A meeting of the Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council (LIRRCC) was convened at 4:30 pm on May 13, 2010, in the 5th Floor conference room, Jamaica Control Center.
The following members were present:
• Gerard P. Bringmann
• Ira Greenberg
• Sheila Carpenter
• Matthew Kessler
• Mark Epstein
• Larry Rubinstein
• Maureen Michaels (via telephone)
The following members were absent:
• Owen Costello
In addition, the following persons were present:
• William Henderson -PCAC Executive Director
• Janice Wells -PCAC Associate director
• Steve Bellone -Town of Babylon Supervisor
• Bob Brennan -LIRR
• Elisa Picca -LIRR
Approval of Agenda and Minutes
The agenda for the May 13, 2010 meeting was approved. The minutes of the April 8, 2010 meeting were approved.
Chair’s Report
The Chair’s Report is attached to these minutes.
Introduction of Steve Bellone, Supervisor of the Town of Babylon to discuss the Wyandanch redevelopment plan
A copy of Mr. Bellone‘s presentation is on file in the PCAC office.
Mr. Bellone discussed the elements of the redevelopment effort currently underway in Wyandanch. He noted that part of the plan will be the construction of 2,000 space parking garage at Wyandanch, which will benefit commuters and draw people into the community.
He said that the plan will be “green” in nature, as any building above 4,000 square feet must be LEED certified. The key is to see the Wyandanch Rising effort as one part of a regional development plan, which includes a number of transportation improvements in the area.
Mr. Bellone said that an important part of the overall regional development strategy is the plan to reopen the Republic Airport LIRR station and to link train service to the employment centers in the Route 110 Corridor through a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. This will provide access to jobs by public transportation for area residents. He said the Transit Oriented Development that is planned at Republic Airport would replace a shopping center and industrial buildings. He said it is important to attract “choice” riders, who are not transit-captive, to the north-south BRT service, in the same way that they currently use the east-west LIRR service.
The study of BRT on the Route 110 corridor is being funded in part by the LIRR. The route would begin at the Sunrise Mall and end up at Walt Whitman Mall. Mr. Bellone said that there is enough space in the Route 110 right of way to have a dedicated bus lane as well as the current traffic lanes. He stated that in order to keep people on Long Island, the proper infrastructure must be in place and kept current. Mr. Bellone said this would be a great investment because the rail infrastructure is already in place and this would lead to a high rate of return from additional investments. He said they are planning on conducting a full alternatives analysis on the project in order to be eligible for a range of federal funding options. Mr. Bellone said they are looking for the study funding at this point.
Ira Greenberg said that the planners must make the case for these improvements. Mr. Bellone said making these improvements will be good for all parts of the Town, and he is making the case that expending the Town’s general fund revenues is justified by the return that the improvements will produce for the Town as a whole.
Mr. Greenberg asked what the travel time would be from Wyandanch to the 110 Corridor. Sheila Carpenter said it is only 8 minutes from Wyandanch to Farmingdale at present. With good bus connections, a trip to work in the 110 Corridor from Wyandanch could take less than 30 minutes.
Mr. Greenberg said that Suffolk County bus service could be expanded as a interim measure.
In response to Mark Epstein’s question as to the starting date for sewer work in Wyandanch, Mr. Bellone indicated that the work will begin this summer. Mr. Bellone said it will not be too disruptive for commuters.
Board Report
Mr. Greenberg gave the Board Report.
Old Business
Bill Henderson briefed the members on the array of meetings that he and the PCAC staff have attended over the past few weeks. He also indicated the mailing of the LIRRCC brochures to elected officials is almost complete.
Mark Epstein suggested the Council might want to put out some press releases on timely issues like Homeland Security. Mr. Greenberg said that the work contained in the terminated Lockheed Martin contract is being done through the same subcontractors that Lockheed Martin was using.
Gerry Bringmann said that the Council should put out a statement regarding the Council’s opposition to the service cuts. Bill Henderson said he would discuss the suggestion with Maureen Michaels and get back to the members with the decision.
New Business
Larry Rubinstein said that he has been seeing many service alerts citing signal problems recently. Bob Brennan responded that over the last 60 to 90 days the Rail Road has had many weather-related issues and that the signal system is very sensitive to weather.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Karyl Berger
Research Associate