BY JOHN NUGENT
Residents of New Hyde Park reacted with anger and skepticism at a village board meeting last Thursday to a presentation of plans for the closing of New Hyde Park Road from Plaza Avenue to 4th Avenue for seven months in 2020 as part of the Long Island Rail Road Third Track expansion project.
Travis Brennan, representing 3rd Track Constructors, which is building the project, outlined the next phase of the Third Track expansion before the board.
Citing six fatal crashes at rail crossings between 2007 and 2017, Brennan said that completion of the project will result in safer, quieter crossings, extensive enhancements to stations, and a better commute for rail passengers along the 10-mile stretch between Floral Park and Hicksville.
Brennan added that 7.5 miles of sound and retaining walls along the rail route will minimize train noise heard by nearby homeowners while station upgrades and longer train platforms will benefit commuters.
Also, negotiations are underway to provide temporary commuter parking on the properties of 124 Covert Ave. and Holy Spirit Church in New Hyde Park. Both parking lots are not used during the week, said Brennan.
However, some members of the audience responded angrily to statements Brennan made about 3TC doing its best to keep the community informed about the project. One woman shouted, “Not acceptable!” claiming that she has sent numerous emails to the company requesting information and received no response.
Another individual expressed a high degree of frustration about the increased traffic on local streets during the Covert Avenue crossing construction this year.
She demanded increased police presence and more signs in the area as drivers passing through were ignoring stop signs and speeding down residential streets. Also, many commuters have been parking on these streets, some blocking driveways, she said. With the planned closing of New Hyde Park Road for at least seven months, she and her neighbors cannot endure another period as they experienced in 2019, she said.
Much of the traffic in New Hyde Park is “through traffic,” said village Trustee Rainer Burger.
By eliminating the plan to create a two-lane bypass on New Hyde Park Road and closing the road from Plaza Avenue to 4th Avenue, 3TC expects to reap substantial cost savings and reduce the road conversion time from nine months to seven. The road will be closed starting Feb. 3.
Mayor Lawrence Montreuil said that “it is not our concern what is cost-effective for 3TC or the MTA, but what the impact is on us.” He added that the village is adamant that the original plan for a two-lane north and south bypass that would keep New Hyde Park Road open remain in place.
The mayor called for a “summit meeting” early next year of all the entities involved in the project, the LIRR, the MTA, construction project managers, police and fire officials, and others to address and agree on solutions to the many problems that continue to arise from this major undertaking.
