Assemblyman Palumbo On Expanded LIRR Service To North Fork: 'We're Thrilled'

SOUTHOLD, NY — Since taking office, New York State Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo said he's been working diligently to expand Long Island Rail Road service to the North Fork.

This week, that's exactly what happened — an expanded schedule was unveiled at a Southold Town board work session, much to the delight of residents who've been advocating for public transportation options for years.

The news was a long time coming, Palumbo told Patch in an interview this week. "The North Fork schedule was decades old," he said, including the "jury train" that operates from Deer Park to Riverhead with traditionally low ridership.

As for previous arguments from the LIRR that the North Fork's "low ridership" didn't warrant an enhanced schedule, Palumbo said, "The ridership will increase once people can rely on the service. When they said the ridership didn't justify increased service, I said, 'Stop taxing us, then,'" he said. "We're taxpayers. This isn't a business. This is a public service," he said. "You need to give us the service we need."

The current North Fork schedule, he said, dates back to the 1980s.

Palumbo said the first meeting with MTA LIRR officials took place, along with New York State Senator Ken LaValle and New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, when he'd first taken office.

Palumbo credited MTA Long Island Rail Road President Patrick A. Nowakowski for helping to advance efforts.

The assemblyman said he has also worked to explain the North Fork's unique position and needs. North Fork residents, he said, might not mind waiting on the platform for a few minutes. "We're a different animal. We just want access to the city and the ability to rely on it, " he said.

He lauded the move to allow riders on the "fisherman's train" from Ronkonkoma to Greenport, which previously ran without riders and will now enable riders to reach the North Fork at an early hour.

"We're going to have all this increased volume now. It's a home run," he said. "It's a long time coming. We're thrilled."

The need has escalated as changes on the North Fork over the past 20 years have meant an influx of visitors, Palumbo said.

Thiele, he said, has spoken to him about what it was like, decades ago, fighting for additional trains to the South Fork, then perceived as "farm country."

Now, Palumbo said, the South Fork accounts for huge LIRR volume.

Of the North Fork, he added, "We need service, and that's what prompted this conversation. Two years later, here we are," he said.

The new service will be marketed; riders will be asked to weigh in and tweak the schedule to ensure it's the optimal schedule to meet their needs, the assemblyman said.

A new day dawns for North Fork transportation

At Tuesday's town board work session, Southold Town Planning Director Heather Lanza and Long Island Rail Road representatives came to discuss a summary of planned schedule changes for the North Fork.

Lanza said Southold town had worked with Riverhead Town on the planned changes, as well.

Changes on weekdays will include an increase in departing trains from three to four, with a new train arriving in Greenport at 8:54 a.m., departing from Greenport from around 9:50 a.m., arriving in New York City at 12:40 p.m.

The change that currently arrives in Greenport at noon will arrive at 2 p.m. under the change, she said.

There will be no change to the existing evening train.

An early train that arrives around 5 a.m., which currently is empty, has been proposed to take passengers from Ronkonkoma to Greenport, to bring fishermen out.

"Weekends are even more exciting, because this is what we really need in season," Lanza said.

Under the new schedule, the weekend service will increase from two trains for four. Current service has a train arriving in Greenport at noon and 5 p.m., departing Greenport at 1 p.m. and 6 pm. The new schedule, which will run May through November, beginning in 2018, will have a train arriving in Greenport at 5:45 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. and departing Greenport at 7 a.m., noon, 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

"It gives residents an option to get into the city early on the weekend, which they don't have right now," Lanza said.

Steven Ellinghaus, manager of fleets, shops and yards strategy at the LIRR, as well as Anthony Kingpin, senior manager of timetables, schedule and strategies for the LIRR, said the new schedule would hopefully start this fall, with the weekend service pushed until 2018 because the summer schedule for this year has been written already; it takes five to six months to write a timetable.

Lanza said town representatives had met with MTA Board Member Mitch Paley, who is "dedicated" to providing the funding for the enhanced service.

Neb Brashich, chair of the Southold Town transportation commission, said he's been working with the Long Island Rail Road for years and said this was the first "significant' move forward from the LIRR in terms of increased service. "We applaud them for listening to us," he said.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said Paley "has made a difference" and is "accessible and easy to talk to. Whenever we have something, he shows up. He's listening, there's no doubt about it."

Lanza said to goal is to talk to Chambers of Commerce and tourism groups to get the work out.

Brashich said a meeting with the business community to discuss marketing is a good idea since "they want to have more people on the trains, and we want to have less people on the roads. That is a commonality of interest."

The LIRR reps said they'd be happy to attend a future meeting.

"We’re very pleased with the productive dialogue that has been taking place between all parties as we look at how the LIRR can best serve the needs of North Fork and South Fork communities," said Aaron Donovan, Deputy Director for External Communications, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Long Island Rail Road - Metro-North Railroad."