Brookhaven Officials Call On MTA To Address Traffic Woes In Mastic-Shirley

FARMINGVILLE, NY — A group of Brookhaven-based politicians called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road "to take meaningful action" to address what they are calling "longstanding transportation and infrastructure concerns" in the Mastic-Shirley community, according to a Sept. 17 letter sent to MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Janno Lieber.

The officials requested the agencies conduct a comprehensive engineering and transportation evaluation to identify potential improvements for additional north-south connectivity across the LIRR railroad at Mastic-Shirley's right-of-ways "to help alleviate congestion in the area," according to a news release.

The letter comes on the heels of calls in August by the Mastic Park Civic Association where residents and community leaders discussed traffic congestion throughout the area, as well as discussions at the state level about an underpass for the railroad track.

The Mastic Park Civic Association told Patch the group has concerns that the heavy congestion could be worsened once three new developments are completed. The developments include the redevelopment of Mastic Beach with a mixed-use plan containing housing, a catering hall in Mastic, and an Islamic Center in Shirley.

The group held a meeting to discuss the solutions in September.

"While these concerns are not new, the discussion once again underscored the significant impact that the Long Island Rail Road right-of-way has on north-south connectivity throughout this community," the letter stated.

State Sen. Dean Murray also told Patch in August that there have been discussions about an underpass at the railroad tracks.

Local officials say the existing transportation network funnels traffic toward a limited number of crossings, placing additional pressure on already congested roadways.

The railroad tracks effectively bisect the Mastic-Shirley area, with extremely limited opportunities for vehicles to travel between the communities north and south of the tracks," the letter states. "Roads such as Madison Street and Hawthorne Street terminate at the railroad right-of-way and resume on the opposite side. Motorists are therefore forced to travel east or west to reach one of the limited available crossings, primarily Mastic Road or William Floyd Parkway."

"This funnels substantial volumes of traffic onto already congested roadways and creates significant bottlenecks, particularly during morning and evening rush hours," the letter continues. "This is more than an everyday traffic inconvenience. The lack of adequate north-south connectivity has implications for emergency response, evacuation planning, public safety, and the overall resiliency of the community."

"Mastic-Shirley is particularly vulnerable to coastal storms and flooding, making efficient and reliable evacuation routes essential," the letter states. "During summer weekends and other periods of heavy traffic, the volume of vehicles traveling to and from Smith Point County Park places additional pressure on an already constrained transportation network."

In a statement, MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan said he believes "the best way to improve safety and traffic throughput is to eliminate at-grade crossings, not create additional ones."

"That is why, in conjunction with Suffolk County, the MTA is studying ways to eliminate four separate crossings," he said. "The MTA also welcomes the construction of underpasses or overpasses to replace at-grade crossings provided they are funded through non-MTA sources by appropriate road jurisdiction.”

The agency is studying the elimination of three grade crossings, using a $7,461,000 federal grant "to advance planning and preliminary design” along the LIRR's Ronkonkoma Branch, according to a news release from July.

The crossings include Wicks Road / 5th Avenue in Brentwood, Straight Path in Wyandanch, and Lowell Avenue in Central Islip, and Ocean Avenue in Ronkonkoma, according to Donovan.

"In a change that will resonate for generations and is improving safety and reliability, the LIRR eliminated eight grade crossings, in 2019 through 2022, as part of the megaproject to add a third track to the main line in Nassau County," Donovan said.

The of group Brookhaven politicians are asking the MTA and LIRR leadership and engineering staff to visit the tri-hamlet area to witness the conditions, and have offered to meet on-site to identify areas of concern and discuss the challenges facing residents and emergency responders.

"We believe it is important that this visit occur both during a weekday rush hour, when daily commuter congestion is readily apparent, and during a weekend period when traffic associated with Smith Point County Park and other destinations places additional strain on the area's limited crossings," the letter stated.

The letter was signed by the Town of Brookhaven's Supervisor Dan Panico and Karen Dunne-Kesnig, whose constituency includes the LIRR station; as well as Murray, and Suffolk's County Executive Ed Romaine and Legis. Jim Mazzarella. The Assemb. Joseph DeStefano also signed the letter.

The letter was copied to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office.

The group of Brookhaven officials say they are prepared to work cooperatively with the MTA, LIRR, and appropriate state, county, and local agencies to address the longstanding issue and are seeking to schedule a site visit with MTA and LIRR representatives.