(The following article by Rebekah Rombom was posted on the Long Island Press website on July 7.)
NEW YORK — On April 25, 2002, 67-year old Leo Caruso collapsed of a heart attack on an Eastbound train from Penn Station. Caruso remained on the train unconscious for over half an hour, and was pronounced dead at Huntington Hospital almost an hour after he collapsed. The incident, which raised questions about the efficiency of the Long Island Railroad’s (LIRR) emergency response systems, motivated Assemblyman Bob Sweeney and state Sen. Cesar Trunzo to sponsor legislation mandating that the LIRR reform its emergency procedures.
“It seemed to us that this was an issue that the railroad should have been reviewing and doing something about,” Sweeney says.
The safety bill is one of a pair that aims to make travel on the LIRR safer and more convenient. The second piece of legislation, entitled the Long Island Rail Road Service Disruption Mitigation Program, requires the LIRR to provide options for commuters that limit inconveniences in the case of a disruption. “It really all just comes down to planning and being prepared for emergencies,” Sweeney says.
Both bills have passed in the Assembly and the Senate and are awaiting review by the Governor. A spokesman from the LIRR would not comment on current policies or on the bills, citing the fact that the Governor has not yet reviewed them.
Much of the safety bill was crafted based on the recommendations in a report issued by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inspector general and the LIRR is aware of the legislation, according to Sweeney. One of the recommendations was for the LIRR to prepare a medical emergency services plan. The report also suggested a review of the LIRR’s radio communications and repair of any “dead spots” in the system. A statement issued by Sweeney’s office mentioned that the bill addresses both of those concerns.
The Service Disruption Mitigation Program, however, was developed in response to several incidents that left commuters frustrated, stranded or both. In one case, LIRR employees instructed passengers to travel to an alternate station where their cars were ticketed because they did not have proper permits, Sweeney said.
Stefan Singer, 23, of Manhattan experienced a significant delay when his July 1 train from Penn Station struck a person on the tracks. The train, which had not yet made any stops, returned to Penn Station and the LIRR did not provide an alternate train, but promised that passengers could use their tickets on the next train. However, service was suspended.
“People were stuck there for two hours,” he said.
In spite of his travel delay, Singer, who is still waiting for a refund on his ticket, does not believe the Service Disruption Mitigation Program is necessary. “I don’t want the price [of a peak ticket] to go up to $9.50 for this contingency transportation that’s going to be used maybe once every six weeks,” he says. “The key here is to have a better, more efficient way to give people a rain check immediately.”
Still, supporters of the bill insist that it will not cause an unreasonable burden on the LIRR. Steven Liss, a spokesman for Assemblyman Sweeney, believes the new requirements would be fairly straightforward.
“We’re not asking them to get out a crystal ball,” he says. “We’re merely asking them to plan for what is foreseeable.”