By Marc Herbst
After building the region’s most significant transit improvements in the last century, the Long Island heavy construction industry refuses to rest on its laurels. We can sit back and celebrate the addition of a second LIRR track between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale, a third LIRR track between Hicksville and Floral Park, and the long-awaited opening of the Grand Central Madison Terminal. But our attention is focused on the need to continue constructing more transit services for our community. Long Islanders need and deserve an attractive, efficient, reliable, safe commuter rail system to sustain our region’s economy and way of life.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is in the final year of its five-year capital program. The 2020-2024 plan invests $51.5 billion into repairing and expanding the system’s commuter rails, bridges, tunnels, and transit infrastructure. Whether you favor or oppose the state law that created the congestion pricing program, that funding source earmarked $15 billion to fund the current program. If the revenue stream is delayed or eliminated, many needed capital programs will be canceled or severely delayed. One primary project, the relocation of the LIRR Yaphank Station closer to Brookhaven National Labs, may be impacted.
Our industry should be seriously concerned with the uncertainty of the congestion pricing program. The MTA is now preparing its next five-year capital plan, which is expected to be released in the fall of this year. New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has already issued a report projecting the next program could fall short $25 billion without congestion pricing revenues. That will devastate Long Island’s wish list for the next capital plan.
Following the success of the 2nd and 3rd Track Projects and Grand Central Madison, planners are proposing to advocate that the new MTA capital project include funds to pursue an idea introduced in 1981: electrifying its Port Jefferson Branch. In the 1980s, policymakers decided to electrify the Main Branch to Ronkonkoma first, planning to return to the Port Jefferson Branch as its next priority. By the 1990s, engineers had introduced dual-mode locomotive prototypes to test on the Port Jefferson line instead. That option proved to be unreliable, ultimately being derailed. The line’s electrification remains unrealized, one of the few outstanding “Network Strategy” investments identified in the 1990s. Many believe the timing for this to occur is now, under the next capital plan. Twenty-seven percent of Suffolk County residents, within 23 ZIP codes, border this 23-mile corridor. Supporting this plan is the recent transfer of the former Lawrence Aviation property from Suffolk County to the MTA to build a necessary railyard.
During the upcoming months, we need our industry to enthusiastically support the MTA’s next capital program. Beyond the Port Jefferson line initiative, the LIRR system needs significant enhancements beyond Ronkonkoma on the mainline, as well as track, signal, and station upgrades to maintain a state of good repair.
An invitation to the heavy construction industry for this advocacy effort: All Aboard!