Cuomo Proposes LIRR Expansion Project, Study on LI Sound Tunnel

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday a proposal to expand the Long Island Rail Road’s capacity on its Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville by adding a third track on a line that is used by two out of every five LIRR riders.

This train line is used by commuters on the Ronkonkoma and Port Jefferson branches, as well as some on the Montauk Branch. Oyster Bay Branch trains use the line for a portion of their trips.

These plans would help with vehicle traffic, improve LIRR services and boost the economy, according to Cuomo.

“This is a robust and comprehensive agenda to do just that and help build a brighter tomorrow for Nassau and Suffolk residents,” he said.

This expansion would allow commuters to take the LIRR to jobs on Long Island during traditional business hours on “reverse-peak” trains.

“Reverse-peak” trains would be a change for the LIRR, which is currently forced to run trains in one direction between Floral Park and Hicksville.

Due to only having two tracks, if a train becomes disabled, the LIRR doesn’t have many options to route trains around a disabled train, which can lead to delays that impact thousands of people.

Cuomo says these changes would:

• Make it possible for reverse commuters and intra-island travelers to use the LIRR.
• Reduce traffic on major Long Island highways like the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State Parkway and the Southern State Parkway.
• Make it easier for Long Islanders to reach LaGuardia and Kennedy airports by train.
• Complement the East Side Access megaproject, which is the building of a new terminal underneath Grand Central Terminal. This project is expected to double the LIRR’s capacity into Manhattan.

“This isn’t experimental, it’s a well understood direct correlation that we’ve seen happen already in the region served by Metro-North,” MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast said in a press release. “When there is train capacity to allow New York City residents to ‘reverse commute’ to suburban jobs, people take that opportunity and the job growth follows.”

These changes, unlike previous plans, would “dramatically minimizes the impact on communities along the right of way,” Cuomo claims.

The proposal would include a property owner protection plan, environmental reviews, grade crossing safety reviews, an extensive community engagement program and more provisions.

The Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council announced it is in favor of Cuomo’s proposal.

“This project is necessary not only to reduce bottlenecks that frustrate commuters, but also to provide for reverse peak service that is critical to the economic future of Long Island,” LIRRCC Chair Mark Epstein said in a statement.

Epstein added that it’s time for the LIRR to improve its capacity to handle its growing ridership.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also expressed his support for the plan.

“The key to unlocking the economic potential of this region is building a 21st Century transportation infrastructure,” Bellone said in a statement. “This is the key to building an innovation economy in our region, and Gov. Cuomo’s bold, ambitious plan will help us to accomplish exactly that.”

Long Island Tunnel

Cuomo also announced he intends to spend about $5 million to study the feasibility of tunnel under Long Island Sound to connect the highly trafficked peninsula to either Westchester County, the Bronx or Connecticut.

Such a tunnel could help improve commuting by allowing drivers to bypass traveling to Manhattan and working their way around to the other side.

“I want to do a really thorough feasibility study,” Cuomo told the audience at a Long Island Association event, as reported by The Journal News. “I think we can build a tunnel from Long Island to either the Bronx, Westchester or Connecticut. It will shave hours and hours from a commutation standpoint.”

Read more on Patch here.