(Newsday posted the following article by Jennifer Maloney on its website on February 13.)
NEW YORK — As Nassau villages protest the Long Island Rail Road’s Main Line Corridor Improvement plan, railroad officials slowly are shedding more light on projects they say would provide more rush-hour trains and eliminate dangerous grade crossings.
The railroad plans to seize portions of up to 107 properties — some temporarily, others permanently — for two related projects on the railroad’s main line between Queens Village and Hicksville: the construction of a third track and the elimination of five grade crossings.
Advocates of the plan say those costs are outweighed by benefits not just for commuters, but also for the communities where land will be seized.
Among the benefits they cite are:
Increased capacity that would allow the addition of 218 daily trains for 24 million more LIRR riders expected by 2030. More rush-hour trains for people commuting both into and out of New York City.
An end to 3,000 train horn soundings each day in neighborhoods along the corridor.
Reduced traffic congestion and emissions from vehicles idling at grade crossings.
A lower risk of accidents with the elimination of dangerous grade crossings.
Design of the third track project and the first phase of construction — progressing east from Queens Village — will cost $122.3 million, LIRR spokeswoman Susan McGowan said. To build the track, the LIRR plans to seize small portions of up to 80 properties along the corridor in permanent or temporary easements.
In a related project, the railroad plans to eliminate five of the eight grade crossings between Queens Village and Hicksville. The state Department of Transportation currently is eliminating a crossing at Roslyn Road in Mineola. There currently are no plans to eliminate grade crossings at Willis Avenue and Main Street in Mineola, where increased train service would bring traffic to a standstill during rush hour, according to the state DOT.
The LIRR has budgeted $80.3 million for the elimination of two grade crossings in Westbury and three in New Hyde Park. The New Hyde Park grade crossing separations could affect 27 properties — including up to 19 full seizures, according to the LIRR.
McGowan said she could not estimate the number of properties to be affected in Westbury because plans for those grade crossings have not been completed.
Residents in villages along the corridor say they would pay disproportionately for a project that will benefit all Long Islanders.
“They’re asking these communities to endorse this and embrace this project, but they have given no direction as to how they plan to proceed or offset impacts to these local communities,” Mineola Mayor Jack Martins said.
The LIRR has not yet explained, for example, the scope of the first phase of construction — how much time, if any, will elapse between the first and final phases, and when the project will be complete.
Railroad officials are meeting with local elected leaders to discuss plans and will release more details in its draft environmental impact statement, scheduled for April, McGowan said.