With 31 months left before the scheduled opening, “Belmont contract extended 1 year” (Jed Hendrixson, March 1) could also mean that LIRR improvements may not be completed in time to coincide with the promised fall 2021 opening of the Belmont Park Islanders Arena.
In January 2018, former MTA Chairman Joe Lhota informed the Empire State Development Corporation that there is no current Penn Station capacity to support new Belmont Park service. He said that his agency must first perform a planning study. The study started in July with a promised completion date of September.
Why the six-month delay in making it public? They have yet to even make a presentation to the monthly LIRR or full MTA committee board meetings. The MTA has never committed to a new schedule and date for the release of the study.
A continued delay could imply that both feasibility and costs have been found to be prohibitive.
Gov. Cuomo’s current $168.2 billion budget contains no additional funding for this project. The same is true for his proposed $175 billion new budget. MTA Long Island board member Mitchell Pally said the cost could be several hundred million. Newsday’s “The Point” reported a cost of between $100 to $400 million. The MTA estimated $300 million. A New York Post editorial predicted a cost of $1 billion.
These non-existent dollars would have found and amended into the current MTA $32 billion 2014-2019 Five Year Capital Plan for supporting the design, engineering and construction of future Belmont Park LIRR capital improvements. Including any funding in the upcoming MTA 2020-2024 Five Year Capital Plan would be too late for completion of LIRR work to support the promised Fall 2021 Belmont Islanders Arena opening.
Cuomo’s promise of significant increases in LIRR service to coincide with the Islanders’ Hockey Team stadium planned opening in 2021 at Belmont Park continues to be unrealistic.
Improvements to the Belmont Park LIRR Station and additional track interlockings to provide frequent service could take three to five years.
We may just end up with shuttle service between Jamaica and Belmont Park LIRR stations. The most difficult challenge will be providing full-time rush hour evening service. This may not be possible until both East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal begins in 2023 and renovations to all four East River Tunnels are completed by 2032.
There is also the need for a bus terminal to accommodate Nassau InterCounty Express, NYC Transit and private bus operators, who may establish new routes for serving Belmont Arena. Will upgrades to the existing Belmont Park LIRR station include a bus terminal to accommodate Nassau Inter County Express bus, NYC Transit bus, MTA bus and private bus charter operators?
Many future employees at the Belmont Park Islanders arena, hotel, retail, restaurants and conference center will be dependent upon bus service to access job opportunities. Using the Metro Card with a free transfer from the NYC Transit subway to NICE Bus would only cost $2.75.
They could ride the bus vs. more expensive LIRR fares. How is the Empire State Development Corporation planning for establishment of these future services? How will taxi, Uber, Lyft and other car services be accommodated?
Will any potential future MTA, LIRR, NYC Transit bus, MTA Bus or NICE bus transportation facility, other capital and service transportation improvements be paid for by the developer or MTA?
The Empire State Development Corporation, the project’d sponsor, is following the state SEQUA and not federal National Environmental Protection Act. Following NEPA is necessary to preserve eligibility for potential Federal Transit Administration funding opportunities to pay for any planned transportation improvements.
Will these funds appear within the future MTA 2020-2024 Five Year Capital Plan? The MTA has been working behind closed doors on this document.
They first have to find $4.3 billion to fully fund the $6 billion Second Avenue subway Phase 2, $1 billion more each to complete the $11.8 billion LIRR East Side Access and $2.6 billion for the Main Line Third Track along with NYC Transit President Andy Byford’s proposed $38 billion accelerated NYC capital improvements program.
He calls it Fast Forward: The Plan to Modernize NYC Transit subway and bus system. This is looking for $19 billion under the next Five Year Capital Program. Some want billions to accelerate bringing more of the 471 subway stations into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Others want billions more to increase the numbers of new and rehabilitated subway cars and buses. Historically, these plans are adopted one year late. Funding for the future Belmont Park LIRR capital improvements might not be available until 2021.
Larry Penner
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who previously worked 31 years for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for grants supporting billions in capital projects and programs on behalf of the MTA, LIRR & NYCDOT).
