Long Island Rail Road Commuters Council Chair’s Report October 2, 2014 On Tuesday of this week the LIRR announced that it will construct a temporary extension to an existing pedestrian bridge at Port Washington Station over a four-day period between Thursday, October 16 and Sunday, October 19. Originally, the LIRR had been working to complete the project in September. We have been discussing this issue with the LIRR since it closed one of the two pedestrian bridges serving the station in April, cutting off an important access to the station’s north parking lot. Construction will not affect train service, but the Haven Avenue parking lot will be closed on Saturday and Sunday to allow work to proceed. Approximately 10 to 12 parking spaces will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the work, and the structure will result in the loss of six parking spaces over the longer term. The LIRR’s plan for a permanent solution is part of its proposed East Side Access readiness work at the station, which will extend two tracks to allow for additional rush hour service and construct new pedestrian bridges appropriate to the expanded tracks. The MTA has also announced that the Long Island Rail Road will be adding ADA accessibility to the Mets-Willets Point Station by including an elevator in its renovation of the station. We have discussed this issue in the past, and have noted that the travel path to Citi Field and the National Tennis Center is extremely difficult for LIRR riders who need accessible stations. Currently, an accessible trip involves a transfer to a bus or subway at the Woodside station. Combined with the addition of ADA accessibility at the Flushing station, this project will improve travel options on the Port Washington Branch. Of the LIRR’s 124 stations, 105 stations are accessible for riders using wheelchairs, and work is currently underway to add 5 stations to that total. On September 16 I attended a Long Island Association executive breakfast where LIRR President Patrick Nowakowski spoke on the future plans for the Long Island Rail Road. He confirmed several items in the MTA capital program that was just issued, including that the second track would be completed, but that the plan to operate the Oyster Bay Branch as a scoot service would not be pursued. The President also discussed the positive ridership impact that development in Brooklyn is having on the Rail Road and plans to add more direct trains from Long Island to Brooklyn. On September 15, Matt Kessler testified on behalf of the Council at a public hearing on the proposed restoration of weekend and holiday service on the West Hempstead Branch. As you know, this service was lost in the MTA service reductions of 2010, and while other cuts have been restored, West Hempstead riders continued to have no service on weekends and holidays. We spoke in favor of the restoration and noted that this cut affects more than leisure travelers, as service is lost whenever the LIRR goes to a weekend or holiday schedule, including times when severe weather forces this change. We issued a statement on the release of the MTA’s proposed 2015-2019 Capital Program last week. In the statement we noted that the proposal includes resources to complete East Side Access and to proceed with important normal replacement work and system improvement projects, maintenance and upgrading of the Rail Road’s traction power system, the installation of a federally- mandated positive train control system, and maintenance facility improvements. The Capital Program also included funds for completion of the second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, a project which we have strongly support. We also noted in the statement that there remain unaddressed needs in stations, parking, and communication and that the addition of a third track to the Main Line is to receive no funding. It’s unlikely that this proposal will be adopted in present form, as it includes a $15 billion funding gap and has been described as the start of the process by the MTA Chairman. We also issued a press release calling on the LIRR and MTA to enter into an open public dialogue about the plans for service changes affecting riders traveling through Jamaica that are made possible by the reconfiguration of tracks and yards around Jamaica station. While the MTA Chairman has stated that the reconfiguration and service changes are necessary for Consequently, the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council (LIRRCC) calls upon the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and MTA to enter into an open public dialogue on the changes planned for service at Jamaica Station, as the completion date for East Side Access has once again been delayed and is uncertain. In response, the Rail Road stated that service changes related to East Side Access will not be put into effect until East Side Access service begins. .