adults.
-Main line villages, schools and first responders must know well in advance when and what dangerous cargo is going to run past their communities so that first responders will be better prepared.
–Main line communities are greatly concerned at the environmental risks that they are being exposed to every day, pollutants, hidden toxins etc. - additional freight will exacerbate these problems.
-Threat of closing local streets would have devastating consequences to residents, businesses, and first responders.
-Proposed plan is putting our children’s health and safety in danger not to mention the noise, pollution and vibrations that will impact our windows, furniture, homes and businesses.
-Last year some railroad clips (shoes) fell from the LIRR cars onto our neighboring school fields and homes - increased freight will mean additional danger of flying debris.
-How can the MTA/LIRR attempt to justify such a plan knowing what it will do to the population along the main line communities, and most particularly to our children.
-The railroad (DOT/MTA/LIRR), has failed to finish many things it started such as: the DOT’s Roslyn Road Grade Crossing Elimination Project (two massive craters in the ground at the Roslyn Road Project has taken far longer than estimated), and the MTA’s Fulton Street Project in Brooklyn
(MTA Fulton Street Project delayed due to capital shortcomings; homes and businesses were condemned and now the MTA doesn’t know what they are going to do with the project).
-Many community groups spoke including Floral Park Chamber of Commerce representative, Terry Whelan who stated that its 200 members are opposed to this project. Additionally, residents from Flower View Gardens, who have a population of 400 residents, have been misled right from the outset regarding their parking rights- they will be losing 88 parking spots and have encountered vibration, noise and safety problems (a crane fall recently occurred in their immediate area).
- The LIRR can’t manage and maintain what it currently has- how can it even consider a project of this size and complexity until it gets its act together with its current infrastructure?
-Instead of finding ways to pay for this Main Line Corridor Improvement Project, it is advisable to reevaluate their problem and come up with an alternate solution. If the Third Track Expansion plan is eliminated the MTA could save $1.5 billion.
-Demand a public hearing in each and every village that is being impacted by the expansion project.
-There is currently a bill pending (S.7037) in the N.Y. State Senate that would only allow the construction of the third track project if the impacted towns and villages approve by a two-thirds vote.
Future plans call for additional hearings in New Hyde Park and
Mineola/Westbury. Garden City residents should be asking local officials what can be done to stop this project immediately
Please watch announcements for times, dates and locations.
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