NY Wiki: Expanded rail service on the South Fork needed

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September 09, 2004

Expanded rail service on the South Fork needed

EDITORIALS
Easthampton Star, 2004 Sept 09
Save the L.I.R.R.

Given the level of service provided on the South Fork by the Long
Island Rail Road, a good argument might be made in favor of tearing up
the tracks and replacing them with a new road (dare we say bypass?)
from near Southampton Village at least to the East Hampton Town line.
Riders, or, perhaps more accurately, would-be riders, have for many
years complained about a schedule that seemed more about moving the
rail cars from one place to another than serving passengers' needs,
particularly on westbound runs. But abandoning rail would make us more
dependent on automobiles at a time when transportation alternatives
should be promoted. Doing away with trains would be a major step
backward.

The idea of tearing up the tracks, if it has been proposed as a way of
getting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's attention, is a
risky gamble. The M.T.A. might just take the South Fork up on it. The
L.I.R.R. seems to have given up on serving the South Fork villages and
hamlets in a meaningful way a while ago. When new passenger cars were
added a few years ago they were chosen with commuters in mind, not
people bringing luggage for a weekend. There's room for a briefcase on
racks above passengers' heads, but not much else. The Friday trains
out of New York City take on the frantic air of a hurricane
evacuation, as riders try to cram their bags and sports equipment into
whatever space they can find.

As proposed in a study commissioned by the Southampton Town Board,
rail service would end at the Southampton train station; buses would
take passengers the rest of the way to Montauk. A new transfer
facility, more like cattle pens than the "visitor center" mentioned in
the study, would accommodate the up to 1,500 passengers per trip as
they are herded onto buses. The consultant who wrote up the study's
findings said that buses would actually serve riders better, by being
able to take them to places like Sag Harbor, for instance, which are
now inaccessible by train.

A more sensible proposal in the study is for expanded rail service on
the South Fork. Trains would run more frequently and shuttle buses or
"light-rail" trains would go to the now unserved hamlets and villages.
People close to the issue say, however, that the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority would not be enthusiastic about this
prospect.

The idea of doing away with rail service would seem to be
counterintuitive for Southampton Town officials, who have made a
mantra of complaints about vehicles headed for destinations in East
Hampton Town. The consultant said that about 10,600 vehicles a day
that cross the Shinnecock Canal on County Road 39 during the summer
are bound for East Hampton. Eliminating rail service east of
Southampton Village would only cause that number to grow as more
people chose personal cars over complex and time-consuming public
transportation.

In East Hampton, replacing the rail bed with a road would seem all but
impossible; the tracks bisect the village. Nor would there be much
space in many locations for a second set of tracks, as might be
required for light-rail service, without the condemnation of numerous
houses. Another unfortunate result would be along the long stretch of
Hither Hills State Park where the L.I.R.R. rails now run. A highway
there seems unthinkable.

State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. has proposed legislation to
create a Peconic Bay regional authority to help deal with
transportation problems in the five East End towns. This authority
would not supplant the M.T.A. but work with it in a supporting role.
Keeping a direct rail connection to New York City should be important
to second-home owners and weekend visitors. Mr. Thiele's much-needed
attempt to seek some middle ground with the M.T.A. could help maintain
and perhaps improve this service. Now is not the time to abandon rail
service on the South Fork or make it less rider-friendly.

[Easthampton Star].

Posted by omor at September 9, 2004 04:46 AM