Village of Thomaston Mayor Robert Stern last week renewed his attack on the Long Island Railroad over the proposed replacement of the Colonial Road Bridge in Great Neck and extension of an existing pocket track, charging the LIRR with failing to address local residents’ concerns over noise and consult with the village.
“We’re tired of being ‘snowed’ by PR while the railroad does what it pleases behind the scenes,” Stern said in a news conference on Friday, Oct. 21. “It’s an insult to Thomaston residents. It is also, in my view, an insult to all the elected officials, federal and state, whom we contacted and who sought to have the railroad engage meaningful discussions with us. It’s no way for an agency that’s responsible to the public to behave.”
Stern went on to question the financial viability of the MTA’s East Side Access project of which the Thomaston project is a part, and called on Long Island Rail Road President Helena Williams to “implement reasonable measures” to mitigate a proposed pocket track extension in the Village.
Stern had a different message after discussing the project with Williams immediately before the grand opening of a Colonial Road Improvement Project information center March 28.
With cameras rolling, Stern stood beside Williams in support of the project.
“We have a good working relationship,” Stern said at the grand opening. “I think we’re lucky to have this president.”
Stern’s positive comments at the opening had followed months of heated words between him and LIRR officials, and the efforts of local officials to resolve the village’s opposition.
Stern said that since his meeting with Williams railroad officials have ignored him – despite repeated inquiries.
Long Island Rail Road officials said they have been in “regular contact” with Stern and will share the results of an environmental review of the Colonial Road Improvement Project as soon as it is complete, according to a statement.
“The Long Island Rail is in the process of completing an environmental review of the proposed Colonial Road Bridge replacement and pocket track extension,” the statement said. “We look forward to sharing that information with the public when the review is completed. We have been in regular contact with Mayor Stern’s office throughout this process, including a letter dated September 12th explaining that we are moving forward with the necessary environment studies, including potential noise impacts, landscaping and bridge alignment.”
A letter dated Sept. 12 from the LIRR to Stern said the railroad anticipates preliminary results from the environmental studies which Stern would have the opportunity to review.
“I am following up on the conversations we have had since your July 25 correspondence,” the letter stated. “As discussed, we are moving forward with the necessary environmental studies, including Potential Noise Impacts, and Landscaping, and Bridge Alignment. We anticipate some preliminary results and we will be contacting your to review them. If you have any additional questions, please feel free contact me.”
The Colonial Road Improvement Project would extend an existing pocket track in Thomaston, replace the century old Colonial Road Bridge, and address track drainage problems as part of a to bring LIRR service to Grand Central Terminal.
The LIRR has insisted that the $36 million Colonial Road Improvement Project will only be done if a pocket track extension is included in the bridge upgrade. The extension project, they said, will enable the LIRR to turn trains faster and provide better rush hour service and seat availability from Great Neck and stations west of Great Neck and provide construction jobs. They have also said the project will give the LIRR the ability to add up to 10 trains to the East Side of Manhattan during the morning when the $7.3 billion East Side Access Project brings the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal for the first time in 2016, cutting as much as 40 minutes off commuting time for tens of thousands of customers along the entire branch.
The extension of the pocket track has drawn vocal opposition from Thomaston residents, who complained about noise and visual impacts. Approximately Thomaston 75 residents live immediately adjacent to the proposed extension.
Stern repeatedly complained that LIRR officials were unresponsive to his requests to talk after he announced his opposition to the pocket-track extension.
To reduce noise and visual impact, Stern has requested a retaining wall, natural vegetative screening, and “reasonable operating procedures,” such as the pocket track only used peak periods, and a new Colonial Road Bridge with the same footprint and alignment as the existing bridge, according to a July 25 letter from Stern to Williams.
“We do not want to be in a position in which, after a period of relative inactivity in its dealings with the village, the LIRR then presents a plan (whether because of timing constraints or for other reasons) cannot be meaningfully changed to address the reasonable concerns of village residents – effectively a fait accompli,” Stern said. “Putting aside fancy presentations and PR, can you please let me know, directly and with straight talk, where the LIRR stands as to bridge realignment and the other issues listed above?”
At the press conference, Stern said the village has had “no meaningful contact” from LIRR officials and questioned the MTA’s ability to run the railroad.
Quoting extensively from a September report by of the MTA by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Stern discussed the MTA’s “alarming record.”
Ridership on the LIRR declined by 5.8 million customers between 2009 and 2010, and is expected to drop by another 1 million customers in 2011, before growing “slowly” through 2015, according to the comptroller’s report.
“The MTA has also proposed borrowing $14.8 billion-the largest amount in its history,” according to the report. “Such a heavy reliance on debt would further stress the operating budget.
The state comptroller estimated MTA debt service would reach $3.3 billion annually by 2018, where it would remain through 2031.
“These estimates do not even consider the cost of the next capital program, which begins in 2015,” the report said.
Despite planned toll hikes of 7.5 percent in 2013 and 2015, an additional 7.5 percent increase in 2017 could still result in a $1.2 billion budget gap by 2018, according to the report.
“In light of this alarming record of the MTA, should the Village of Thomaston leave it to the railroad “to do the right thing” for village residents?”” Stern asked. “I don’t think so. The railroad hasn’t done what it said it would do. The way I was brought up, there’s a simple word describing that kind of behavior. That’s not how responsible public institutions should act, and we’re not going to stand for it.”
The MTA previously said their plan would “fully fund” the 2010-2014 capital program without “increasing the burden on the operating budget.”
“The Comptroller today reaffirmed the financial risks identified by the MTA and the importance of continuing to achieve cost reductions across the organization,” according to the statement. “While voicing support for the MTA’s vital capital program, the comptroller’s report raised concerns about the impact of increased debt service from the MTA’s proposed capital funding plan on the operating budget. However, it failed to note that the increased debt service would be covered by reallocating revenues included in its existing budgets and earmarked for pay-as-you-go capital.”
